Fad Diet Alternatives
How many pounds per week should I lose for safe weight loss?
The general recommendation if you are trying to lose weight is to lose no more than one to two pounds a week. That gives your body a chance to adjust to the weight loss and also keeps you from flowing your metabolism down too much. You body has to have the opportunity to adapt to the weight loss. When we lose weight so quickly, your body often wants to go right back to that weight that you were once before. So if we do it slowly, the body has a chance to adapt to that new weight.
If I lose weight on a fad diet, how can I keep it off?
Losing weight healthfully and keeping it off, is not easy. And again, that is why we are always looking for those easy, quick fixes. When you start to lose weight, the less there is of you, the less calories you are going to need. So over time, you are either going to have to decrease your calories or increase your exercise. Also what happens on diets a lot, or when people are losing weight in a healthy way, they tend to plateau. That can be very discouraging. However, plateauing is actually a positive sign that your body is finding a new set point, a new weight that it is comfortable at.
Is gastric bypass surgery a good way to lose weight?
With gastric bypass, you certainly can gain the weight back, depending on what you eat. I've talked to doctors that have done the gastric bypass surgeries and they have patients that weren't ready, and they'll start drinking milkshakes and other high calorie liquids to start to gain the weight back. Also, the stomach does start to expand a little bit after a gastric bypass and it can take more food in. If you're eating a lot of really small meals, all throughout the day, you can get those calories in.
How can gastric bypass patients keep from gaining weight back?
A registered Dietician is imperative for a patient with gastric bypass, because there are so many nutritional implications that come with gastric bypass. You have a much smaller stomach, your ability to absorb nutrients has been limited, and there are supplements that you are going to be taking for the rest of your life. You are going to have to learn how to create small meals that are nutritionally sound. It's a very difficult lifestyle to follow, and it is imperative that you have a registered Dietician advising you.
Should my diet depend on how much weight I have to lose?
Depending on how much weight you have to lose, you still need to do it in a nutritionally balanced healthy way. If you have less weight to lose then it's going to take you less time than somebody that has more weight to lose. If you've got a lot of weight to lose then you've got to buckle down and realize that it's going to take some time to get that weight off. It took some time to put that weight on, and it's harder to get it off. It's going to take you longer than somebody that's just trying to lose 10 pounds, versus 50 or 60, or whatever it may be.
How does my body size affect my diet plan?
Taller people need more calories, and smaller people need fewer calories. Men have more calories than women. It's kind of not really fair, but they get to eat more. So it all depends on body size, your activity level, and your gender. And again, adopting a healthy, balanced eating lifestyle is the way to go.
