How much weight will I lose and how fast?

lmt2pt · Post by **lmt2pt** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:34 pm

As our board welcomes more and more new friends a question keeps coming up that deserves it's very own thread: How much weight will I lose and how fast?

It seems like a simple question. After all, OTHER diets tell you how many pounds you can lose in a specific time frame as part of their sales pitch. Ever notice the disclaimer, "Results not typical"? Why aren't they typical? Because people aren't typical. We all come into the plan with different eating habits, metabolisms, fitness levels, lifestyles, emotional/mental baggage, food preference and starting weights. Ever notice how the sacrifices you have to make to even come close to those big numbers aren't sustainable? Ever notice that after you lose big you get fed up and go off the diet, sometimes ending up HEAVIER than you were before? Same question, two different ways, same answer. Yes, I can give up my favorite foods and work out 3 hours a day but that doesn't mean that I WANT to nor will I for extended periods of time. Ever notice if you do make your "goal" weight you still don't enjoy food, or if you do you don't STAY at goal weight? Because most diets, even those that have a maintenance plan are still diets. They are short term solutions to a long term problem and they ignore what generations before us and cultures around the world have learned over the centuries.

So, to finally get to the answer of "How much weight will I lose and how fast?" You will lose however much your body needs to lose to get to a healthy weight for your lifestyle/activity level in how ever long it takes. There is no normal or average. There is no answer that anyone can give you until you get there. Heck, you can set a goal weight but that might not even be what your body is willing to do. My goal weight was higher than what my body felt was a natural, healthy weight. My husband's goal weight was unrealistically low. We are both thrilled with our results thus far because we look, and more importantly, FEEL amazing.*

*Disclaimer: I am not at my natural, healthy weight. The results I speak of for me are prior to dropping a car on my foot in August and having a miscarriage Easter weekend. I am now back on No S working toward acheiving a healthy, natural weight again, whatever that might be. My husband however has not fallen off the No S wagon and still looks and feels amazing*

Nicola · Post by **Nicola** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:44 pm

I've made the decision not to weigh at all. If I'm feeling better, feeling healthier, and clothes feeling a bit looser, it's enough for me. My reasoning? If all of the above are true but I step on the scale and don't see the numbers going down, I'll start to want to change things and to rush the process. I'll wonder why I lost nothing this week but two pounds last week and try to reinact the menue... in short, scales are obsessive tools for me. I NEED to lose weight, however I'm willing wait out the process and not suffer it =)

lola628 · Post by **lola628** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:51 pm

Yeah Nicola, I'm with you!

When I view the scale and it hasn't moved downward I get very upset, then eat candy (or try to recreate menus from the past.) Forget about it.

Rheba · Post by **Rheba** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:07 pm

Imt2pt, you have hit the nail on the head! You are so right in what you have said about all the other diet plans and their "wonderful" promises with that disclaimer (in very small print, naturally). And yes, we have all fallen for them at one time or another. After all, I have a weight problem and it is embarrassing and depressing so of course if someone promises the "magic cure", I am going to bite and then wonder why it isn't working when I have been following it "letter perfect"! Or maybe the weight does come off, like you said, and then we have to start trying to keep it off which for me meant not eating what I wanted and worrying every time I took a bite of something that wasn't "legal"! And of course, I gained it all back and then tried again and wondered why it wouldn't work the second and third ad nauseum times I tried to lose....because I hadn't changed MY thinking. This time I will re-learn the things I did too many years ago when we did eat only three times a day...they don't allow coffee breaks when you are in school! But once I married and had kids I messed up my 3 meals a day schedule and thus started the on going weight battle.
So I have no idea what my healthy body weight is anymore and will have to trust that the body still knows and will get me back to it once more.
Could be a very interesting journey!!!

I just know that this time patience will be a virtue and I will strive for that virtue!!
have a great day.
Rheba

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:08 pm

lmt2pt - great post.

I used to be a weigh-every-morning type. It was SO counter-productive. I knew even that that weight loss (or gain) isn't linear. Still, too many times I took the number as either permission-to-eat (because I hadn't gained) or permission-to-give up (because it was high despite my efforts). And either way, I was always so anxious about what I ate... I never enjoyed my food.

Building good habits is a better way to go. Yes, it takes longer to show physical results. But on the way, I've "made peace with food" and even learned to enjoy it.

Lilly · Post by **Lilly** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:34 pm

You are what you think about.

I am going to take the leap and put my beautiful scale in Le Garbage this Tuesday. Being a true noser for me is having my 3 plates a day and adding a lil sumpin sumpin * extra on s days to keep things interesting. And of course having my s holiday celebrations as they occur.

This is what I will think about. The rest will follow.

Can't wait to see where my body ends up.

OrganicGal · Post by **OrganicGal** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:42 pm

This is a great post and certainly timely with all the newbies, myself being one of them. That is one thing I noticed when I read the woman's world article, and more importantly checked out the website; is that there are no outrageous claims as to how much weight you can and should lose. I like that, makes me very comfortable. Now I don't have to stress myself out over how much weight I'm losing or NOT losing!

I haven't made any particular decision about the scale yet. I do know what my starting weight is, but I haven't decided when, how often or even IF I will weigh in on any regular kinda schedule. It has been, and probably always will be to easy for me to become obcessed with that scale and the numbers on it. I want to stop that insanity!

And I'm gonna go out and hopefully be able to get the book today, before I do the mass organizing of paperwork I need to do. Ugh!

Have a great Sunday everyone

Lilly · Post by **Lilly** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 3:39 pm

OrganicGal,
When we did noser naturally, in the good old days, no one had a scale. Hence my decision to get it back out of my life. You got weighed in PE(physical fitness testing week) once a year and at the doctor's office. Before there were "dieting experts" we all did what came naturally and we were a thin lot.

You are what you think about.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 5:02 pm

Because of my heart failure I'm supposed to weigh daily to monitor possible fluid retention and adjust dosage of diuretic if necessary. I absolutely hate(ed) it!

I say "hated" because I've learned to pay attention to my body and I can tell if I'm retaining fluid without weighing.

I liked what Reinhard said in the book:

Regarding time, do not think in terms of days and weeks. Think in terms of months and years. Even better, think in terms of the rest of your life. It probably took you a long time to get fat; it's only to be expected that it's going to take a long time to get you thin again. And the harder, more important part is staying thin once you get there. So start worrying about that problem now. Maintenance is more important than progress. And the more you focus on it up front, the better your long-term prospects.

Yep, you can lose 10 pounds in a week, but you aren't going to keep it off. Better to take at least 10 weeks to lose those 10 pounds and keep them off.

blueskighs · Post by **blueskighs** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:02 pm

So has anyone ever tried the Jerusalem Diet.... I forgot about that one. You eat only fruits and veggies nuts seeds etc one day a week, and weighed every day.. other wise you ate what you wanted when you wanted it.... then if you weren't reaching your one pound a week weight loss goal you added another veggie fruit day ....

the guy who wrote it was Ted Haggard, the minister of this big church that later got caught up in a drug and infidelity imbroglio ... ANYWAY ...

I have weighed myself every day, refused to weigh myself PERIOD, weighed weekly ... ok maybe I never really stuck to that one

TRIED to just weigh myself weekly and then monthly....

All I can say is for those of whose who are the least bit detail analytical oriented and like charts, the daily measurements can be fascinating and informative when objectivity can be maintained ... the PROBLEM is that is much easier said than done ...

SO THAT not weighing or weighing infrequently is just so freeing. DAMN I just hate it when I can see the pros and cons of things ...

Blueskighse