As a Dietitian most common question that asked to me is how much weight can get reduced in two month/one month/two weeks? I have one wedding to attend or planning holiday so I want to reduce little bit to fit into new clothes or wanted to fit back into my old blouse or lehenga or pants.
And I have one fixed answer, “It depends on YOU”. It’s not that I am avoiding or don’t know right answer, but this is what it is.
Let’s understand more logically, scientifically and more sensibly. If someone wants to lose weight? What does that mean? He wants to reduce inches, right. And reducing inches mean? Reducing subcutaneous fat.
Let’s understand different angles responsible to Lose Weight:
- As a simple theory given in academic books, formula to lose weight is calories dependent as per age, height, gender and activity pattern. Reducing certain calories from current calories intake and burning/utilizing more calories than total calories intake. And by doing so if there is 3500 kcal deficit, person can lose 1 kg. This means if you are able create 500 calories deficit every day for 15 days you are losing 2 kgs. Considering this theory, dietitian can understand current calories intake by taking your Diet recall and activity pattern and plan out calorie chart for Diet and fitness trainer can suggest Exercise accordingly.
- Weight Loss also depends on your current BMI. If your BMI is over 28 i.e. you are obese, with little discipline is your food timetable can help you to reduce 4-5 kgs in 15 days. But once you come down to BMI between 24-28, weight loss is equal to your total lifestyle modification. Along with Right timetable, healthy food choices, right food combination and portion control, exercise is equally important at this body type. Weight loss will be slower, say 2-3 kgs in two weeks but it’s longevity directly proportional to your discipline.
- When you go one step ahead to understand weight loss as Fitness Essence, It’s important to understand that our Body is composition of Bones, Body Fluid, Water, Muscles, Fat (Visceral Fat and Subcutaneous fat). Therefore if we focus only on weight loss, it can happen easily if you keep one week fast or have just fruits, salad and soup diet, you can easily lose 1-2 kgs per week and even 6-7 kgs in two weeks. But in this case because of high calorie deficit and negligible protein intake, u are losing muscles and water than fat. And you may then start feeling weak, your blood pressure and blood sugar can drop down drastically, and can develop severe acidity too.
- According to my experience, weight loss should be an effect (positive side effect) of adopting healthy lifestyle. One should be able to learn for maintaining healthy weight lifelong and not focus it as events based. Here, adopting healthy lifestyle is same as learning a bicycle or learning swimming. Time required to learn these skills can be little more and vary person to person. But once the skill is learnt and adopted, you can do it in your half sleep also. Similarly, When you focus on correcting and adopting new and healthy lifestyle habits towards fitness, in first two weeks, there will be hardly couple of kgs weight loss, but once body’s metabolic clock gets synchronized with circadian rhythm, you will start wondering how come your 36″ trouser is getting loser and your wardrobe is shifting from L to M size.
- As healthy weight loss, our target should be to lose both subcutaneous and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is the jiggly fat visible just under the skin,is normally harmless. Visceral fat is fat that surrounds the organs. Though it is not visible from the outside, it is associated with numerous diseases.
While subcutaneous fat loss might be the goal for people who want to fit into smaller clothes, losing visceral fat improves health.
Higher lean protein diet, reduced carbohydrates and including thermogenic foods like salads, omega 3 fatty acids can boost metabolism, reduce fat storage, and prevent metabolic issues. With such dietary changes and exercise like HIIT training as well as Strength training can increase muscle tissue that can form fat burning factory in our body. And day by day, week after week, you just don’t lose weight but maintain ideal body composition and start looking fit and young than just looking slim.
But if you still have that question popping in your mind how much exactly I’ll lose in 15 days, answer is hidden in all this explanation. It depends on You, your interest, your commitment, your decision and most important in answer of why you want to lose weight. Who is better than experienced and qualified dietitian to guide and coach you to find this answer and to become committed towards that.
Author Bio:
I’m Prachi Managute. I’ve completed Post-graduate studies in Food, Nutrition & Dietetics. And since year 2007, I am working actively in the field of Diet Planning and Counseling at different platforms like corporate, hospital, clinic and gym. For me, true happiness comes when I am able to help any person to transform their Mind and Body towards Fitness.
