Aggressive deficits work — until they don't. Beyond about 1% of body weight per week, muscle loss and metabolic slowdown eat into results.
Cap weekly loss at 1% of body weight (200 lbs → 2 lbs/week; 150 lbs → 1.5 lbs/week).
Below that, most of the loss is fat. Above that, muscle and water make up a growing share.
The first 1–2 weeks show a bigger drop — mostly water and glycogen. Don't extrapolate; the real rate settles in week 3.
Set a realistic deficit from your TDEE.
Calorie / TDEE Calculator →
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