Realistic Weight Loss TImeline

You might have heard fads on the internet with claims that they will make you lose weight quickly. But are those claims true? Weight loss should be gradual over time, as a result of healthy lifestyle changes. It may seem frustrating not having results immediately, but lasting change takes time. With the loss of weight, you will also gain new healthy habits. According to behavior psychologists it takes a minimum of two months for a habit to become automatic. So why would we expect our bodies to have immediate changes?

Research has shown that about 1 pound per week (give or take) is best for continuous weight loss that will stay off. It may sound slow at first, but losing 5-10% of your body weight can lead to really dramatic changes in your body. You may feel like you have more energy, your doctor will see positive changes in your lab results, and your confidence to keep these lifestyle changes will continue.

Why is it recommended to go slow when losing weight? Two of the hormones at play with hunger and satiety are ghrelin and leptin. Your body makes enough to the weight you currently are, when you lose weight you want your hormones to balance with your new weight. If not the ghrelin (hunger hormone) will signal hunger cues for the weight for your old weight leading to increased eating. Leptin is the satiety hormone, and that will be more effective once your body loses weight and less food is consumed.

Losing weight too quickly means these hormones do not have time to catch up and will be signaling hunger cues based on your old weight and not as many satiety cues. Your body is better able to keep up with the weight loss at a slow and steady pass, and you are more likely to keep the weight off by going slow and steady.

It is easy to get frustrated when you don’t see instant results, but losing weight can be one of the best things you can do for your health if you are overweight or obese. These changes slowly happen over time by learning and making changes to your lifestyle. Don’t get discouraged, it takes time but keeping consistent with healthy changes will have a big impact. Just keep it up!