Quick Weight Loss
 Article is courtesy of Carolyn Classick-Kohn MS,RD

Whether you want to lose body fat to compete in an athletic event, improve sports performance, improve your health, or simply look better in summer clothes, losing body fat is a long term proposition, and quick weight loss plans are not going to get you those results. 

Here's why:

While some fat is lost on any lower calorie diet, "crash" diets or low-energy diets of less than 800 Calories per day produce a greater loss of muscle and water than diets that are moderately reduced in calories. So, on crash diets, each pound of weight loss contains more lean tissue and less body fat than a diet that produces moderate weight loss (1/2-2 pounds a week). You're losing more muscle than fat!

Crash dieting slows you down. If you don't eat enough food to fuel your body just to survive (basal metabolic rate), your body's metabolism slows down to make up for it. Your body's additional need for energy to fuel physical activity (resting metabolic rate) slows even further when your body lacks fuel. The result is that the body conserves energy and burns fat at a slower rate when crash diets are used.

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Long Term Effects
The loss of lean tissue and the slowdown of the body's metabolic rate during prolonged crash dieting make it harder for people to maintain the weight they lost because now the body needs fewer calories because they are smaller and fatter than before! And, when body weight is re-gained, it is typically fat that replaces the lost muscle mass. One can certainly see that the result of this vicious cycle of lost lean tissue - reduced energy needs - body fat gain is long term weight problems and endless dieting.
 

Patience pays off over quick weight loss when it comes to losing body fat for several reasons:

  • Reducing calories gradually preserves your hard earned muscle and gives you the energy you need to burn even more fat. 

  • You'll preserve your body's ability to process oxygen to help burn fat for fuel. 

  • You'll maintain strength and stamina when you lose body fat at a moderate pace.

  • You'll have a much better chance of getting the nutrients you need when you eat more food and choose wisely instead of depriving your body of the nutrition it needs for good health.

  • Healthy, well-nourished bodies look better, so you will achieve your goal after all, when you take it slow.  For those of you who are following your Personal Weight Loss Plan (aka Personal Diet Plan), your energy needs were calculated to maximize your loss of fat and preserve your lean tissue. Adding physical activity to your program at the proper level for your needs will enhance the process!

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