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Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D Responds:
Miriam E. Nelson, PhD, of Tufts University and the best-selling author of the Strong Women book series, responds: The amount of weight you need to lose depends on your current weight, although research suggests that as little as a 10% loss of total body weight for someone who is overweight or obese confers substantial health benefits.
Too often the approach to losing weight comes with high expectations—wanting to lose 33% of body weight according to recent studies—assuming you need to lose big to gain benefits. Recent research shows that losing just 10% of body weight (about 20 pounds, for someone weighing 200 pounds) and maintaining that loss, can help lower blood pressure, prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, and help reduce blood cholesterol levels, in addition to improving self-esteem.
Part of the difficulty in losing weight and maintaining the loss is that the body is working against you. It protects itself from weight loss and needs time to adjust to any changes. If you have a large amount of weight to lose, it's recommended that you lose it in stages—starting with a 10% weight loss, followed by a stabilization period of maintaining the loss for 6 to 12 months. Then you go back at it again and lose another 10% of your body weight. Taking a break between periods of weight loss gives your body a chance to get used to the lower body weight and provides an opportunity for you to practice lifestyle modifications, such as healthy eating and regular exercise, that can help maintain weight loss long-term.
Following a step-wise approach with moderate weight loss may help prevent the regain that often occurs when pounds are lost too quickly and the body hasn't yet adjusted or behaviors haven't been modified. And of course, focusing on exercising and eating a healthful diet may likely help you to lose weight, as well as reap many other physical, mental, and emotional health benefits.
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Miriam E. Nelson
Ph.D
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