Safe Weight Loss

by Nev Dodds
author of 'Fat Loss For The Rest of Us'

"Why Safe Weight Loss?"

Because... if more people subscribed to a safe weight loss approach, there'd be less weight loss failures, less 'yo-yo' dieting (repeated dieting, due to losing then regaining weight), less stress all round - and less money sloshing around in the coffers of the companies who operate in the mega-weight-loss industry.

What Does 'Safe weight loss' mean, anyway?

Essentially, it means that you resist the temptation to starve your body hoping that you'll look like a film star within a few weeks. It's an illogical aim, of course, but one that is cruelly fostered by those who wish to sell you weight loss products.

Safe weight loss means shedding those excess pounds at a rate that ensures most, if not all, of what you lose is really body fat, not lean muscle mass (which is very hard to regain).

Most of all, though, 'safe' weight loss means having a realistic target.

And that's hard to do when your only criterion is body weight.

Are There Other Targets?

The most important thing you should monitor is body fat. If you're overweight and you watch those pounds coming off, it can be disconcerting - not to mention depressing - to see the weigh scales fluctuating back up again, or even sticking at the same weight.

Why does that happen?

Because body weight can be one of three constituents - fat, muscle and water.

It's relatively easy to put on weight due to water retention. But it isn't significant to your body weight, and shouldn't be allowed to distract you.

Also, putting on weight due to body fat is not a fast process. So if you've gained 3 pounds in a couple of days according to your bathroom scales, it's extremely unlikely that you've gained that much fat. If, however, your only yardstick for your progress is 'weight', then it might be hard not to feel disheartened.

Why Just Body Fat? What About A Tape Measure?

I have less problems with the use of a tape measure than I do with sole reliance on the bathroom scales. But...

... it's not that easy to get repeatable results, if you're measuring yourself. To see what I mean, take a quick measurement of your upper thigh, note it down, then take it again. I doubt that both measurements will be the same. 

If you regularly take 3 measurements at each location then average them, that's better, but a bit time-consuming if you're doing arms, chest, waist, thigh, calf...

Multiply that lot by three, add in the time to do your averaging of the measurements, and you're looking at a lengthy, repetitive task.

There is an easier, single-point measurement that I'll tell you about in a minute, but first I want to explain about the best method for 'safe weight loss'.

Choose A Safe Weight Loss Target

I can't count the number of times I've heard people tell me that they need to "lose 50 pounds" or "shed 30 kilograms". Similarly, I'm often asked, "If I weigh (for example) 250 pounds now, what's my ideal weight?"

The trouble is, with just the information about body weight, there is no sensible way to calculate safe weight loss - either the amount, or the rate at which to shed it.

I've given numerous examples in other articles about the dangers of recording only your body weight when you're slimming. If you lose 30 pounds, that might seem great, but what if 18 pounds was fat and the other 12 pounds was muscle?

Not so great, unfortunately.

So, What's A Safe Weight Loss Approach?

Now, that's a sensible question, that deserves a considered answer. Here's the list of steps that I would suggest if you want to be successful in the long term.

1. Establish your body fat percentage.

2. check on a chart what would be a good range to aim at

3. Calculate how many pounds of fat you would need to shed

4. Establish how long that would take at between 1 and 1.5 pounds per week.

Not exactly a 'fifth step' but I'd urge you to bear in mind that fat loss is not a linear process. Those 1 to 1.5 pounds are an average figure, so if you lose 2.5 pounds one week and only 0.75 the next, don't panic. Your  average loss for the fortnight is still a little over 1.6 pounds per week, so you're on target. (2.5 + 0.75) ÷ 2 = 1.625 pounds.

The chart below shows what I mean. The average weight loss is 1.5 pounds per week, but some weeks are more encouraging than others. In spite of which, the weight drops from 210 pounds to 192 in 12 weeks, which is right on target for safe weight loss!

Now, you might say, "That's all very well, but...

... What's a good body fat range?"

Glad you asked.

If you look at the table below, you'll see a simplified breakdown of ranges for body fat, for various age groups, and for male and female.

Since the bands are not exact points, there's a bit of leeway in your target. If you lose body fat until you reach a figure at the top end of your range and you feel and look great, then stop.

If, on the other hand, you feel that you'd rather be nearer the middle or the bottom of the range to feel better about how you look, then you have another target to set yourself. So long as you keep monitoring that your loss is almost exclusively body fat, then you're still in the process of safe weight loss.

Note: 
The columns in blue show body fat % ranges for males, while those in red refer to ranges for females.

Here's an example of how this approach would work. Let's say our subject is a woman aged 32 weighing 210 pounds.

She establishes that her body fat reading is 41%. Looking in the row for '31 to 40', she sees that the 'ideal' range is 23 to 27 percent body fat. While the Normal range is 28 to 33 percent. She decides to aim initially at the mid-point of the 'normal' range. That would be around 30.5% body fat.

Her 41% body fat at present represents (210 pounds x 0.41) 86 pounds. that means she has a Lean Body Mass (LBM) of around 124 pounds.

At 30.5% body fat, her LBM would represent 69.5% of body weight, so her final weight would be 124 divided by 69.5 and multiplied by 100, which gives 178.4 pounds.

So she needs to lose 210 minus 178.4 pounds, or 31.6 pounds of body fat.

At a rate of 1 pound per week, that would take 31 or so weeks (roughly 8 months). Losing at an average of 1.5 pounds per week would take 21 weeks (a little over 5 months).

That's a safe weight loss approach by most agreed standards. She'll achieve it by working out her calorie needs based on her current weight, then subtracting around 15% of that figure to give her the loss she requires.

She needs to factor in how much exercise she takes, and also to remember to recalculate her daily calorie allowance every time she sheds 10 pounds or so. That's because she'll need less calories as her body weight decreases.

Of course, there'll be triumphs along the way to her target. She'll be shedding dress sizes, too. And the mirror will tell its own tale of her steady progress.

But, mainly, she'll have freed herself from the tyranny of the weigh scales and she'll now know exactly how she's progressing at the weekly body fat % reading.

And, in 5 to 8 months time, her reward will be complete.

What about that single point measurement?

Ah, you remembered! Yes, there is a perfectly good single-point measurement system that will help you keep your weight loss on track. It allows you to take a weekly (not more often, I'd advise) measurement and gives you your current body fat percentage.

If you already have some body fat scales, then you could do worse than use those, but their accuracy can be affected by such variables as water retention in the body.

Rather use a skinfold calliper, available for only a few dollars online. This little mechanical measurement aid is used to take a skinfold thickness reading just above the hip bone. While not perfectly accurate (a little practice is necessary to get repeatable readings) it can give a good indication of how your fat loss is progressing.

I've used such a calliper for years, and it's helped me make sure that I never put back that fat, once I'd lost it!

Summary

If it's safe weight loss you're after, then the steps outlined above will help you on your way. The main points to remember are:

• Lose fat at a sensible rate (1 to 1.5 pounds per week is good)

• Monitor your loss of body fat, not just your body weight

(As ever, I would remind you that you should consult your doctor before embarking on any weight loss program, because he/she knows your medical history and therefore what's best in your own case).

Finally, if you'd like to try out a complete, customised-to-suit-you program that will get you into shape and keep you there, check out this free offer...

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