What It Takes for a Sustainable Weight Loss – Some Realistic Numbers!
Friends,
I’m sure you know that there are lots of ways to lose weight quickly. Maybe you’ve tried some of them. Maybe you’ve found that immediate loss to be a bit addictive, and so the thought of slow weight loss feels discouraging. But maybe you’re also sick of putting weight back on right after that rush you get from losing so much at once.
This is why I build my programs around sustainable change and getting your mind right. Not just about weight loss.
When I write/blog, it’s often about those topics of mindset, but this time I wanted to show up with some realistic numbers for you, so you can have an idea of what it takes for a sustainable weight loss.
I hope you find it helpful and encouraging. Here goes:
1) One pound of fat is about 3500 calories. So, in order to lose a pound of fat in one week, you’d have to be netting 500 fewer calories per day (7 days x 500 cals = 3500 cals). In order to lose two pounds per week, you need to net 1000 fewer calories per day.
2) Many people freak out thinking this means they have to eat 500 or 1000 fewer calories per day, which can feel like a big jump. But this is where exercise comes in handy. If you are moving your body more in addition to consuming fewer calories, those two will combine.
3) Strength training increases your resting metabolic rate (aka your basal metabolic rate) which means that your body will burn more calories on a day-to-day basis just existing. This is why strength training is so essential to sustainable weight loss!
4) Losing weight too quickly is not good. Not only are you likely losing muscle mass (no bueno) in addition to fat mass, but your body will actually slow down your metabolism to try to stop you from losing more weight so quickly. Even bodybuilders make sure to do things slowly when they are both losing weight for competition and putting it back on after competition (it is so not healthy to stay in those physical states for long periods of time). Otherwise, they can really wreck their metabolism and struggle in the future.
5) If you’re going to weigh yourself all the time (which I personally don’t recommend, but some people find good motivation in it…you just have to be very self-aware) don’t get obsessed with one number. You can try averaging all of the weights you measured throughout one week and compare it to the average of all the next week’s weights. Or – like one of my brilliant clients does – you can just pay attention to the lowest number you see over the course of a week and watch that number go down.
6) I know most people know this, but I have to say it because very few people seem to actually believe it. If you are losing weight the right way – which should absolutely include some form of strength training – that number on the scale may go down even more slowly because you are likely building muscle while you are losing fat and muscle weighs more than fat. But please don’t let this keep you from building strength! It is so important! It’s essential for independence as you age, building strong bones, recovery from injury or surgery, etc. If you really want to still weigh yourself, I’d just ask that you find an additional way to measure progress such as through photos, measurements, or even just knowing how your clothing fits.
7) Never forget that you are so much more than the number on the scale. Getting healthy is about increased energy, increased joy, better sleep, and the ability to handle whatever life throws your way. If you’ve been a subscriber for a while now (can you believe this newsletter has been coming out for 9 months now?!), you know that I believe not only in the physical benefits of fitness, but in how there are so many life lessons to be found in fitness (like building the confidence to go after your dreams!).
As always, I just want to remind you that you can do this. It’s a slow process. The only way to do it is slowly. Toss those quick fixes right out the window. Patience, patience, patience. Take your time. And try to enjoy the process. Maybe you’ll find something new that brings you joy!
