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. (more…)