Strategic Weight Loss

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Please consider this free-reprint article written by:

Kirsten Hawkins

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Article Title: Strategic Weight Loss

Author: Kirsten Hawkins

Word Count: 532

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One of the first things that you'll do when you decide to lose

weight is to set a goal weight. For most, that goal will be

their 'ideal weight', but for many, that 'ideal weight' may be

exactly the wrong weight for them to be aiming for.

Years of dieting or being overweight have the physiological

effect of moving the body's concept of the 'ideal weight' from

what is truly considered ideal. The 'set point' is the weight

at which your body naturally feels most comfortable. If you've

been overweight for a very long time, or if you've consistently

'yo-yoed', your body may respond to your initial weight loss by

lowering its metabolism because it believes that you are

starving to death. This slowing leads to discouraging plateaus

that often knock people off their diets entirely, and lead to

regaining all or part of the lost weight.

Instead of aiming for an 'ideal weight' that calls for you to

lose weight steadily for months or even years, many experts

recommend aiming for shorter-term attainable goals. Since the

bulk of diet research shows that most dieters lose weight

steadily for about 12 weeks, then hit a plateau, that's the

number that they suggest you aim for. The strategy that many

have found works best for them is one of alternating periods of

weight loss and maintenance, each lasting 8-12 weeks.

Choose a realistic amount of weight that you can lose in 8-12

weeks. Figuring that the most reasonable and healthiest weight

loss rate is 1-2 pounds per week, 30 pounds in three months is

not unreasonable. Diet until you reach that goal, or for 12

weeks, whichever comes first, and then switch to a maintenance

diet.

Why switch to a maintenance diet at that point? In part, you're

giving yourself a 'breather', a break from more restrictive

eating. The other part, though, is that you're re-educating

your body and letting it establish a new 'set point'. Once

you've maintained your new weight for 8-12 weeks, set another

weight loss goal, and move back into weight loss mode. By

giving your body a break from 'starvation', you'll have

overcome its resistance to losing more weight, and be back to

dieting for 'the first two weeks' - the weeks that most people

lose weight more rapidly.

You'll also be giving yourself a chance to 'practice'

maintaining your new, healthier weight. Researchers have found

that more than half of the dieters who take off significant

amounts of weight do not maintain that weight loss once they go

'off' their diet. By practicing weight maintenance in stages,

you'll be proving to yourself that you CAN do it, and removing

a powerful negative psychological block.

This will work with any long-term weight loss diet, no matter

the focus. You'll find it much easier to do if you choose a

diet that has concrete 'phases', like the South Beach or the

Atkins, since the weight loss and maintenance phases are

clearly laid out for you to follow. Regardless of the diet you

choose, though, by alternating between weight loss phases and

maintenance phases, you'll teach yourself and your body how to

maintain a healthy weight.

About The Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health

expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/

for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well

as reviews and comments on popular diets.

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