Should you lose a pound a day?

Most experts agree that slower weight loss is best. One and a half to two pounds a week is considered an ideal rate of weight loss. It is fast enough for the dieter to see changes in their body yet slow enough to not cause health complecations. Any weight loss faster than one half pound per day, 3 1/2 pounds per week, is considered too fast and could be hazardous.

Losing water weight is the only way you can lose weight quickly. But, the only water weight you want to lose would be associated with the fat you are losing. To reduce the water in the body without proportionate tissue loss causes dehydration. This is a dangerous thing to be doing to yourself. High water loss could cause blood pressure changes, dizziness, dark urine, a reduction in skin elasticity and many more undesirable effects. The only way to get rid of these side effects is to put the water back. If you do that -- what have you gained?

There are products on the market that claim to burn or block calories and fat. But consider the fact that if your body requires 2800 calories to maintain its present weight, this substance would have to burn up 6300 calories per day for you to lose one pound. If you were to eat nothing at all it would still have to burn up an additional 700 calories. We know the body goes into starvation mode at approximately 600 to 700 calories per day. What this means is the body stops using stored fat and begins to use vital organ tissue. In this example, you would be operating at -700 calories. This is referred as hyper-starvation mode. We know the average person can only last up to 40 days with no food. The body must have +700 calories every day just to stay alive. So, to answer the question, "Should you lose one pound a day?", the answer is NO!

Losing one pound of fat means 3500 extra calories have to be either eliminated from your normal diet, or burned off through extra exercise.

There are diets out there that say, "You can lose 30 pounds in 30 days." That's one pound per day. The average person uses 2400 to 2800 calories per day to maintain their body weight. How can they cut 3500 calories out of their diet when they are only consuming 2500 calories? Do the math.

A large person might be able to lose that much water weight but even then it is impossible to lose one pound per day without severely dehydrating the body. By the time the body recovers from this very dangerous state, the dieter will have gained all the weight back. In Medical Weight Loss Clinic's® opinion, diet plans advertising weight loss at a pound a day are trying to find people who are just looking for a quick, easy fix to their problem-- gullible people they know will never stick to the diet.

Consider This...

1. Do not eliminate Fats, Carbohydrates, or Proteins from your diet.
2. Do not use synthetic, food supplements exclusively.
3. Never go below 700 total calories per day unless instructed by a physician.
4. Always include water in your diet.
5. Always include some sort of exercise in your diet plan.

Most Importantly

A good diet teaches you how to eat the foods you will be eating after the diet.