July 19, 2006
Weight Loss By the
Numbers
It has been eight weeks since I began my weight loss program
and I’ve lost a total of eight pounds. That’s not
exactly the kind of statistic you’ll find in advertisements
for the latest weight loss program or product. But at the end
of those ads, you also find the words, “results not typical.”
So what is typical?
Experts say you need to have a 3500 calorie deficit in order
to lose one pound of fat. I once had my metabolism tested and
they said I was burning about 1600 calories when at rest. The
exercise I do boosts it to about 1700 each day. I’m on
a 1200 calorie diet, which means I have a calorie deficit of
500 each day and 3500 each week.
That means my weight loss is right on track. So, I keep wondering
why I feel like such a failure at this.
Maybe it’s because we are bombarded with those "results"
that are not "typical." Ads that feature men and women
shrinking in size at breakneck speed leave me thinking that
weight loss should be a quick process.
Last week, I looked at some success stories on the web site
of a very reputable weight loss program. Most of the testimonials
did not say how long it took the individuals to lose their weight.
But one did. This woman had lost 52 pounds. But it had taken
her 64 weeks! That is less than one pound a week!
So here is a fact I’m trying to keep in mind: If I continue
losing weight at the current rate, I will be 52 pounds thinner
by my next birthday. That is huge! Plus, I have been told that
the slower I lose the weight the greater the likelihood that
it will stay off. I hope that's true.
It was interesting to me to realize that during a very busy
six-month period last year (when I basically lived on fast food)
I gained 20 pounds. It sounds like a lot. And it is. But it
basically works out to less than one pound a week.
My doctor is thrilled with my eight pound weight loss. She
says, "People don’t put weight on overnight and they
don’t take it off overnight."
I think she’s right. So, I am determined to persevere.
We created a message
board so Christians can support each other in their efforts
to get it shape. Join
the discussion today.
Previous blogs: How
I got Roped into This, Dodging
the Donuts, Why
Losing Weight Takes Faith, When
the Scales Won't Budge, Ask
the Experts, Sweet
Scale Success, Are
You Having Fun Yet?, All
or Nothing, Weapons
For Your Weight Loss War, Winning
the Weight Loss Battle,
Eating Over Anger, Your
Weight Loss Season