Fast or slow, weight loss has similar effect on health
Losing weight quickly doesnt offer any more health benefits than slimming down slowly, a new study shows. Canadian researchers analyzed data from more than 11,000 people in a publicly funded clinical weight-management program. They found that those who lost weight quickly or slowly had similar health benefits in terms of reducing risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.
With the same pound-for-pound weight loss, there is no difference in terms of health benefits if you lose weight fast or slow, said study leader Jennifer Kuk. Shes an associate professor in the faculty of health at York University in Toronto.
Typically, its recommended that people lose about one to two pounds a week because a faster rate of weight loss is associated with a slightly increased risk of gallstones. But there were suggestions that faster weight loss may be better in reducing heart disease and diabetes risk factors.
This study is the first to specifically examine the rate of weight loss and heart disease and diabetes risk factors, according to the authors.
However, given the risk for gallstones with faster weight loss, trying to lose weight at the recommended one to two pounds per week is the safer option, Kuk added in a university news release.
Initially, the researchers found that people who lost weight more quickly tended to have a larger reduction in obesity and better health improvements than those who lost weight slowly. However, that was not the case after the researchers adjusted for absolute weight loss.
The results show that we really need to look at interventions that focus on long-term weight management that can achieve sustained weight loss at the recommended one to two pounds per week, Kuk said.
Do you have trouble losing weight? Or would you like to lose faster? Youve come to the right place. Get ready for weight loss without hunger.
The sad truth is that conventional ideas eat less, run more do not work long term. Counting calories, exercising for hours every day and trying to ignore your hunger? Thats needless suffering and it wastes your time and precious willpower. Its weight loss for masochists. Eventually almost everyone gives up. Thats why we have an obesity epidemic. Fortunately theres a better way.
The bottom line? Your weight is hormonally regulated. If you reduce the levels of your fat-storing hormone, insulin, youll have a way easier time losing excess weight.
Obviously, its still possible to lose weight on any diet just eat fewer calories than you burn, right? The problem with this simplistic advice is that it ignores the elephant in the room: Hunger. Most people dont like to just eat less, i.e. being hungry forever. Thats dieting for masochists. Sooner or later, a normal person will give up and eat, hence the prevalence of yo-yo dieting.
The main advantage of the low-carb diet is that it causes you to want to eat less. Even without counting calories most overweight people eat far fewer calories on low carb.
Sugar and starch may increase your hunger, while avoiding them may decrease your appetite to an adequate level. If your body wants to have an appropriate number of calories you dont need to bother counting them. Thus: Calories count, but you dont need to count them.
HealthDay
