Walking 30 miles a day will burn 3,500 calories, enough to lose one pound of fat for the average adult. This benchmark demonstrates just how much physical activity is required to take off a pound. Drastically reducing weight quickly through dieting is another tactic, but be prepared to change the way you eat and how much you eat. Eating less than 1,200 calories per day is contraindicated for healthy weight loss, except when under a doctor's supervision.
Diets Do Work
You can lose 3 to 5 lbs per week with very-low-calorie diets. Also referred to as VLCDs, these are administered under a doctor's supervision for those who suffer from obesity and obesity-related conditions. Average weight loss over 12 weeks is 44 lbs. VLCD formulas are nutritionally balanced yet restrict caloric intake to 800 calories per day, with calories consumed as shakes or bars. No other food is permitted.
Pills
Whether you believe the hype or not, losing 30 pounds in 30 days seems to lure many into trying prescription diet pills or over-the-counter weight loss formulas. These products promise quick weight loss results and work by stimulating the satiety center in the brain, suppressing appetite, and inhibiting fat absorption. Over-the-counter pills and herbal formulas have not been approved by the FDA so results are not guaranteed.
Benefits
In a study published in 2010 in the "International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, lead author doctoral student Lisa Nackers found that women who lost weight quickly, "obtained greater weight reduction and long-term maintenance, and were not more susceptible to weight regain than gradual weight losers."
Results
Relying on your scale to track weight loss will not take in account body composition and could be misleading. If you have engaged in physical exercise to lose weight quickly and incorporated strength training, your scale might register increased muscle weight even though your clothes are looser-fitting. Use a measuring tape to track inches lost, or a body fat caliper if available, to more accurately measure your weight loss results.
Warning
Weight loss with quick results can have unpleasant side effects, including gallstones, fatigue, diminished energy, a weakened immune system, diarrhea, bad breath, body odor, and loss of muscle mass.
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