Why does so much weight loss advice seem to push speedy weight loss over permanent sustainable change?
Background: 29F, 5"7, 14st 3lbs (GW: 11st 00lbs). Due to some health issues over the last year I have lead a much more sedentary lifestyle and have subsequently gained 50 pounds. Additionally, my physical health issues caused me significant mental stress and therefore I began emotionally overeating. Prior to the health issues I was doing some form of sport or exercise 5 x a week (weightlifting, wrestling, martial arts, football, hiking etc). My health is doing better and although I wont be able to resume my 5 x a week level of activity I am trying to do lower intensity stuff like walking, yoga etc. As I won't be able to be as active I have began looking at my diet to get back in shape and to address the emotional eating.
During this journey, I've noticed that most weight loss advice seems to lean extreme and appears fairly unsustainable to me. I commonly see recommendations of 1500 calories a day or less plus exercise. To me this feels like a recipe for a boom and bust cycle of losing weight very quickly then inevitably falling off the diet and gaining all the weight and more back. I've switched my diet to one high in fibre and protein at roughly 1800-2000 calories a day plus light to moderate exercise. I've been losing 1-2 pounds a week comfortably for the last month. I know this may plateau at some point and slow down but I'm not in a rush.
Is there a reason speedy weight loss is pushed? Surely it can't be good for the metabolism to be shocked into such a low calorie intake? I know we all have different bodies and for some people, especially shorter people, 1500 may be completely healthy but as blanket advice it seems dangerous and setting up people for failure. I wish more advice was geared towards science backed health education such as high fibre diets slowing down digestion leading to longer feeling feelings of fullness, eating foods that reduce blood sugar spiking and just generally a greater focus on what someone is eating rather than calories alone.
I know the logic is "eating at a calorie deficit = weight loss" which I think is true most of the time but surely if you have a history of overeating, such as myself (and statistically most of us), then reducing calorie intake to the recommended guidelines of 1800-2000 is a calorie deficit. For me personally, I was probably formally eating 2500 calories a day on average. If I was to switch to a 1500 calorie diet plus exercise, yes I would see results quickly but I'd probably be miserable, exhausted and quickly resume my former eating habits. I understand if someone has a weight loss deadline for something like surgery but beyond that what is the reason for to prevalent focus on losing weight quickly?
Lastly, I think this idea of the need for speedy weight loss over permanent sustainable change is in part what has led to the boom in weight loss drugs. I hold no judgment for those who use weight loss drugs as I think societal pressure to look skinny is huge, particularly for women. But I do think most people would not have to use those drugs if they were given good nutritional education, support and had access to fresh food.
TLDR: Why does such a lot of weight loss advise push hardcore calorie deficits in the pursuit of losing weight quickly rather than advising permanent sustainable change?
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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/1j4rvuq/why_does_so_much_weight_loss_advice_seem_to_push/
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