The familiar story of the hare and the tortoise should remind us of what happens when you try to rush things and hope for a quick fix.
Never was this truer than in the case of weight loss. When it comes to losing weight, everyone wants to get results as soon as they possibly can. Now nobody can be blamed for wanting this. We all want our needs fulfilled quickly as we can,it's a trait that most of us posses.
However if you are looking to lose weight quickly, then the ultimate result will end in failure. Don't get me wrong, it is indeed possible to lose large amounts of weight in short periods of time. The results of quick weight loss will mean short term results and any weight that you may have lost, eventually returning. Often with a vengeance.
Your body is not something that you can clean up and change in a few weeks. Your body is a living entity, and this being the case it needs time to change. It needs time to adapt to the changes in diet and it needs time to adapt to increased activity.
It took us a long time to evolve from cretures crawling on all fours to become creatures that walk upright,it didn't take place over a period of a few months. When we want to change the way our bodies look, we are basically evolving into something else. This evolving is obviously on a much smaller scale; it won't take thousands of years for you to get thin. It will however take longer than a few weeks or a few months. This is a fact you need to accept, because once you understand and accept this concept, you won't give up or start to panic if you haven't lost a pound for a couple of days.
So many people fall into the trap that is set by certain companies that sell weight loss products. How often do you see products claiming to help you lose miraculous amounts of weight in a short time? Because we want to lose weight quickly we buy into this. What people don't realise is the effect that this type of weight loss will have on their bodies.
Can you imagine what it would do to your body if you had to lose more than 21000 calories a week? This is what would be required if you tried to lose 30 pounds in 30 days. To lose a pound of weight you will need to get rid of 3500 calories through diet or exercise. Of course you will lose weight for a few weeks, and you will feel happy about the results. After this initial time of success the weight loss will stop. By cutting back calories in such a huge amount,your body goes into a defensive mode and refuses to burn any more calories unless it really has to.
Just think about it; if you are used to eating a certain amount of food, and then this is cut down drastically, it comes as a shock to your body. This leads your body to defend itself from the shock by stopping you burning calories efficiently. Hence the weight loss comes to a standstill.
On top of this problem there is another problem that is going stop you losing weight. This other problem is your mind. Your brain uses 30% of the glucose that you consume. Glucose is converted from the carbohydrates that you consume. So if you decrease your calories by a large amount, it means less glucose for your brain. You will be left feeling tired,easily annoyed,and fed up. These types of feelings will quickly make you give up any weight loss program and revert to your original behaviours.
Traditional dieting methods rarely work. If his wasn't the case then why do people find it so hard to lose weight? You need to coax your body into losing weight and not force it. This is done in small stages, which will not put too much stress on your body or mind.
You should be looking at losing between 2-3 pounds a week. Your body is capable of accepting minor changes without any fuss,anything more and it goes to war with you. It can easily get used to losing a couple of pounds a week because compared to its whole; it is such a small amount. Many will say that losing this amount of weight sems to minimal, but how many of these people have succeeded to lose weight in the past with traditional dieting.
2 pounds a week over a 12 month period equates to a loss of 104 pounds. I know a year sounds like a long time but the truth is that doing it this way will be a workable situation. If you don't do it this way then you will continue to use fad diets which work for a short time and then stop working. The odds are that in a year you will find yourself in the same plac where you are today.
The simple truth is that by using some crash diet will result in your body crashing after a few weeks. Give your body the time it needs to adapt to any changes. Take your time and do it in small steps. Your body and your mind will be happier by doing it in this way. Most importantly the results will be much longer lasting. On the other hand you can stick with the crash diets and you will only get what you have always got.
Related Articles
Nobody is Right About Losing Weight
By: Jonas | 09/01/2008 | Weight Loss
To which group you belong? The people who think losing weight is incredibly hard, or the ones who think losing weight is a piece of pie: just eat less and you will lose weight? The fact is that both of them are wrong and the truth lies somewhere in between. Forget your believe and discover a more nuanced view on weight loss.
How to Lose Weight After Having a Baby
By: Steven Magill | 21/10/2007 | Fitness
If you want to know how to lose weight after having a baby, there is no special way or secret method. Its much more straightforward. You need a certain amount of determination to succeed, willpower to stick your routine, a well-balanced diet that is lower in fat, and a realistic exercise regime that you know you can stick to.
Losing Weight Successfully
By: Narendra | 23/02/2008 | Health
Many people would agree that losing weight is difficult at best and usually an on-going battle. But, people continue to try to lose weight; as seen by the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry.
The 5 Secrets to Successful Weight Loss
By: Allison Whitehead | 14/07/2006 | Weight Loss
Do you ever catch yourself looking in the mirror and seeing more than you should? Read on to discover 5 tips for getting the weight off - and keeping it off.
The South Beach Diet Weight Loss Bonus
By: Jeffrey Wyrick | 07/11/2007 | Health
Review of the South Beach Diet, touching upon all three phases of this extremely popular "good fats/good carbs" diet, developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston.
Can You Really Lose Weight With Green Tea?
By: Kathryn Oneill | 27/03/2006 | Health
Green tea is being touted as the latest weight loss miracle - but does it really work or is it all just hype? This article gives you the real facts about drinking green tea to lose weight.
Why We Eat
By: Pat Barone | 12/07/2007 | Health
In the quest for weight loss, the diet industry puts a lot of attention on what we eat but focusing on why we eat may be more important.
By: | 31/12/1969 |
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
I've been losing weight for four weeks. The first ...
By: didi12262008 | 28-04-2008
I've been losing weight for four weeks. The first 3 weeks, I lost 3-4 lbs each week, by dieting and walking 2 hrs/day. Last week, I bought a mountain bike-rode 6 mi.the 1st day, 9 mi the 2nd day, then 12 mi for the last 5 days.I kept the same diet & walking also. But I only lost 2 lbs this week!Shouldn't I have lost more with the extra exercise?
Health question
By: allison21 | 26-04-2008
what is stage three pre cancer?
How many grams of fat and fiber should there be in ...
By: xannx | 26-04-2008
how many grams of fat and fiber should there be in a 1500 calorie diet?
I just started the weight watcher program how good ...
By: valcrys | 26-04-2008
I just started the weight watcher program how good is that program since you have researched all programs?? Alexis Female 42
Lower back probs
By: NYJasmiyus | 25-04-2008
are there any good exercises for getting rid of lower back fat?
Help me please
By: RICKALATINA_305 | 25-04-2008
I had sex on friday and my boyfriend came inside me and i got my period this monday but i bleeded less then usual and im having cravings and i also have morning sickness i feel like throwing up am i pregnant?
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Fitness Articles
Family Reunions – a Great Excuse for the Bean Bag Game
By: Dave Roth | 16/05/2008
People who play the bean bag game can really enjoy spending time with other people -- both friends and family -- and everyone can play.
Making a Cornhole Game at Home
By: Dave Roth | 16/05/2008
Making a Cornhole game together is a great way to get a family to get involved with one another and have some fun,.
My Favourite Three Abdominal Movements That You May not Think Work Your Abdominals
By: Brett MacPherson | 15/05/2008
When you think of Stomach Muscle exercises you will probably think about sit ups or crunches right? But ill bet you wont know these exercises which although they
aren’t really considered Stomach Muscle exercises they are very effective at building better stronger abs.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
By: Alien | 15/05/2008
An inability to control urine flow as we age can be a socially embarrassing problem, but it can be managed. Stress incontinence - the loss of urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh or jump is generally a result of a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.
Indoor Inch-stepping
By: Alien | 15/05/2008
You probably have been wondering: What in heavens does it mean! It is a word we have coined because we feel it fits the activity to a T.
Balance Training and Balance Exercises
By: Alien | 15/05/2008
Falls and impaired mobility are a serious problem for our aging population. The good news is that much of the decline in balance can be reversed through a program of balance training.
The Facts and Myths to Women's Weight Training
By: Dorianne Schwaiger | 15/05/2008
Research continues to prove that weight training is great for women. It builds body strength and helps to slow bone loss and osteoporisis in some cases. However, most women continue to avoid resistance training out of fear of developing large muscles and losing their femenity. Read on and finally get the hard facts and bust the myths that surround womens weight training.
Permanent Senegence Lipsense Lipstick
By: Alien | 14/05/2008
What a lipstick is? It is a nonsense question to be inquisitive to several individual of every era leaving the children. It is attach of colors worn to color lips, what a straightforward reply!
More from Terry Sandhu
Exercise Early to Lose Weight
By: Terry Sandhu | 14/05/2008 | Health
Get your exercise done early so that it is out of the way and the rest of your day is yours.You will feel better because you won't have to spend the whole day thinking about exercise.
Cardio Exercise for Weight Loss
By: Terry Sandhu | 12/05/2008 | Fitness
Cardio exercise can come in various forms.The trick is to pick somethinb that you are going to enjoy,and will not stop you getting bored.Apart from that you can also switch to and from variou methods to keep motivated.
Losing Weight With Interval Training
By: Terry Sandhu | 08/05/2008 | Fitness
Cardio workouts tend to become very boring as you need to keep increasing the time you spend on them because you are getting fitter.Using interval trainng can decrease the time and increase the results of cardio training.
Lose Fat not Weight
By: Terry Sandhu | 05/05/2008 | Health
Weight is a combination of fat and muscle, and muscle is not something that you want to lose. Excessive fat is what mkes people overweight,so that should be your point of focus.
Benefits of Stretching
By: Terry Sandhu | 30/04/2008 | Health
Stretching is often ignored in most exercise programs. However there are too many benefits to be gained to ignore this vital component,so make sure that you incorporate it into your fitnes routine.
Fitness Without Equipment
By: Terry Sandhu | 28/04/2008 | Fitness
Fitness doesn't have to cost,and you don't need lots of equipment to reach your goals.Your body is one of the best pieces of fitness equipment there is.
Walking for Weight Loss
By: Terry Sandhu | 25/04/2008 | Fitness
Walking is a great place to start if you want to lose weight or get fitter.It doen't cost anything and doesn't put too much pressure on you if you have low fitness levels.
Best Way to Lose Weight
By: Terry Sandhu | 21/04/2008 | Health
Weight Loss is not a complicated issue, doing the right things on a continous basis is all that is required.The hard part is doing it.This comes from motivation and willpower.This has to come from you.
Sports and Fitness 
