Losing the Last 10 Pounds

fwalz3

I found an interesting article on why it is so hard to lose the last 10 lbs, which is where I'm at now. Some of the info, I've heard on here before and some info is in conflict with what I've learned here (like eating less instead of more) but it seems to make sense and I'm willing to give it a try. Please don't flame me if you don't agree, but I wouldn't mind hearing some knowledgeable opinions.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight-pictures/ways-to-lose-the-last-10-pounds.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthSexualHealth_20130123#/slide-1

Thanks

JesterMFP

I couldn't get the article to load, but my (unprofessional, non-expert) thought is that you can't be so sweeping as to say "eat less" or "eat more". Finding the optimal number of calories for each individual can be a challenge. There are two issues I can see from what you're saying - firstly, as someone gets closer to their goal weight, their BMP will get lower. They will be lighter than they were before, so naturally the body won't need as many calories to maintain. This is why people might be recommended to "eat less". This is especially true I think for someone who is very short (and I don't count 5'3 as very short), older, and doesn't have as much muscle mass. If someone has a BMR of 1000, then they will obviously need to eat less than someone with a BMP of 1500.

At the same time, there is the issue of calorie deficit, and how much fat a body can lose. Bodies that are obese and have large fat stores can handle a bigger deficit, and can lose fat faster. Bodies that are leaner cannot lose fat as quickly, without risking losing more lean mass than is necessary/desired. This is why smaller calorie deficits are recommended for people who have less to lose, and why people might be recommended to "eat more". Someone who is very lean, and a healthy weight and wants to lose 5 lbs shouldn't be trying to cut 1000 calories from their TDEE and expecting to lose it all in 2 1/2 weeks.

Ideally (in my opinion), when someone is close to their goal, they need to have a very small deficit (which may mean eating more than they have been doing to lose) whilst bearing in mind that their BMR will be lower than when they started. So, it might be eating more, or might be eating less, depending on the person and what they were eating before.