In our quest to lose weight quickly, we often think in terms of
losing as much weight as possible, as quickly as possible, to reach our ultimate
goals. While this is a tempting thought fueled by television shows featuring
rapid weight loss in a short period of time, it isn’t really ideal or safe for
“real life.”
The general rule of thumb is that you should aim for no more than
two, and at the maximum, three pounds of weight loss per week. This is the
recommendation you’ll hear from more fitness and dietary experts, which
obviously means a lot of science and research has been invested into coming to
this conclusion.
While most professionals urge for weight loss at two pounds per
week, three pound is accepted if you have a lot of weight to lose. Additionally,
it’s important to remember that weight loss is often accelerated in the first
few weeks of starting a new wellness program. Our bodies tend to lose water
weight when we first begin, and this will show on the scale. Be aware that most
of this isn’t “real” weight loss and is instead the excess water our bodies have
been carrying.
It’s safe, as a general rule of thumb, to lose 1% of your total
body weight per week. If you weigh more, naturally this number will be higher. A
300-pound person can easily lose three pounds a week in a safe manner.
You must be careful when partaking in any weight loss program,
however. While losing weight is healthy and vital to a more active lifestyle,
losing muscle along with fat is not ideal. Be sure your particular diet program
emphasizes the kinds of activities that will keep you losing pounds of fat and
not pounds of muscle. Without muscle mass, you’ll be unable to effectively
perform the workouts you need in order to lose weight.
Losing more than the recommended three pounds per week, on a
regular basis, has some seriously dangerous side effects for your body. Bodies
change drastically when weight is lost, and when too much is lost too quickly;
the body systems can’t keep up with the changes. You may risk the shut down of
essential bodily systems if you continuously lose too much weight in too short
of time.
Instead focus on a plan that encourages healthy eating and exercise
and you’ll see weight loss results consistently.