According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their 2015-2016 national health survey, 49.3% of individuals aged 20 and up tried to lose weight in the last 12 months. This isn’t exactly surprising considering the number of overweight and obese individuals today.
In reality, we are no longer cooking our own food. Our work makes us sit in front of a monitor for 40 hours a week. On top of that, our stressful environment could even wreak havoc on our metabolism’s overall functions.
Unfortunately, losing weight isn’t something that you can do overnight. Despite the marketing efforts of those who sell products and workouts that can produce instant results, here are some reasons why you should treat weight loss as a long-term process.
Weight loss is a result of good habits
Gaining weight takes time. It is a result of bad habits that we’ve developed through time. Habits may take months or even years to develop. It also means that if you are looking to eliminate foods that you are used to eating, this would take a few weeks or even months before you could have a new set of foods that you like to eat regularly.
Just imagine taking out your comfort foods completely? Without the right amount of dedication and discipline, you could easily go back to your bad habits once you achieved your desired weight if you have a short-term approach to weight loss.
Building muscle takes time
Building muscle can be difficult especially if you have already gone beyond your 20s. You will have a more difficult time by the time you hit your forties since your testosterone is most likely going to decline by then. It also means that your metabolism will slow down which will then affect the way your body burn calories while at rest. With less muscle mass and a slower metabolism, it becomes more difficult for the body to lose weight and even to keep it that way.
It is more sustainable
As mentioned, your metabolism isn’t always going to be fast. There will come a time when your body will have a difficult time processing what you eat. If you are thinking of losing X amount of weight in just a few weeks, things aren’t always going to be feasible especially if you get older. This makes slow weight loss a more sustainable approach especially for someone who is having a difficult time to get to his or her weight loss goal in a short period of time.
Easier to monitor fat loss
It’s easy for people to lose weight during the first few weeks of their regiment. The reason behind this is that you are losing water weight and not really body fats. If you want to have a real measure of your weight loss, then you want to do things in the long run. Here, you’ll notice if you’ve already reached a plateau on your weight loss.
There is a study that tackled both rapid and slow weight loss. According to the researchers, both slow and rapid weight loss improved health indicators such as reduction of low-density lipoprotein, fasting blood sugar, and improved insulin resistance. However, slow weight loss is known to improve body composition better.
Less taxing to the body
One of the things that can make a person quit his or her weight loss journey is the difficulty involved in the process. Imagine losing 10, 15, or even 20 pounds in just a month. The larger the weight loss goal in a shortened amount of time, the harder it is to the body.
For someone not psychologically prepared to punish their body to achieve this goal, this can be tempting to just quit and revert to his or her bad habits.
People have day jobs
Ever wondered why athletes get to transform their bodies after just a few months? The reason behind these amazing transformations is the fact that it’s their full-time jobs. Imagine having an entire team of nutritionists and trainers who can give you the guidance you need to get fit.
So what if you have a day job? Could you log two intense training sessions every day? Most likely, you also have other responsibilities that you need to cover. These things can stop you from focusing solely on your weight loss goals. That’s why small wins matter the most if you are an average Joe with an average 40-hour weekly job.
Lessen the chances of injuries
The more you push your body, the more likely that you could also get injured. Injuries can range from mild to serious. You could get sprained while running, or perhaps, you could even tear your ligaments because you are pushing yourself beyond what your body is used to.
Taking your weight loss journey slowly can give your body the time needed to adapt to changes. It makes it less taxing plus, you could also start building your body from the ground up. You can build muscles in the right places to ensure that your body can withstand the activities you do.
Final Remarks
Rapid weight loss often results in rebound weight gain. The reason behind this is that you are not dedicated enough to make a change in your lifestyle since you might be too focused on just hitting a particular weight. In this case, slow and steady weight loss can have its perks. And in the long run, it can benefit your health better than rapid weight loss.