Do You Have Over High Hopes?

Are they getting your diet down?
What makes your super resolved, determined dieter suddenly pack in her diet? Research into the subject suggests that a major danger is located in "over high expectations of weekly weight loss".

When slimming, most of us are conditioned to expecting too much. The slimmer who expects to shed more weight each week than can realistically be achieved is the prime candidate for 'dieting drop out'0. Disappointment and disillusion are the obvious factors involved. So aim to defeat them by digesting these facts. A high weight loss in the first week is rarely followed by a similar loss in the second week of dieting. In fact it is possible that some fluid loss of the first week may return in the second week, which means that although you have lost body fat, the scales may record little loss. An average 3lb weekly loss is an extremely fast loss, likely to be experienced by someone fairly heavily overweight or in the early stages of her dieting. An average loss of about 2lb per week is a good rate of loss and just about the area where most slimmers should pin their expectations. Someone with a smaller excess weight problem, say a stone or less should be content with a pound or pound and a half per week. The closer to your target the more slowly you lose. Rate of weight loss does tend to decrease as the body chemistry adjusts to the diet. Hardly any dieter will record a consistently steady weight loss each week. Because of small fluctuations in body fluids it is likely to be a swings and roundabouts affair. Be prepared for some weeks when despite your efforts, the scales record a lower loss than expected. This will be followed by other weeks when the scales reward you with a higher than hoped for loss!!