Tip 37: slow and steady wins the race

Fast weight loss. Its what we all strive for because we are just so sick of feeling heavy - inside and out.

But did you know that going crazy with exercise and restrictive eating can do more harm than good - even if you're able to stick with it?

My advice? Take the route of the turtle not the hare. Slow and steady wins the race!!

Tip 37: Slow and steady wins the race; aim to lose 2-4 lbs a week maximum

Click "read more" to see why fast results can do more harm than good...




When picking your weekly goals, it's best to aim for 1-2 pounds a week. It's both reasonable and attainable.

Losing anything more than 4-5 pounds a week is a serious warning sign!

(PLEASE NOTE: if it is your first one or two weeks of your weight loss journey, don't worry! During the first one or two weeks of your journey it is normal to lose up to 7 or 8 pounds according to the scale. This is especially true if you've increased your water intake. What you're losing is not so much fat, but is water weight and bloating.)

If you lose 1-2 lbs a week, that loss is more likely to be permanent. Meaning, you get it off and you keep it off! And thats exactly what we want!

I don't have to tell you that losing weight too fast can be really unhealthy.

First, if you're losing that weight due to over-exercising and/or under-eating, that can lead to fatigue and constant feelings of hunger. This kind of lifestyle is pretty much unsustainable. You can manage for a week or two, but eventually that tiredness is going to catch up to you, and you'll stop exercising (or worse, get hurt durning a workout!). Under-eating also promotes binge eating. You might have only eaten 300 calories during the day, but night comes and you get the munchies. On a healthy diet, these munchies are easily avoided by a small controlled snack. But, if you've been starving yourself, your body goes into survival mode, and you end up eating everything in sight. The best option is to cut anywhere between 100-200 calories a day off of your intake, and eat meals that are filled with fiber and protein to satisfy your hunger. Not to mention, if you eat right, you can put more energy into exercise and get more benefit there as well.

Another danger to losing weight too fast is to your organs. Your muscles can be eaten away by your starving body (which is a really bad thing). Your heart can weaken. You can have constant fatigue and dizziness. And, you can experience stomach pains (and awkward grumbling!). I'm no doctor, but I'm sure there are plenty of other negative side effects I didn't mention.

Lastly on my list is excess skin. It's a fear that many of us have that wish to lose 50, 100, or more pounds. We worry that once we get down to our goal weight that we'll be weighed down by our extra skin. A way to avoid this is to not lose more than 3-4 pounds a week maximum. This gives your body time to adjust and shrink your skin back. Now, don't panic if your scale has a week here or there that is at the max, but don't aim for a consistent high loss every week.

Just a last thought of advice: don't go crazy, establish a healthy lifestyle, and enjoy the lifelong benefits!

Just Another Whale,
MyzzLyzz