What is the hurry?

S

sponge

New member
A lot of times I read on this forum, I aim to loose 4lb a week, or I'm going to loose 100lb in 10 months, or things like this, I agree with setting yourself goals, but I think that some people are aiming to loose weight ridiculously fast. Loosing weight this quickly is a serious effort in terms of both diet & exercise, surely the you'd not be able to keep this kind of lifestyle up for your whole life?

I lost almost 50 pounds since last year, which is a rate of only about 1lb a week, yet it is enough to notice a real difference. I spent years doing crazy diets & following crazy exercise plans but I didn't really start to loose weight untill I changed my attitude towards food & walked more. I never deny myself anything & it doesn't even feel like an effort anymore (mostly).

I know different things work for different people, I was just wondering, why is everybody in such a hurry? Do you really think this kind of rapid weight lost is sustainable?
 
Interesting question...for me the answer is "yes"...and "no". When I started out I had the goal of losing a 2lb week average..which was the maximum amount I understood to be healthy and possible at my starting weight..some weeks it turned out to be a little more and some weeks it was a little less ....I guess I lost almost 50 pounds in the first six to seven months...so I see how it would be possible, starting at a higher weight to lose a little less than 100 pounds in a year.

To me that's not really rapid (although it seemed that way to those around me) just consistent. The thing is, I never deviated in my food or exercise plan...for the first six months, although I had "rest days" built in, I don't think I missed a single planned work-out and never had a single "cheat meal/day/week". I guess that qualifies as "serious effort"...but my way of thinking is having a strong healthy body is worth serious effort...especially after years of casual "but it tastes sooo good" self destruction.

Sustainable? I think so. I never did a single thing to lose weight that I knew I couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't sustain over the course of a lifetime. Actually I think that's more important question than how quickly or slowly anyone loses weight...is it a temporary method or a "I can live with this" change in daily habits?
 
I've lost over 100 lbs in the past 10 months and I absolutely do think it's sustainable because I'm not dieting - in my case its a lifestyle change that I can live with the rest of my life... I had to face the fact that I am one of those people who just has to watch what they eat -- forever...

I also started at a much higher number - and am still at a much higher number than most folks on this forum.


Am I in a hurry? Nope -I'll get to the end when i get to the end - I'd like to get there before I'm ready for retirement but I don't expect it will take that long.

Am I shooting for 4 lbs a week? Nope -my goal is 1 percent a week - and I generally make that.. every so often it catches up and I lose less - but it's been steady...
 
I'm in your camp, I guess. I think some of us have to lose a lot more slowly. In my case, it may be my age -- who knows? I just feel happy to make my goal of 2.5 lbs. per month, which for most people around here is a pretty pathetic goal.

Ultimately, it's not the end result when you get to your target that counts; it's whether you're still at your target 5 years after you reach it. That's something I never understood before.
 
I agree about the sustained weight loss. If you are going to lose all the weight why not stay healthy and keep it off. I am doing an exercise plan I can do the rest of my life. I work harder and walk/ run more now than I plan to after all the weight is gone but I still plan to keep it up the rest of my life. I am losing between 2.5 and 5 pounds a week. I am happy with it and am not cutting calories to much. I have become so active in everyday life and feel so much better I can't ever see me going back to how I was.
 
It would be wonderful if we could realistically lose 4-5 lbs per week and keep it off but I'm not going to starve myself and lose precious muscle to do it. Many people start a "diet" thinking that's what they want but not enough people chose to educate themselves when learning to eat properly. I am still learning myself which foods are good and which are not, but I do know that it's not healthy to drop huge amounts of weight in a short period of time. Bottom line, educate yourselves.
 
I have educated myself. I am not trying to lose that much weight. It is just happening. I have raised my caloric intake to 4500 a day this week and am still losing alot of weight. 3 pounds this week. My body fat is dropping 1-2% a week. Every once in a while I will gain a pound or two which is muscle. I am not new to the game. My point was that everyone is different. I know people that have lost 100 pounds in 7 months and have kept it off for years.
 
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