Weight Loss in pounds or percentages?

We often hear how many pounds a person has lost, but what is the relevance?  If an obese patient weighs 250 lbs and loses 25 lbs, and a 400 lb obese patient loses 25 lbs, who has made more progress?  Keeping track of weight loss in pounds does not mean the same thing to everyone.  A more comparative way to talk with a friend about weight loss progress is to refer to a percentage of total body weight lost.  In our example, the 250 lb patient lost 25 lbs and 10% of their weight.  The 400 lb patient also lost 25 lbs but only 6.25% of their weight.

A 10% loss in weight can have a significant health benefit and improve your blood pressure, cholesterol and energy level.  Set a goal of 10% and then work at it every day for two weeks. Two weeks is a long enough time to adapt to your regimen and see enough result to stay motivated.  Weigh in at two weeks, divide your pounds lost by your starting weight and see the results!  Hopefully you will feel good about your progress and be motivated to continue your journey until your 10% goal is met.  Reaching this milestone invokes celebration and is normally followed by a thought that losing anoth er 10% of your weight would make you feel even better.

When pursuing significant weight loss, it is recommended that you consult with a medical team to make sure that continuation of your effort is safe and long lasting. Making permanent behavior changes around exercise and diet is just as important as losing the weight, but perhaps the most difficult to achieve.  At New Horizon, great emphasis is placed on proper transition and lifestyle change.  Avoiding the all too common yo-yo effect is an important part of patient success.  Coaching and counseling is critical during this phase.

New Horizon is a full service weight loss center staffed with practitioners, dietitians, coaches, counselors and personal trainers offering a multi-disciplined approach to weight loss that is complete and non-fragmented.  Major medical insurances and Medicare are accepted and new patients are being received in light of the AMA’s recent decision to designate obesity as a disease.  New Horizon offers FREE phone consultations to discuss weight loss options.  781-269-5400