Losing Lbs Per Week? How About 10lbs!

When pounds are lost, the tears start rolling, and emotions skyrocket across the entire nation. Helen Philips did it this time by earning the title, "The Biggest Loser," when she went from 257 lbs to 117 lbs; a weight loss of 140 lbs and a 54.47 percent weight loss in about 179 days.

How is that possible when you hear always that 2 pounds per week is the maximum amount of fat you should safely lose? Is it safe to lose more then 10 lbs week? What are the responsible factors? These are the questions that clients constantly ask me.

The 2 lbs per week is an average rule. But the truth is, weight loss depends on many factors. For example, the more body fat you carry, the more you can lose. 1-2 lbs works out to be about 1%, so if a person weighed 300 lbs, that would be 3 lbs per week; much less than you have seen on national television.

When we talk about weight loss, body compensation is the most important factor. When losing weight -- through diet, exercise or both -- you do want to know how your program is responding. The body compensation will give you this answer as you analyze how much fat you have lost. Weight loss can also occur from water loss in body tissues (less sodium/salt intake) and hormonal changes. Of course, weight loss can occur due to a decrease in lean muscle tissue because of drastic dieting. The latter is not something that you want, as you need your lean muscle tissue to burn calories and create a toned and in-shape physique.

So how do you lose then more then 2 lbs per week? That is simple: Increase the calorie deficit. For example, if you have a calculated BMR (one that takes into account your current activity level) of about 1800 calories, and you would like to lose another 10 lbs, you have the choice of two strategies: Reduce your calories taken in through food or increase your activity level to increase the calories burned.

Another consideration is to change your dietary proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats from 50-30-20 to 40-40-20. This is a simple rule as the current life cycle and activity level will play a role in the determination of this ratio. It is really not hocus pocus, but rather simple math.

Calculate your current BMR and reduce it either 20 to 30 percent (or simply subtract 500 calories) to achieve weight loss. This is a safe formula for weight loss. Is it possible to do achieve faster results? Yes, of course, but do you have to have the determination, stick-to-itiveness and push to get to the next level of physical activity and calorie restrictions? The choice is yours.

Make your body your business.

Stefan

Stefan Aschan is a leading expert on lifestyle, health and fitness who has helped more than 30,000 people get fit through advice on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle changes. For your free "How to live 100 years in perfect health" report and the must read "updates and solution" newsletter on how to have 10 times more success, stay on top of your goals, and accomplish the change of body and appearance, go here.

Comments

[wmholt]

At 500 calories deficit per day, that's 3500 calories per week, or one pound of weight loss per week.

So, somehow these people actually had a 5000 calories deficit per day for 10 pound weight loss per week?

I wonder what type of workout overweight people can do to achieve that type of loss. I'm not a fan of the show, so maybe this is easily answered simply by watching.

[billyfromphilly]

So you're saying, eat less and/or exercise more? Nah, we'll just wait for the next expensive, unproven and unregulated pill. Or maybe the next diet book from another nitwit who's fatter than I am.