Speed Of Weight Loss

Unacceptably Slow Rate of Weight Reduction

Many dieters quit dieting because they don’t lose weight fast enough. Instead of being content with the normal speed of weight loss (1-2 pounds a week), they expect to lose at least 3-4 pounds a week, if not more. Although such impatience may be understandable, it is (alas) totally pointless.

Overweight dieters with this sort of attitude are shooting themselves in the foot. To show you what I mean, let’s look at what they’re really saying.

1. “I feel bad enough about my weight to want to start dieting.”
2. “But the moment my weight loss starts to slow down, I’m going to quit.”
3. “Because when this happens, dieting becomes too painful.”

It makes no sense.

Okay, dieting may not be the most pain-free activity on earth, but everything is relative. I mean, being very overweight is surely more painful than following a healthy eating plan.

If you disagree, try this experiment.

Weight Experiment

If you are 50 pounds overweight (eg. very roughly, a 5 feet 3 inches person who weighs 195 pounds), visit your local grocery store, place 50 regular (1 pound) cans of food in large plastic bag. Then try lifting it, without straining. You’ll find it’s almost impossible. Yet, by being 50 pounds overweight, you are carrying that same weight on your body every minute of the day. (Ouch)

Question: Is this less painful and less uncomfortable than following a healthy diet?
Answer: I don’t think so.

The truth is, most of us will do ANYTHING to avoid carrying this kind of weight. For example, when food shopping, we place everything in a shopping trolley and then wheel it right to the trunk of our car. Then we drive home and get the kids to unload the trunk!

But if we are 50 pounds overweight, we still need to lift ourselves out of the car seat, and maybe lift ourselves upstairs to change, or to go to bed. And each time we get out of a chair, we’re lifting this huge extra weight.

Question: Is this less uncomfortable than following a healthy eating plan?
Answer: I don’t think so.

Let’s be honest, dragging tons of extra weight around is no fun. It’s painful, tiring, and it’s not good news for our joints, our spine or our heart.

Something To Think About

1. Unless you weigh 200 pounds or more, expect to lose an average of no more than 2 pounds of weight, per week. If you lose more, fine – just don’t count on it. More rapid weight reduction is an illusion.

2. This adds up to about 100 pounds a year, although an annual weight loss of 80 pounds is a more realistic target.

3. Quitting your diet because you want to lose weight faster than this, makes absolutely no sense. If this is how you feel, my advice is: don’t bother dieting in the first place. Choose something else that you do enjoy.