weight loss:slow vs fast (overweight, low carb, pounds, protein)
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the argument for slow (well what Ive heard from WW) is that by losing slowly, your weight loss lifestyle is very similar to your maintenance life style - the same mix of foods, just on maintenance you will eat moderately more - so while losing you are building the habits to keep it off. That seems sensible to me.
What are the arguments for fast weight loss (2 or more pounds a week)? Other than wanting to be a certain weight for a specific event? I guess some folks will get discourage if it takes a long time to lose, and will stop weight loss entirely.
I believe that the best argument for a fast weight loss is that it will help to get you started. If you lose 5 lbs in that first week or so you will get excited and motivated and continue. I don't believe that it's good to try to keep losing it that fast--you've got to give your skin a chance to keep up.
I think it really depends on the situation. For example, if I overindulged during the holidays and just need my pants to not be so tight in the waist, a quick-loss is really all I need, just to shed 4-6 pounds total. I don't need a "program," I just need to get back where I was a few weeks prior.
If I'm 50 pounds overweight and it took me 3 years to gain it, I might want to get a jumpstart on the first 4-6 pounds, but then take my time on the rest, at maybe 2 pounds a week with maybe another jump-start every 5th week to keep my confidence level up.
If I'm only 10-20 pounds overweight, hopefully I'll realize this before mid-Spring, and take my time losing it with better food and more exercise (those 2-week free gym trial memberships are awesome for this). If I lost 3 or 4 pounds the first week, it'd make the last 16-17 pounds not seem so daunting.
Why must it be one or the other?
How about a series of fast loss periods followed by slow loss maintenance periods?
Some years ago I did a high protein low carb diet and managed to *melt* weight off
close to 45lbs in about 90days with no exercise per se... just staying busy
Fast weight loss is the easier part and does wonders for attitude and motivation.
Why must it be one or the other?
How about a series of fast loss periods followed by slow loss maintenance periods?
the argument for slow throughout, is consistency. When you are on weight loss, which is when most folks will be part of a program, most conscious of what they eat, etc, is a chance to learn the habits you will keep on maintenance (which, BTW, by definition is no loss, not slow loss). The idea is we are creatures of habit, and forming good, sustainable, habits as soon as possible is important.
The arguments for fast loss y'all have mentioned above all boil down to motivation - needing to see the loss quickly to feel motivated to go on. I can see that - though for me, I felt motivated enough, seeing those one to two pound a week losses was good enough reinforcement.
this is a real issue - lots and lots of folks do manage to lose weight, and then dont manage to keep it off. When you are on maintenance, you WILL NOT have the reinforcement of big weight losses - at your ideal weight, you wont have ANY weight losses.
Like political theories or business management approaches or parenting styles virtually any approach will work IF...
(a BIG damned IF!) they are consistently followed through on.
I'm sure that there actually are people out there who will moderate themselves...
and honor the commitments required by the maintenance plan.
And some of them may even do so long term.
Like political theories or business management approaches or parenting styles virtually any approach will work IF...
(a BIG damned IF!) they are consistently followed through on.
I'm sure that there actually are people out there who will moderate themselves...
and honor the commitments required by the maintenance plan.
And some of them may even do so long term.
The idea is to make commitment easier, by making the "right" things, a habit.
The alternatives are pretty simple logic:
You can continue losing weight, until you are emaciated, your organs shut down, and you die...
or you can continue gaining weight, until you are morbidly obeses, your organs overload from stress, and you die.
Once you get to whatever weight is comfortable and within a healthy range AND you have become physically fit in other aspects...
Then the only 3 things you CAN do is to maintain, revert back to being unhealthy, or continue to lose.
Fast is weight loss; slow is weight loss and hopefully a lifestyle change. I've lost 43 since late Oct-early Nov, and I've learned what I need to do to eat more healthy.
weight loss is weight loss either slow or fast but we should try to loss weight slowly..
The reason is that slow weight loss effect our permanently..
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