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Rapid Weight Loss
When we think about weight loss, many of us focus on how fast we can take it off. I am sure many of you have seen the popular three day liquid diets or the many quick loss supplements on the market. We are also bombarded with promises to lose 10lbs in Ten days. The truth is that your body simply can’t burn more than 2-3lbs of fat in a week’s time. If you lose more than 2-3lbs in a week, you are actually losing muscle and water weight.
Losing muscle can be a huge problem when it comes to long term weight loss. The biggest reason is because muscle burns calories. Many people gain weight as they age simply because they have lost muscle. This is why exercise is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle. If you lose 10lbs in a week and only one pound of that was fat, and another 1-2 lbs was from muscle, then the rest is water weight. Although this may not sound too bad, when you return to your regular eating habits, the water quickly comes back and although you may have lost 3lbs on the scale, only one pound of that was fat. Not to mention that now you’re burning less calories than when you started. Trust me when I say, “There is an easier way!”
Rapid weight loss may be harmful in other ways as well. Your body’s number one job is to protect you at any cost. If it thinks that you are going to be without food for awhile, it is going to fight you at every turn. You are going to get signals from your brain at first, telling you that you are starving and need food NOW! When that does not work, it will slow your metabolism down in order to reserve as much energy as possible. When you return to your normal eating habits, it will continue this storage pattern until it is sure that you have enough food to meet your daily energy requirements.
Rapid weight loss also overlooks the reason you are overweight in the first place. If you do not address the underlying reasons that you have packed on a few extra pounds, what will stop you from putting on even more in the future? I am sure many of you have heard the famous saying, “If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will keep getting what you’ve always got. Getting to the core issues that got you here in the first place is the only way to make future change.
Healthy habits and lifestyle changes are the only way to live a healthy life. You did not put the weight on in a week, so don’t try to take it off in a week. Eat real foods like the ones listed under the Health Resources tab at the top of the page. There you will find a Healthy Foods List and a list of Healthy Meals and Snacks. Try to eliminate processed foods, saturated and trans fats, fast foods and boxed foods. These changes alone will start you on the right track for lasting change.
Wishing You Great Health,
Heather Gardiner
