Making the decision to start a weight loss journey is a big one, requiring a lifestyle changes that take time to become habitual. Knowing how to implement these habits can be the most difficult part. With the internet being so saturated with different opinions about weight loss, trying to sort through all of that information can be difficult. Left with so many options, is it better to jump right in with extreme changes or to take it slow. So, what’s the best method?
Going Short and Fast
Very-Low-Energy Diets (VLEDs) have been looked at as one of the most popular ways to achieve fat loss, showing double to triple the amount of weight loss compared to regular diets. But what is lacking is the evidence of the sustainability of that type of weight loss. VLED use approximately 800 kcal per day and provide all of the daily needs of essential nutrients, leading to weight loss of 3.3-5.5 lbs. per week in a clinical setting. However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recommended against VLED for weight-loss due to the large nutritional inadequacies. There are also risks of fatigue, light-headedness, nervousness, constipation or diarrhea, thinning hair, anemia, and so on. In addition, a meta-analysis of VLEDs found that even though the initial weight loss was high in the short-term, there is no significance in weight loss in the long-term.
Conversely, an article in the New York Times about issues with contestant of The Biggest Loser regaining weight. The study that this article was based on found that the contestants that they studied had a slower resting metabolic rate (RMR) than expected. RMR is a measurement of how many calories your body burns while at rest. The contestant’s bodies have gone through a strenuous program that produced extreme results that came from calorie restriction that is excessive and hours of exercise every day. When the contestants went back to living a normal lifestyle, but couldn’t keep up their activity level and calorie restriction, their metabolisms had already slowed down, leading to their weight regain.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) says that successful weight management to improve overall health for adults requires a lifelong commitment to healthful lifestyle behaviors emphasizing sustainable and enjoyable eating practices and daily physical activity. More often, when there is a large initial weight loss it is usually followed by a larger weight regain, showing no sustainability in extreme weight loss methods. When going through a weight loss program, weight loss of 0.5 to 2 lbs. per week is recommended by the NIH. At Total Health and Fitness we are teaching our clients how to create sustainable habits and how to maintain their goals.
When deciding to go through a weight loss program, it’s important to understand that weight loss should be focused on body fat loss and muscle maintenance. To achieve this, the weight loss may not be as fast as we imagine. But, in the long run the ability to maintain the weight loss is heightened. When losing 1-2 lbs a week, we are in a calorie deficit that is enough to feed our muscles and help us cut fat off our bodies. By the time that we have reached our weight loss goals our bodies RMR will be the same (or faster!) and it won’t be a struggle to maintain the weight change. Though it may take a month or two longer that we initially expect it to, you can decide if you want to be maintaining your weight a year from now, or starting another crash diet for the 10th time.
References:
1. Pekkarinen T, Mustajoki P. Comparison of Behavior Therapy With and Without Very-Low-Energy Diet in the Treatment of Morbid Obesity: A 5-Year Outcome. Arch Intern Med. 1997;157(14):1581-1585. doi:10.1001/archinte.1997.00440350089009.
2. Mustajoki P, Pekkarinen T. Very low energy diets in the treatment of obesity. Obes Rev. 2001;2 :61-72.
3. Mahan LK, Escott-Stump S. Krause’s Food & Nutrition Therapy. Saunders; 2008.
4. Jeffery RW, Wing RR, Mayer RR. Are smaller weight losses or more achievable weight loss goals better in the long term for obese patients?. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1998;66 :641-5.
5. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html
6. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21538/full?version=meter+at+2&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click
