When the Weight Loss Honeymoon is Over
You lost five pounds the first week. The enthusiasm got you to the second week and you lost four pounds again. How is it then that now, in the first half of the second month, you’ve lost only three pounds? Nothing’s wrong with you. But, at this point, it’s official: the weight loss honeymoon is over. And now the real work of dieting begins. While the medical community recommends a loss of no more than two pounds per week, most people disregard the advice. They want to lose weight faster. And many do lose faster in the first few weeks of their weight loss journey but, as time goes by, the pounds are harder and harder to drop. Initial Weight Loss Some people lose weight so quickly in the beginning because their calorie deficit is so extreme. When you go from eating 2,500 calories a day and sitting on the couch for 12 hours to eating 1,600 calories a day with light activity, you’re going to see major results at first. After all, your body is missing more than 1,000 of the daily calories it needed to maintain your starting weight. But, more importantly, your quick weight loss may have been largely due to water weight. Excessive intakes of sodium and carbohydrates cause water retention, and when you start to eat more nutritionally balanced meals, you may lose pounds of water, not fat. Expectations Because of your quick start, you may have come to expect a repeat performance of those results week after week. But that’s simply not realistic. Still, you’re not alone. Studies show that women almost always set their weight loss goals way too high, and then go on to lose much less weight than they expected. But there’s a twist! The well-adjusted women realized they felt better with any amount of weight loss, and so they chose not to be dissatisfied with their below-goal results. They simply adjusted expectations and carried on. Long-term weight loss is just that: a long-term goal. The experts knew what they were talking about when they set the recommendation to an average of ½ to 2 pounds a week. Some weeks you’ll only lose a pound and other weeks you’ll lose three. Relax. This is supposed to be about a lifestyle change, so don’t set your short-term expectations too high.
They say you should never trust a skinny chef. But what about a petite food stylist or a svelte cupcake queen? The fact is, when your job involves truffle fries instead of office supplies, you have to get creative at dodging food so you don’t blow up like a human soufflé! We asked women who whip up culinary delights for a living (or are just near them all day long) how they keep themselves from nibbling 24-7. Steal their real life-tested tricks.
By Carolyn Richardson & Mary Hartley, RD Feb 17, 2011 10:00 AM in Dieting & You
