Is it better to lose fat slowly or quickly?

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    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    Evidence from observational studies and randomized controlled trials suggests that losing weight quickly often leads to improved long-term weight and fat loss maintenance.[1][2] However, losing weight quickly may increase the risk of muscle and bone mineral density loss,[3][4][5] especially if weight loss occurs in the absence of a high-protein diet and resistance exercise. Therefore, athletes who need to maintain peak physical performance during a fat loss phase should pursue a slow rate of weight loss, whereas the average person can decide on their preferred rate of fat loss based on personal preferences.

    References

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    2. ^Seimon RV, Wild-Taylor AL, McClintock S, Harper C, Gibson AA, Johnson NA, Fernando HA, Markovic TP, Center JR, Franklin J, Liu PY, Grieve SM, Lagopoulos J, Caterson ID, Byrne NM, Sainsbury A3-Year effect of weight loss via severe versus moderate energy restriction on body composition among postmenopausal women with obesity - the TEMPO Diet Trial.Heliyon.(2020-Jun)
    3. ^Garthe I, Raastad T, Refsnes PE, Koivisto A, Sundgot-Borgen JEffect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletesInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab.(2011 Apr)
    4. ^Radhika V Seimon, Anthony L Wild-Taylor, Shelley E Keating, Sally McClintock, Claudia Harper, Alice A Gibson, Nathan A Johnson, Hamish A Fernando, Tania P Markovic, Jacqueline R Center, Janet Franklin, Peter Y Liu, Stuart M Grieve, Jim Lagopoulos, Ian D Caterson, Nuala M Byrne, Amanda SainsburyEffect of Weight Loss via Severe vs Moderate Energy Restriction on Lean Mass and Body Composition Among Postmenopausal Women With Obesity: The TEMPO Diet Randomized Clinical TrialJAMA Netw Open.(2019 Oct 2)
    5. ^Vink RG, Roumans NJ, Arkenbosch LA, Mariman EC, van Baak MAThe effect of rate of weight loss on long-term weight regain in adults with overweight and obesityObesity (Silver Spring).(2016 Feb)