When people decide that they want to lose weight, most want to see the weight come off very quickly. There are a number of reasons for this including:
- The desire to look younger
- Wanting to come off of medications being prescribed for weight-related co-morbidities
- Gaining back the energy levels that used to be present
- Eliminating knee, back and joint pains
- Seeing clothes in the closet that no longer fit
Losing the weight will result in achieving these outcomes in addition to many other positive impacts. Human nature makes most of us pretty impatient so when we embark on efforts to shed the weight, we want to see immediate results. Losing ¼-1/2 pound a week results in frustration because we are sacrificing lots to achieve the weight control. That “sacrifice” involves basically reducing/eliminating a number of foods and drinks that provide us with an immediate “feel-good”.
When we see quick results, this empowers us psychologically to continue our efforts. Because we are being rewarded for our “sacrifice and deprivation”, we feel motivated to “carry on”. If we do not see aggressive results then the “I give up” mentality starts to take over.
Medically, it is much more important what the person weighs a year from now, 5 years from now, etc. How much a person loses in the first 4 weeks is not medically significant. However, psychologically, the speed of weight loss is important for the person to continue his/her efforts.
If you feel “stuck” and starting to feel frustration set in, obligate yourself to Phase 1 of our plan and do this strictly for 1-2 weeks. You will see an enhanced speed of weight loss and this will serve as a momentum booster for your psychologically.
So, to summarize: The “speed” of weight loss is much more important psychologically than medically important. However, we need the psychological part of the process to be fulfilled for long-term success to occur.