I had an email this week from a reader who was concerned about the amount of weight I had reported losing in my first two weeks. She cited the recommendation from health and diet experts that one should not lose more than an average of 2 lbs a week because it can be dangerous and it’s nearly impossible to maintain.

It’s a valid concern. And as I composed my response, I realized I should address this issue here for everyone.

First of all, let me correct my earlier report. For some reason I miscalculated that first two week loss. It was actually 12 pounds in the first two weeks with something like 7-8 in that first week alone. I am extremely overweight and tend to lose a lot at first. I’m staying in the calorie ranges I need to be in (1400-1750) and getting lots of fresh veggies and fruits and lean protein and whole grains. I also allow myself some indulgences by finding healthy or lower calorie substitutes. It’s not about denial. Denial and strict limitations just don’t work in the long run and I usually quit within a week or two if I try those kinds of strict diets.

The first week is when I lost the bulk of that weight. It’s a lot of water weight because before I wasn’t drinking water like I should have been, instead I drank lots of diet coke. Sometimes as much as 6-8 a day. I stopped drinking the diet cokes completely. I haven’t had one since May 25th. This is one restriction I need to stick to. They give me headaches, I get dependent on them, they affect my moods, and they make me crave sweets. So. NO MORE DIET COKE.

Once my body started getting what it needed in the water department, it decided to stop retaining every drop of fluid I took in for fear I wouldn’t give it anymore.

I know it is dangerous to lose more than an average of 2 pounds a week. As of today, after 20 days of eating right and exercising 30-90 minutes nearly every day, I have lost a total of 15 pounds. So last week I lost 3 pounds.

I do tend to lose closer to an average of 3 pounds a week until I get into the low 200s. (Yep. I’m laying it all out there. I’m well over 200 pounds.) That’s when my weightloss really slows down, because I’m not carrying so much weight anymore–which is what burns so many calories and causes me to lose a little faster.

I have a long way to go before I get to that point.

If you were concerned about the rate of weightloss I was reporting and my ability to sustain it, I want to thank you for your concern. I do appreciate it. I see people pushing themselves to lose 5 pounds a week and I worry about them. This is one of the reasons why when The Biggest Loser first came out I was dead set against the show. While I now find their stories inspirational, I am still concerned about how fast they lose weight, even knowing they are under constant medical supervision.

It’s recommended that you exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day and if at all possible increase your exercise to 60-90 minutes a day. Some days I’m closer to the 30 minute mark and that’s okay. I’m not pushing myself. I’m just glad to be excited about something and enjoying it for once. So when I get over 60 minutes it’s the frosting on the cake, because I’m having fun while I do it.

I’m actually taking this weekend off from formal exercise–I’ve got a lot of other outdoor activities going on instead. We’ve been mowing our monster lawn today–we still aren’t finished even after over two hours of working on it together, with Snoring Daddy on the riding lawn mower and me on the push lawn mower. Everything is finished except the fenced portion where the dogs are. That’s a big area by itself and I’ll probably do it tomorrow evening.

This post is meant to reassure those of you with concerns and answer any questions others might have about how I’m losing weight. I have spent a lot of time learning the right way to do this. I’ve just always had trouble putting that knowledge into practice in the face of stress and temptation. This time I’m determined to do it and sustain it. I have to make these changes permanent. I have to get off the yo-yo and stay off it for good.

I use Spark People to log my nutrition and exercise. They have a lot of great information on nutrition, fitness, and motivation. They are vehemently against fad diets and recommend a lifestyle change centered on good nutrition and getting active. There is also a strong community of members and experts on the forums. The site has teams you can join based on interest, geographical location, goals, and pretty much anything else you can think of. The message boards alone are a great source of motivation for many of the members.

If you are interested in checking it out, it’s totally free but if you do sign up please tell them that Gonnabehalfofme referred you. That’s me.

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