Updated May 13, 2015.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Starting a weight loss plan to lower your cholesterol and wondering how to set a goal weight, select a calorie level, or how quickly to lose the weight? Nutrition experts weigh in on the answers to these questions.
Goal Weight
Setting a goal weight isn't necessarily beneficial for all individuals. "I tell my patients not to get hung up on their number," says Audrey Shweky Young, MS, RD private nutrition consultant, and dietitian at St.
Elizabeth's Medical Center Diabetes Center (Boston, MA).
"They can use the feel of their clothes as a gauge for weight loss. Patients who are emotionally attached to their numbers are hard on themselves if their weight doesn't budge. It's harder to stay on track if we beat ourselves down. I encourage patients to stay focused on maintaining the changes in their health or eating behaviors and everything else will follow," says Shweky Young.
Loss Rate
"I advise clients to aim for a weight loss goal of 1-2 pound per week," says Geri Lynn Grossan, MEd, RD, CDE (Las Vegas, Nevada). This is the recommendation of most nutrition professionals.
Calorie Level
"I determine a clients' calorie level based on a metabolism test that I perform in my office. If someone does not have access to metabolic analysis, you can use their goal weight multiplied by ten to estimate a daily calorie goal. For example, if someone has a 150 pound goal weight it would be 150 x 10 = 1500 calorie goal per day," adds Grossan.
Sources:
Personal Interview Audrey Shweky Young 3/27/11
Personal Interview Geri Lynn Grossan 3/27/11