for people out there like me who tend to rush things... this reminds me to slow down and take it slow because it'll be more beneficial in the long run!!
Frankly I don't have the patience to take a six month break every time I lose 10%. I've been fat long enough. This article seems aimed more towards people who have like 30 lbs to lose, as opposed to 135. As far as the happy weight v. ideal weight. I guess I don't know when I'll reach a happy weight yet. I have no memory of ever being at a happy weight. I know a happy weight will be one where I can wear normal clothes and be athletic, which sounds pretty damn close to my ideal weight.
My ideal weight (per the weight charts) is *no more than* 141. I know that the last time I weighed 141 was at age 22 (I'm 36 now) and I had no job and exercised 2x a day and could barely afford food. So, I don't think 141 is my set point.
I agree with Aclai though, it does seem to be more for people with less to lose. Not that losing 10% at any weight isn't beneficial, but I'd bet that any doctor would not be quick to encourage someone like me with just over 100 lbs to lose, to stop after just 10%. And if I took 6 months after every 10%, I'd never be done!
Still, it's an encouraging article, showing people that even a little bit is helpful. I feel that a small weight loss can be motivating for more weight loss!
My plan is let my body do what it wants to do. If it wants to keep dropping, let it! When it starts to put up a fight, I've been thinking I'll maintain for a month and then give it another go. But I'm armed with information and this set-point logic makes sense. It just may get me through the next plateau. But I'm not going to just maintain for no reason and certainly not for six months.
I've come to agree with the ideas in this article.
I lost my 50 pounds by restricting more than that, and my weight did decrease more quickly, which I liked. But in maintenance I've been facing a struggle--because when I have tried to switch back to "diet mode," having gained a few pounds, I haven't been able to come up with the effort to keep on track for more than a couple of weeks. And I ended up eating more than my target (and gaining instead of losing). I'm up several pounds above my original goal.
So, currently I'm trying a maintenance approach similar to what this article states, except that I'm aiming for a calorie level of 10 x the weight I'd like to be at. I also use a weekly average as my target, not a set number every day.
I also keep up my exercise at a level I feel comfortable managing, which is 4 days a week, instead of trying for the 5-6 days a week I was doing during my main weight loss. I was beginning to have joint problems after exercising for so many years at that level.
I've been at this for a little over a month, and I can see that my weight is dropping, although quite slowly. However, as the article suggests, my goals are not scale number goals. Instead they are behavioral--how much I eat, and how often I exercise.
I've got to agree with Ashley, the article does seem to be aimed at those with less significant amounts to lose. I don't have the patience to go down 10% then maintain for 6 months...at that rate it would take me 10 years to go from 310 to my goal, that's just not acceptable to me, lol.
Although I completely agree with the article about the problems with losings a lot of weight fast. Through a complete change in lifestyle (eating healty + exercise) I lost a bit over 100lbs in 2009. Even though I kept the loss at a gradual but steady pace, I developed health issues (GI stuff, and my gallbladder will be coming out later this year). It's an interesting article and something I might consider when I get closer to my goal, but for now I'll continue my plan. Thanks for sharing!!!!!!
I liked that the article says to set behavioral goals more than lbs. lost goals, but I think it's best to do both....at least for me, and I know everyone is different.
Interesting article...but if I ate 10 calories for every pound I weigh, I'd be maintaining, not losing. If I ate 12 calories per pound, I'd be gaining! (At least according to my GoWear Fit.)
I don't know about the 6 months of maintaining the 10% loss either...I'd think for us heavier folks, IMHO, the sooner we are out of the obese BMI range, the better in the long run.
Ideal Weight or Happy Weight? How Much Should You Weigh?
Thank you for posting this
