by Michelle Wilkinson
Unfortunately, just because you would like to be able to lose ten pounds in a week, the chances are it isn’t going to happen. No matter how much you reduce your calorie intake by there is only so much weight your body can shed in a week. Everybody is different and so you could eat precisely the same diet and do as much exercise as your friend, but not necessarily lose as much weight as she does. You therefore have to focus on what you are able to achieve, rather than trying to compete with other people.
You shouldn’t set your weight-loss targets too high, as otherwise you’ll be setting yourself up for disappointment. Losing weight is supposed to be difficult, as your body wants to hold on to extra weight in case of famine or illness, which doesn’t exactly help you. Even when you think you’re on the right track because you’re managing to lose a couple of pounds a week your weight loss can suddenly stall. Usually, it is when you reach a weight loss plateau that your commitment to a healthy eating plan and exercise regime is severely tested.
However, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t lose anything for a couple of weeks, as it is not such a shock when you were only expecting to lose a pound or two, anyway. It’s much more difficult to deal with a weight loss plateau when you’ve been lucky enough up until that point to lose four or five pounds every week. For most people, this just isn’t sustainable in the long run, though. To be able to lose that kind of weight you would have to severely restrict your calorie intake and take up a very vigorous workout program.
Thus, you may be able to take such action when you first decide to lose weight, as you’re overflowing with enthusiasm. You step on the scales after your first week of dieting and you’ve manage to lose quite a bit of weight, which makes you happy, as you have proof that the steps you’ve taken are working. However, your body soon adjusts to being given fewer calories and you probably won’t lose large amounts every week. This can lead to disappointment and this is when you begin to question whether there is any point in continuing with your weight-loss plans.
It is therefore important to set realistic weight-loss targets rather than hoping you will be able to lose lots of weight quickly, as you won’t be able to keep eating a very low calorie diet and exercising obsessively forever. Indeed, even if you do reach your weight-loss target quickly you will probably end up regaining the weight you lost.
From Helium