The timeline of a long term diet

You did not gain your excess weight overnight and you will not lose your weight overnight either. In truth we have a weight set point which is similar to a thermostat in as much as it tries to keep your weight constant.

If you over eat at a party, your weight may go up a little but soon will return back to its normal weight. But, slowly over the years of eating the wrong foods (junk foods, high glycemic index foods, foods with too much saturated fats like fatty red meats) increases your weight set point and your weight goes up.

So it will take some time (but not as long as for your weight gain) to lower your set point to the desired value. Note – for those in a hurry – if you reduce your caloric intake too low (below 1500 to 1200 depending on your current weight and activity level) your body will shift into the starvation mode and slow down your metabolism and stop your weight loss. In fact later your slower metabolic rate will increase your weight – hence the yo-yo syndrome.

The phases of a good weight management program:

* Phase one – rapid weight loss

In a good weight management program using both food control and exercise, at first your weight may go down rapidly as you lose water weight and eat more fiber and thus cleans your colon.

* Phase two – some weight gain

Next as you exercise chances are your weight will go up a tad as you replace fat with muscle. Don’t give up. Muscle weighs more than fat. I tell my weight reduction clients not to weigh themselves the first few weeks and look in the mirror and notice how they look so much better.

* weight management program and plateau phase

Next in any want to be super fit and lean.

For me the last five pounds have been very challenging as I tried to lower my weight so much that my body fat percentage would go down from very good to extremely good (from 13% to 12% or less). This was a challenge for me. Then the solution came because I was helping one of my weight loss clients.

* Why I looked at the low glycemic index programs

In order to guide my weight management program clients I study the logic behind many diet programs. I have known that low glycemic index diets are very sound from a scientific point. I used to eat}consume primarily a low GI diet, but did not adhere to it totally.

I had been studying various commercial programs for a client who did not have the time and inclination to follow my teachings and needed to get ready for a summer wedding and noticed that the one program which, if you follow it correctly, is successful was based on eating portion controlled low GI menu.

* My victory over those last few pounds

Last week I started to follow a good carbs diet. And lo and behold, my weight has gone down two pounds in the last week (the perfect amount) and most importantly my body fat content has gone down to 12.4%.

I still have a little to go but I’m very happy with the progress and will continue with the low GI diet. In fact soon I’ll need to buy tighter belts as today I reached the last hole, then as my waist size is now the same as forty years ago, but that’s a good problem to have.

So you see weight management program need not be difficult to impossible. You need to have reasonable expectations and goals, with room for plateauing, and eat plenty of good health giving foods with good proteins, fats and carbohydrates. A mostly plant based diet with lean meat (mostly fish, or skinned chicken) with plenty of water and fruits will keep you full while leting you to lose your weight safely and become more healthy.

Click here to find a recommended weight management program which does allow you to produce a sustained weight loss.

P.S. Visit this blog for tips on how to loose weight.