If you’re keen on losing weight and want to hop on a program, hold the phone if that program is preceded by any of the following words: “rapid”, “quick” and any other synonym for “fast”. Weight loss can happen quickly, but in general, it shouldn’t.
Image by Emilien ETIENNE.
A myriad of fitness infomercials and TV shows that portray vomit-inducing misery will have you believe that the pounds can and will just melt off in rapid succession. (Yet when it does, weight piles back on just as rapidly, if not more so.) So what is a more realistic weight loss timeline?
James Fell from Body For Wife first explains that your starting weight is one of the biggest determinants of the rate at which you can expect to lose weight. Essentially, the more overweight you are, the faster you can lose kilos. However, if you’re closer to your ideal weight, the process becomes much slower. You can blame your metabolism for both of these.
In general, James recommends steady weight loss in the vicinity of 0.25 to 0.5 kilos per week. Not very sexy numbers at all, but over the course of many months, they become significant for sure (doesn’t 22kg per year sound nice?). James then goes on to elaborate on the maths necessary to force rapid weight loss week-to-week. It’s not pretty nor sustainable. As he points out, the body switches on an array of mechanisms to slow that continued rapidity of weight loss. Over the long term, it could mean serious ramifications to your health.
Ultimately, he advocates loving and embracing the weight loss journey itself, rather than toiling as a means to an end that doesn’t always come. Head on over to the blog in the link below for more.
How Fast Should You Lose Weight? [BodyForWife]
Comments
5 responses to “Unsexy, Realistic Expectations For Healthy Weight Loss”
of course there is going be a lot of lies told by these companies to sell their products. in the end it comes down to exercise and moderation. any food excessively will cause weight gain.
If you’re not getting enough energy in, you will lose weight. Done, end of story, go home, nothing to see here.
“Burn more energy than you ingest” doesn’t sell books, much like “Earn more than you spend.”
more recent studies suggest that it’s more of a moving goal post. so yes, true to an extent but in relying on restriction of energy intake alone you’d need to continually lower your intake to continue making progress.
…. duh? If you weigh less you have to eat less….