How Much Weight Will I Lose Working Out 6 Days a Week?

How much you can lose in any given period of time, such as when working out 6 days a week, depends on a number of factors, such as how hard you work, how much you currently weigh and what other activities you engage in to help with weight loss. When choosing activities, make sure you mix cardio exercise with toning exercises. Losing weight without toning up in the process will make you look flabby.

According to Mayo Clinic, the recommended weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs. a week. Because a pound equals 3,500 calories, that's the minimum you will need to burn in a week in order to lose a pound. As a general rule, losing more than 2 lbs. a week is not recommended, as the excess pounds are likely to be from water or muscle. A strict diet, coupled with an intense workout program might result in larger numbers during the first couple of weeks, as your body is shedding excess water weight. Unless you're doing something extreme, the loss should stabilize at the 2-lb. mark after that time.

How much weight you'll lose working out 6 days a week depends partly on what type of activity you choose to do. A 130-lb. person can burn up to 450 calories in a 55-minute kickboxing class. On the other hand, 1 hour of aqua aerobics will only burn 236 calories. The intensity of your workout is also important. One hour of light effort on the stationary bike will burn about 325. Pump it up by taking an indoor cycling class, and you can burn up to 738 calories an hour.

How much you lose also depends on your current weight. The heavier you are, the more calories you'll burn during exercise, and the faster the weight will come off. For example, a 130-lb. person will burn 295 calories an hour doing low-impact aerobics. A 180-lb. person will burn 409 doing the exact same workout. The closer you are to your goal weight, the slower the weight will come off.

Controlling calories is also key to weight loss. If you exercise every day but continue to eat the way you always did, chances are you won't be losing much. For example, a one-hour yoga class burns about 236 calories, which is about the same amount of calories contained in a plain bagel. Cutting down on high-fat, high-calorie snacks and switching to healthier versions of the foods you love will improve your chances of losing weight.

Overexercising is a real problem, according to mental health website A Healthy Place. Anorexia athletica refers to a disorder characterized by maintaining long periods of activity in an effort to control weight. People who have this disorder exercise for hours at a time, sometimes more than once a day, and feel uncomfortable when inactive. Working out six days a week is perfectly acceptable as long as it doesn't get out of control and turns into an obsession.