The Truth About Weight Loss
You just saw a commercial or heard a radio advertisement promising a quick 1020 pound weight loss in no time.
Sounds enticing doesn’t it? Because, I mean, in reality most of us want the quick fix.
We want minimal time and energy investment for a result. That’s why the easysounding weight loss ads are so enticing. They make it sound like something you can simply pick up on the way home from work and continue on with life (minus the 10-20 pounds of course!). But what’s realistic?
As a ballpark rule, losing 1 pound per week is healthy and doable. This can range from 0.5-2 pounds. If you are in some kind of program where you are actually losing more than this, you need to be under the supervision of a healthcare provider. Losing weight too fast can come from areas of the body like your muscle – this is not good – we want it to come from fat. Ever watch The Biggest Loser? You better believe they have a team of folks monitoring the health of the contestants! Here’s your take home message so you don’t get discouraged – if you lose 5 pounds in a month, that’s awesome! Don’t think of it as just five pounds. More than that might be unhealthy. You’re right in line with optimal, so I want you to be encouraged!
Let’s talk about metabolism. The higher your metabolism, the more potential
Syou have for losing weight. So, let’s say, for example, you weight more than your sister. Chances are your metabolism is higher. It takes your body more energy to take care of more weight. Does that makes sense? So, you have more potential to lose weight! Here’s another thing: what if you eat gas station chicken strips with the potato log and roll, and drink a Mountain Dew daily (I can plead guilty to this during phases in my life) compared to your sister who drinks only water and gets her produce from the farmers’ market… and uses big words like vegan and certified organic. Does that make a difference in your weight loss potential? Absolutely! You’ve got a larger gap to cross, and have more potential to lose weight, than your sister since her daily food intake is likely closer to what I would consider healthy.
Here’s a downer, though…what if you’ve tried to lose weight in the past and were successful. Congrats! You got down to 180 and were happy. Let’s say you have a friend (let’s call him Bob), though, who has always weighed 180. Chances are Bob’s metabolism is going to be higher, which means he won’t struggle as much as you will to maintain that weight.
What about a ‘cleanse’? That’s the new thing these days, right? A 10-day cleanse, a 30-day detox, etc. Yes, you do tend to see the weight come off, but is it the right weight? First off, personal opinion, but I do think a detox at least once a year is probably a good thing for your body. That said, where you’re really losing weight is likely water weight. What happens in most of these is that you cut drastically down on your carbohydrate intake. When you do, your body uses glycogen – this is a way your body stores sugar. Glycogen tends to keep water around when it’s in the stored form, so, when you deplete glycogen, you lose water weight. That’s a real simple way to explain it but that’s a ‘detox’ or ‘cleanse’ in a nutshell. I’ll add the caveat that all detox programs are not the same, so I can’t make a blanket statement about all of them.
Some of it is flat out genetics – you can blame your parents. Some people just genetically have a harder time maintaining a certain weight. Look at your extended family. They’ll give you an idea of not only what’s in store for you now but also in the future. Although I’d also say don’t use genetics as an excuse for giving up on your weight loss plans.
Lastly, let me say this: don’t go on a weight loss program as a way to gain acceptance or become more of what you feel the society expects or sets as standard. This is not the right motive nor a sustainable one. Lose weight because you want to do it for your health. You have to find your purpose and follow through on your action plan. It won’t be as easy as picking something up on the way home from work and moving on with life. It takes persistence and a long term outlook. Don’t get discouraged over just 5 pounds when you get on the scales. If you give it time, those 5 pounds here and 5 pounds there add up! Next thing you know, your healthcare provider may be stopping some of those medications you’re taking because you don’t need them anymore!