SoCalDenizen's Journal, 27 November 2012

Good luck... but I hope you aren't expecting to lose a lot of weight in less than a month! The first 5-7 pounds are easy... but it really isn't a 'true' weight loss. Most people don't know that we store about a pound of glucose in our liver which provides us with an energy reserve should we stop eating as much as we normally do. Associated with that energy store.. is about 7 pounds of water! The reason than diet marketers can make outlandish claims of losing 7-10 (or more) in 2 weeks is total BS as all we are doing is shedding the water weight associated with our energy reserves. Sad part is that losing that water weight has little if any effect on our appearance (unless you have a really fatty liver...lol) since we have barely scratched the surface of reducing the overall fat stored throughout our bodies. Of course, doing some exercise can have the benefit of making you look trimmer as you tighten up flabby muscles... but unless you are exercising 'your ass off' (literally) few people will notice. There is no shortcut to dieting.. it is all about the math. Burn more calories than you take in and your body has to zap the fat in order to keep up with your new requirements. Understand this... a pound of 'fat' equals about 7000 calories... and that is why this site suggests a moderat rate of reducing your recommended calories by 1000 a day. That means in a week... you actually do lose a pound of real weight. Sorry to burst your bubble... but while you may actually weigh 11 pounds less by Christmas... you really haven't altered your body much in such a short time. And... Unfortunately... as soon as you go back to eating 'normally' your body is going to build up your liver reserves which accounts for people gaining weight as soon as they stop dieting. Be realistic in your expectations... and stick with it. I've lost 35 lbs... and still have another 25 to go. I fully expect it to take 25 more weeks to reach my goal! Depressing as 6 months sounds... I at least hope that I will have permanently changed my eating habits and won't be in danger of gaining it all back again when I reach my goal!