I've been pondering this for a while now, ever since I asked my wife how much weight she has lost since she started to make the effort to lose weight. She said she has lost 40-50 lbs. I think that's tremendous, and she looks great. When we were talking about it, though, she kind of snickered and made some comment about how it's taken over 2 years. I figure "So what?" What does it matter how long it took?
I know commercials and infomercials make a big deal about how much weight their users (supposedly) lost in a short time period, but isn't that just a bunch of marketing hype? Further, couldn't this focus on rapid weight loss be harmful, in the sense that people who don't lose weight as rapidly may give up because they think they should have lost more?
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*I think* that there's a trade off somewhere getting the weight off faster has more benefit than doing it in a way that satisfies all conservative safety\health standards. Being too heavy is hard on your body and getting it off might make it considerably easier to take a more mundane approach (afterwards), the rapid success might keep you motivated...blah blah blah. If you're *normal\healthy* then doing a super rapid diet probably isn't worth it in the long run due to *something else* taking a hit that you'll end up having to recover from.
I think our society cultivates an "instant gratification" mindset over so many things, which of course carries over into weight loss.
It's relatively easy to just drop some pounds. We see the weight-loss marketing juggernaut every day, with so many products promising "instant results."
I think it's far more important to focus on the big picture than just the number on the scale. Is the subject eating the right foods, getting exercise, enough sleep, etc. Have they adopted lifelong habits supporting a fit lifestyle, or are they just taking a few steps to lose X number of pounds? Sure, there are things that might progess things a little faster, but I'd rather see someone lose the weight and keep it off.
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
The quick weight loss is usually not sustainable. Real weight loss for most is a lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes happen over time and thus the weight loss.
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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
Fast drops in bodyweight are the "hook" for most people. It gets them in, gets them motivated. Problem is, unless they understand why and how this happens, and realize that it's not long-term sustainable, they'll likely end up discouraged.
The more out of shape you are, the longer it will take to see real transformations in your physique. I've said over and over again that getting in shape and looking good naked is far more a matter of dedication and consistency than it is of the particular program/diet you use. And that's absolutely true.
Quick bursts of rapid weight loss are possible, but these represent a large shock to the body. Hormone levels go out of whack, and things generally get nutty. You have to pace yourself, maybe throwing in occasional 2-3 week blocks of rapid dieting, but spending most of your time eating "healthy" and with a milder deficit.
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I agree with pretty much everything that has been said. I think the fact that it took her 2 years to lose 40-50 pounds is THE reason why she looks good. I have seen people lose weight too rapidly...they get so excited about some fad diet, new spin class, or become addicts that they lose the fat and are left with a considerable amount of loose skin.
I used to have a client named Gerald, he came to me unhappy about his belly. By first glance, he didn't look overweight--maybe just about 10-15 pounds too lose. He would grab his belly and say "I gotta lose this".
Well, when I asked him to raise his shirt to see, he was literally grabbing an overlapping layer of skin! He had lost about 70-80 pounds on his own by cutting his calories carelessly and was left with lost skin elasticity and deceased muscle tone.
I agree with Matt (PowerMDL) that the body does go thru a "shock" and needs time to adjust (diet, hormone levels, activity intensity, cellular maintenance, etc). If you look at alot of these "Biggest Loser" contestants, they look great--but you can also see signs of rapid weight loss with loose skin that is easily hidden with tans, certain poses, and the right clothing. To address your question: Is rapid weight gain overrated? it depends on how much weight we are talking about to lose and how much time you have that you can live with it.
i agree with Matt...consistency and dedication over time will yield the results. i've been losing weight since early August due to changes in my diet and me exercising again, and with that said, i'm gonna do a 2-3 week block of rapid dieting, before i head down to florida beginning of january, then i'll resume what i've been doing that has been working.
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She averaged nearly 1/2 lb loss per week for 2 years! That's great! Her long-term weight loss is 40-50lbs. That's way better than dropping the 40+lbs in 4 months then being right back where she started 2 years later when she couldn't sustain that lifestyle and quit.
I believe in making small changes, after 3 weeks when the small change is habit, make another change or 2 and repeat until your lifestyle is in balance with your fitness level.
I lost 50 lbs with Weight Watchers pretty quickly and I could not sustain eating 1200 calories a day while working out and I gained back about 10 - 15 lbs and it has made me feel terrible about myself. I honestly sometimes look in the mirror and I look the same way to myself at 165 that I looked at 205. I've been doing New Rules since April and maintaining my weight while eating around 2300 calories per day.
If your wife lost weight in a way she can sustain, that will be so much better in the long run no matter how long it takes. Maintaining the health of your metabolism and self-esteem is very important.
It took her longer than 4-5 months to put on those 40 pounds initially. Why expect it to come off faster than that? It took me about 2 years to put on the 15 extra pounds that I'm currently carrying. I'm definitely not expecting it to come off in a month.
I agree with pretty much everything that has been said. I think the fact that it took her 2 years to lose 40-50 pounds is THE reason why she looks good. I have seen people lose weight too rapidly...they get so excited about some fad diet, new spin class, or become addicts that they lose the fat and are left with a considerable amount of loose skin.
I used to have a client named Gerald, he came to me unhappy about his belly. By first glance, he didn't look overweight--maybe just about 10-15 pounds too lose. He would grab his belly and say "I gotta lose this".
Well, when I asked him to raise his shirt to see, he was literally grabbing an overlapping layer of skin! He had lost about 70-80 pounds on his own by cutting his calories carelessly and was left with lost skin elasticity and deceased muscle tone.
Granted, I don't train anybody, but I've had a bit of the "loose skin" issue. Time and losing even more fat made it go away.
I don't agree with the theory of losing weight too fast causing loose skin. After you lose all the fat, the skin will shrink back up if it's going to or it won't if it's overly damaged.
Lose fat fast and you may have outpaced the shrinkage, but the skin will still shrink to the same point that it would have if you'd lost fat quicker. So, those who lost the fat fast ARE more likely to have it, but give it time...
Also, since visceral fat is lost more quickly, a large belly will shrink fast, leaving behind the fat just under the skin. That fat prevents the skin from pulling back against the body, producing the look of loose skin. But, if you pinch that skin, there's an obvious layer of fat underneath.
If you watch those specials on the gross-out medical channels, when they cut away the "loose skin," you can see all the fat that goes with it.
I think the loose skin is a complicated issue and there isn't just one answer. Skin and collagen lose quality over time. I'd believe that someone who was morbidly obese for decades before losing weight would probably have more problems than a younger person.
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
May be O/T: Is rapid weight loss overrated?
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