Is Faster Weight Loss better than Slower Weight Loss?

Iwishyouwell

We constantly hear that losing weight slowly, steadily, sets up a person to make a "lifestyle change", and thus they are far more likely to maintain that weight loss.

Except there are no studies at all backing up this claim.

These studies found the exact opposite conclusion, where faster losers kept weight off longer than slower ones:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20443094

An excerpt from the study:

"Our study provides further evidence that, within the context of lifestyle treatment, losing weight at a fast initial rate leads to greater short-term weight reductions, does not result in increased susceptibility to weight regain, and is associated with larger weight losses and overall long-term success in weight management," the authors write in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.


Here is an analysis of over two dozen US studies, done across 5 years, comparing people who lost on a very low energy diet (less than 800 a day) vs a more balanced diet of 1200-1500 calories.

The conclusions?

"Participants who completed a very low energy diet programme lost significantly more weight and maintained greater weight losses after four to five years than those who completed a hypoenergetic balanced diet programme".

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/74/5/579.long

So if there are no studies that support the notion that losing weight slowly and steadily gives any kind of significant or considerable advantage for long term weight loss (and if there are, please post them because I'd love to read), why then are so many people perpetually admonished for losing weight too quickly?

When the majority of people regain after weight loss, regardless of rate of loss, what advantage is there to taking the snails pace?

janesmith1

Well, imho, you are training yourself on the way down. I have done "fast weight loss" before, ie, eating 1 meal per day & lost 40# (that's all I needed to at the time), did not actively do exercise & I kept it off for several years. Then I gained 100# after that, and since before going on MFP have been exercising, was doing pretty well then last year stress happened and I stopped exercising & counting cals. Am back though now & you see by my ticker things are going well. I'm not doing any "low fat" bs or "no carb" stuff either. Anyway, best to you.

Oh & ps, what is really helping this time is having a group accountability
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/18126-lose-10-lbs-a-month

Mr_Knight

These studies found the exact opposite conclusion, where faster losers kept weight off longer than slower ones:

The fast group was roughly 28 pounds over six months, or roughly 1 pound/week. By MFP standards, that's not actually fast, that's moderate/non-aggressive.

At 2 pounds a month, I'm not even sure the "slow" group qualifies as being dieters, assuming they had meaningful weight to lose.

lebbyloses

Well, I think it makes a psychological difference. Which means different speeds work for different people. I lost around 65 pounds in six months, which is fast, I think. And I doubt I could have done it slowly, because a) I am the kind of oerson who needs to go all in and be a bit obsessive to succeed and b) I like regular successes! It suits my short attention span to hit my goals often. But: if you are concerned about handling deprivation, slower loss involves a smaller deficit which might be easier to handle. And it gives your body time to adjust to the changes. I'm young and lucky enough not to really have a loose skin issue, but that can be a big, real problem. Basically I just think some people do better making incremental changes and some people do better making a big change ( and then finding ways to make that change sustainable).

joan23_us

It really depends on the person.... If you are someone who doesnt have the patience and you have 50lbs or more to loose i guess the 'aggressive' approach will work for you. Bear in mind that after you loose the lbs. you should go back in focusing more on a sustainable lifestyle. I always believe that IF YOU CAN'T SEE YOURSELF DOING OR MAINTANING THE REGIME you are doing now, 6 months from now, 18 months from now sorry to say but you are going to fail simply because YOU will crack... some others focus on a slower rate for reason that building a habit and a healthy lifestyle takes time not to mention that it is something that you want to continue doing for the rest of your life. BOTTOM LINE what works for you is the more optimal approach, the one you will adhere to and focus on until you reach finish line.