The secret to lasting weight loss
I’ve often thought about where all the fat goes when I diet. One thing is for sure…. it doesn’t go far cos it keeps finding me whenever I lose it! I think it hides around the corner and jumps back on board when i’m not concentrating! - anonymous
That lady has neatly summed up the problem faced by all serial dieters - keeping the weight off. Slimming clubs all over the world have made their fortunes from the weight rebound effect. Start a diet… lose the weight… give up the diet… regain the weight…. and so on. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?!
I remember one of my first ever clients telling me how, despite her being 16 stone, she was a ‘weight loss expert’. True, she had been slimmer of the year. Yes, she knew every diet inside out. And fair enough, she had lost an incredible amount of weight at slimming clubs over the years - in total over 30 stone. But for all her weight loss and diet expertise, she continually struggled to keep the weight off.
Dieters repeatedly approach weight loss like the washing up. The more it piles up, the less they want to deal with it. When it does pile up too high they ignore it. And when enough is enough they’ll find a massive burst of motivation, clean it all up, wipe their brow when the job’s done… and then sit back and let it pile up all over again!
So what’s the big secret? How is it that some people lose the weight and keep it off while others see their weight rebound in a matter of weeks? The secret is… sustainability. Whatever you do to lose the weight, you have to sustain to keep the weight off.
If you’ve got 7lbs to lose for a holiday, then diet. But diet in the knowledge it’ll all be back by the flight home! If you’re looking to achieve a healthy weight long-term, dieting is not an option. You have to change you’re nutritional habits so that you always eat the right amount for your metabolism. There is no other way to sustain your weight loss.
So if you’re thinking about starting a diet or joining a slimming club, just remember one thing. If you can’t eat like that for life, then you won’t keep the weight off for life.
Liam
The Slim Company
personal training and weight management | Baldock | Bedford | Biggleswade | Harpenden | Hatfield | Hertford | Hitchin | Letchworth | Luton | Royston | St Albans | Stevenage | Welwyn
Hi Liam,
I wanted to ask you about metabolism, can you explain what that really means. Also, you explained before that BMI is not the best method for determining whether your weight is in the heathy range, as it does not cater for people who are ” not average” eg athletes - and me!!! I am definitely NOT an athlete! but I do have a large frame. I have never been able to get to the ideal weight shown in those ideal weight charts, and so would always give up the diet and pile it all back on plus some more! Only a couple of weeks ago I looked at the web site of a very well known slimming organisation and the ideal weight they recommended for someone of my age and height would have put my my body fat % on a par with Paula Radcliffe!!! as I said before I am NO athlete..!!! So, how do I know how many calories I need to eat to maintain AND more importantly, to lose weight, and am I different from everyone else?