After reading newspaper and magazine ads on weight loss – and also commercials on TV and the Internet, you might begin to think that losing weight is effortless. These ads tell you that you can “lose a pound a day,” “lose up to 18 pounds in two weeks,” and other amazing claims. After awhile, we might even begin to believe the ads. But are these expectations too high? Can we really believe these amazing results are possible?
Two professional organizations, the National Institutes of Health and the American College of Sports Medicine, claim that no more than two pounds of weight loss a week is safe. It’s a guideline that medical experts use for helping individuals maintain a balance of losing fat while preserving lean body mass – and also for maintaining proper hydration. Granted that 2 pounds loss a week seems minor, compared to what the weight loss commercials offer the public!
How does one sort through fantasy and truth? Well, first consider the amount of energy required to lose 10 pounds of fat. There are about 3,500 calories of stored energy in one pound of fat, so 10 pounds of fat is 35,000 calories of energy. Most people burn only about 100 calories walking or running a mile. So if you want to lose 10 pounds in a week, you’d have to run or walk 350 miles a week – or 50 miles every day. Of course, this assumes that you don’t change your eating habits during that week.
Do you think it’s possible to cover 50 miles a day in walking or running mode? Even if you could, you’d be incredibly hungry and probably overeat. So losing 10 pounds in a week by exercise alone seems pretty silly, doesn’t it?
Perhaps one can lose 10 pounds a week solely by dieting; in other words are you capable of not eating 35,000 calories in one week (that’s 5,000 calories a day)? As an example, think about the typical woman who is 5’5″ and 170 pounds. She exercises no more than 30 minutes a day, not including her daily routines around the house or at work. She maintains her 170 pounds on 1,900 calories a day. You can see that it’s impossible for her to lose 10 pounds a week since she would have to eat less than nothing (1,900 minus 5,000 is negative 3,100 calories)! But what if she ran 31 miles a day and ate nothing? That would do it, but of course it doesn’t make sense.
Because 10 pounds of body fat in a week is out of the question, how realistic is the two pounds per week “safe” weight loss guideline? Once again, to answer this question, let’s go back to the numbers. Two pounds of fat weight is equivalent to 7,000 calories or 70 miles of running/walking per week. Is it reasonable to expect someone to run 10 miles per day every day of the week and at the same time consume the same food as usual? Or to eat 1,000 calories less than usual for seven days without going crazy? For our sample woman, cutting 1,000 calories would mean eating about half her usual intake and about 500 calories less than what her body really needs to maintain basic functions at rest.
Now it should be obvious that even one irritating pound of fat requires a significant amount of energy to lose. By backing off about 300 calories of food intake every day and adding a daily one mile walk, you can lose a pound of fat every week. Keep this routine going every day for a year, and you would see a big 50 pound weight loss. Conversely, if you eat 100 extra calories every day for a year (or not exercising for about 100 fewer calories), you’d gain 10 pounds in a ear!
Calculating the math is important in the beginning, and you need to consider these calculations before starting a diet. When you’re satisfied with the math, then it’s up to you to set realistic and reasonable goals. Keep in mind that a day’s worth of dieting and exercise probably won’t affect the weight you see on your scale the next day. But don’t get discouraged – stick with your diet and over time you’ll see the fat melt away.
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