Ismael Galancho, nutritionist and dietitian: "Normally, it can take from 5 to 13 days to lose a kilo of fat."

Weight loss is a topic that generates countless questions and, often, frustration. One of the most common questions is: how long does it take to lose a kilo of fat? Ismael Galancho, renowned nutritionist and dietitian, appeared on the podcast "Comiendo con María" and spoke about this topic, emphasizing the actual speed at which our bodies shed fat.

According to Galancho, the answer isn't a fixed number, but rather a range that oscillates between five and thirteen days. "Normally, one kilo of fat... can take from five or six days, in the best-case scenario, to twelve, thirteen, fourteen days," explains the expert. This variability, as he stated during the talk, depends primarily on two factors: each person's individual characteristics and the magnitude of the calorie deficit they are subjected to.

One of the most interesting aspects Galancho highlights is how the starting point influences the speed of fat loss. People with a high percentage of body fat, such as those who are obese, tend to experience faster loss at the beginning of an energy restriction process. "When there is so much excess fat, it's easy to lose a lot of fat at first," says the nutritionist. The reason is simple: abundant energy reserves encourage the body to release them more easily.

However, this initial advantage diminishes as the body approaches a lower body fat percentage. This is where the road becomes more difficult.

For those who already have a low body fat percentage, such as athletes or fitness enthusiasts seeking extreme muscle definition, losing a pound of fat becomes a considerably more arduous task. Galancho gave the example of a "typical fitness person, guy, girl who... wants to have super-defined abs or who competes in bodybuilding." In these cases, the loss of just one pound of fat can take a significant amount of time. "Sometimes it can take quite a while; it can take two weeks to lose a pound of fat," he notes.

This slow progress can cause great frustration among those pursuing physical perfection. And it's precisely at this point where, according to Galancho, common mistakes are made. Impatience leads many to opt for more aggressive calorie deficits, a strategy that, far from accelerating fat burning, can have unintended consequences.

When your body fat percentage is low, your body clings more heavily to its remaining reserves. If you add to this an excessively restrictive calorie deficit, your body, in its search for energy, may turn to muscle mass. "The lower your body fat percentage, the greater the risk of losing muscle mass with a calorie deficit," warns Galancho.

On the contrary, when there is a large amount of body fat, the risk of losing muscle mass is significantly lower. "When they have a lot of body fat, the risk of losing muscle mass is much lower," the expert explains.