“Looking for practical tips and expert advice on how to lose weight safely and effectively?  quicknewsfeed.com explores everything from sustainable dieting to the best workout routines, including how long does it take to lose a stone, helping you achieve your weight loss goals the right way.

Many people want to reduce weight, and the topic of how long it takes to shed a stone frequently comes up. A stone is equivalent to 14 pounds, or around 6.35 kilograms, and it is important for those who are trying to lose weight to know how long it will take to reach this target. However, there is no one-size-fits-all method for losing weight because it relies on a variety of factors, including metabolism, exercise, and diet. This post will discuss reasonable weight loss goals, the actions you must take, and practical weight loss advice that will enable you to reach your objective safely and sustainably.

Understanding Weight Loss: What Does It Take to Lose a Stone?

It’s crucial to comprehend the science of weight loss before beginning the weight loss timeline. In order to lose weight, you must expend more calories than you take in, a process known as a caloric deficit. You can achieve this by cutting back on calories, increasing your physical activity, or, better yet, combining the two.

Since a stone weighs 14 pounds (6.35 kg), you must generate a calorie deficit in order to drop that much weight. Approximately 3,500 calories are equal to one pound of fat. Therefore, over time, you would need to burn 49,000 more calories than you take in to lose 14 pounds (a stone).

But cutting calories isn’t the only way to lose weight. Making ensuring that the majority of the weight you’re losing is fat rather than muscle necessitates a balanced approach to nutrition, exercise, and general healthy living.

How Long Does It Take to Lose a Stone?

After learning the fundamentals of weight loss, let’s tackle the important query: How long does it take to drop a stone? A safe and sustainable weight reduction rate is usually between one and two pounds (0.45 and 0.9 kg) each week, though this varies from person to person.

It would take roughly 7–14 weeks, or two to three months, to lose a stone at this rate. However, this timeframe is influenced by a number of factors:

Factors Affecting Loss of Weight Time Age: Our metabolism naturally slows down with age, so losing a stone may take longer. To get the same benefits, older people might have to put in more effort.

Gender: Because males have more muscle mass, which burns more calories, they frequently lose weight more quickly than women. The rate of weight reduction in women may also be impacted by hormonal changes.

Metabolism: How quickly you lose weight is greatly influenced by your basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the quantity of calories your body burns while at rest. Individuals who have a higher BMR typically experience faster weight loss.

Activity Level: You burn more calories the more active you are. Compared to people who only use diet, individuals who combine strength and aerobic training will probably experience results more quickly.

Example Timeline

The following timetable can be anticipated if you begin with a healthy diet and consistent exercise regimen and aim for a safe weight reduction pace of 1-2 pounds per week:

You will lose a stone in around 14 weeks (about three and a half months) if you lose one pound every week.

You will lose a stone in around 7 weeks (just under 2 months) if you shed 2 pounds a week.

What is a safe weekly weight loss target, and is it possible to lose a stone in a month?

According to Tai, losing one to two pounds (around 0.5 to 1 kg) every week is a healthy and achievable weight loss goal. In roughly six weeks, you could drop up to a stone. Your body size and metabolism, however, might affect how much weight you lose over the course of four to six weeks, so your specific situation may cause you to lose more or less than this.

“The amount of weight you can lose varies from person to person and is influenced by numerous factors,” says Gina, who founded the motivational online fitness platform Just Geen and is a certified personal trainer. She stresses that nutrition accounts for 80% of good weight loss, while exercise accounts for 20%.

What should you eat to lose weight safely?

For weight loss to be safe and long-lasting, eating with “common sense” is essential. Without advice from a trained health expert, Tai suggests avoiding certain food groups (unless medically required) or depending solely on special products, supplements, or tablets to drop a stone.

Restricting their dietary choices and sticking to a single meal or food for a set amount of days or weeks is a common mistake made by people who are attempting to lose weight. “Following these kinds of diets in the long run can be quite difficult,” she says. In addition to being “unpleasant,” yet “such diets are also nutritionally deficient and fail to provide the necessary nutrients your body requires.” To support your gut and overall health, you should instead concentrate on eating a varied, well-balanced diet.

How many times should you eat per day to lose weight?

Tai suggests avoiding the temptation to skip meals when attempting to reduce weight. “Aim to have three regular and balanced meals each day, and include snacks if you’re physically hungry,” she says.

Tai also recommends reducing consumption of meals and beverages that are heavy in fat, salt, or added sugars, including desserts, cakes, biscuits, fried foods, and sugary drinks. Make the switch to sugar-free options instead. She points out that “these can be eaten occasionally, but in small quantities and less often.”

Tips for healthy eating that will help you lose weight from certified dietician Tai Ibitoye

Stock up on nutritious snacks.

As a healthy snack choice, Tai suggests picking things like apple slices with nut butter. Plain or mildly salted popcorn, plantain chips, and unsalted rice cakes are also great options. Oat cakes, low-fat hummus or salsa served with carrot, cucumber, and celery sticks, and little handfuls of unsalted nuts or raisins are further healthy snack options.

Since many of us don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, you should likewise concentrate on boosting your intake. At least five servings of fruit and vegetables should be consumed each day; one serving should weigh about 80g, or about a handful.

Two medium plums, one medium banana or apple, sixteen okra, a handful of vegetable sticks, three heaped tablespoons of kidney beans, sweetcorn, or peas, a handful of grapes, or a cereal bowl of mixed salad are a few examples of one portion.

Generally speaking, fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which can help you feel filled for longer, but low in calories and fat. Additionally, they offer vital vitamins and minerals that are necessary for general health and wellbeing.

Pay attention to portion sizes.

Starting with a modest piece helps you determine when you’re satisfied. You can return for more if you’re still hungry. Eating slowly and stopping before you feel uncomfortable will help you avoid overeating because it takes your stomach around 20 minutes to tell your brain that you are full.

Examine food labels for nutritional information.

Making healthier decisions can be facilitated by reading food labels. The packaging’s traffic light system indicates if a product contains high (red), medium (amber), or low (green) amounts of sugar, salt, and saturated fats. To determine how a product fits into your daily calorie allocation, you can also utilize the calorie information. Use fitness and health tracking applications like MyFitnessPal or Nutracheck to keep tabs on your consumption in order to stay on course.

Serve up a balanced plate

A healthy eating suggestion for mealtimes is to have half of your plate full with salad and vegetables. The remaining half should be split between starchy carbs like rice, pasta, or bread and protein sources like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, or other plant-based proteins. Enjoy potatoes with their skins on, as these are great sources of fiber, and whenever feasible, choose wholegrain varieties, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, wholemeal bread, and wholemeal chapati.

Be mindful of alcohol consumption

It’s critical to monitor your alcohol intake if you consume it. Due to its high calorie content, alcohol can cause weight gain in certain people. For example, one gram of alcohol has about seven kcal, while one gram of protein plus carbs has four kcal. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that alcohol increases hunger, which could result in overeating.

Because excessive alcohol use can lead to long-term health problems, the UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) advise against regularly consuming more than 14 units of alcohol per week. Try choosing non-alcoholic, low-alcohol, or low-calorie drinks to reduce your alcohol consumption. Additionally, think about setting out at least three days per week for alcohol-free activities.

What types of exercise should you do to lose weight, and how often should you work out?

“I strongly believe that you can’t out-train a poor diet,” Gina explains. “Once your nutrition is on track, the exercise part will become easier.” After finding that exercise was an excellent way to relieve stress at a difficult period in her life, Gina founded her online business. For best results within six weeks, she suggests HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) in conjunction with weight training.

“While both of these approaches have advantages, weight training is best for reducing body fat and gaining lean muscle mass. Conversely, cardio enhances cardiovascular health, aids in weight loss, and highlights the muscles you’ve worked so hard to build.

Tai concurs, saying, “There’s no doubt that physical activity can help you lose weight and keep it at a healthy level. Every day, the NHS recommends doing some kind of physical activity. The more you move, the better. Any movement is good.

Finding a physical activity you enjoy is crucial, she continues, because the more enjoyable it is, the more likely you are to continue and maintain your routine. Whether you choose to walk or ride your bike to work, walk your dog, take the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator, or get off the bus a few stops early and walk the remaining distance, try making it a part of your everyday routine.

Weight Training

The reason weight training is so important for weight loss is because it increases your lean body mass, which increases your daily caloric expenditure. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR), or the quantity of calories your body burns just to function, is greatly influenced by your muscle mass. Even when at rest, your body uses more energy if you have more muscle.

HIIT or LISS

High-intensity interval training, often known as LISS or HIIT, is a very successful type of cardiovascular exercise that consists of brief intervals of vigorous activity interspersed with little to no rest. Because of the afterburn effect, which occurs when your body keeps using energy to recuperate, this kind of training not only burns calories during the activity but also continues to do so later.

Conversely, LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State) is a type of low-intensity aerobic exercise that typically lasts for at least forty minutes. Because fat is the body’s primary energy source rather than glucose or carbs, it has been shown to help eliminate excess body fat without sacrificing muscle growth. Furthermore, LISS is easier on the body, enabling more frequent workouts with quicker recuperation periods.

For best results over six weeks, Gina suggests doing one to two aerobic workouts and two to four strength exercises every week. “For beginners, start with three total sessions per week and gradually build up from there.”

Weight Loss Workout Week, for instance

Monday: The upper body
Tuesday: Abs, LISS, and lower body
Wednesday: Complete body
Thursday: Take it easy
Friday: Abs and lower body
HIIT on Saturday
Sunday: Take It Easy and Lose Weight

“Weight loss varies from person to person,” Gina states. “But the core principle is straightforward—consume about 10% fewer calories than your usual intake, stay hydrated with plenty of water, and keep moving regularly.”

Getting the proper assistance and expert advice is the best approach to reduce weight safely, Tai says. “Some people may need additional help to reach their goals,” she states. It’s critical to determine who and how you can get support along the route. Asking a friend to hold you responsible may be one way to accomplish this. Furthermore, consulting a registered dietician can guarantee that you attain outcomes that are safe, healthy, and long-lasting.

Key Considerations When Losing Weight:

Pregnancy: Women shouldn’t try to reduce their weight when they are pregnant. Gaining weight during pregnancy is safe and typical. For individualized guidance, it is preferable to speak with a physician or certified dietitian if you are worried about gaining weight.

Existing Medical issues: Before trying to reduce weight, those with medical issues such as type 2 diabetes should speak with a certified nutritionist and their general practitioner. Individualized nutritional and medical advice will be given under expert supervision.

It’s critical to understand that different weight loss strategies are effective for different people. There isn’t a solution that works for everyone. A licensed dietician can provide you with individualized guidance and recommendations to help you successfully meet your nutrition and health objectives.

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