When it comes to losing weight, does it make any difference if the pounds come off quickly rather than slowly? Usually, individuals are recommended to lose weight at one or two pounds per week, as faster weight loss is related to a slightly higher risk for gallstones. However, there are reasons to believe that faster weight loss may have better effects for cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors.
In the first study of its kind to look specifically at whether the speed of weight loss was related to health outcomes, researchers concluded that it probably was not. "With the same pound for pound weight loss, there is no difference in terms of health benefits if you lose weight fast or slow," says Jennifer Kuk, associate professor in York University's Faculty of Health and the lead researcher in the study.
What did matter? The amount of weight lost and whether or not the loss was sustainable over time. "The results show that we really need to look at interventions that focus on long-term weight management that can achieve sustained weight loss at the recommended one to two pounds per week," says Kuk.
The study looked at 11,283 patients who attended the Wharton Medical Clinic Weight Management Program between July 2008 and July 2017.
It seems to me there may be a trade-off here. Losing weight rapidly may prove motivating and inspire individuals to continue on with their program. But losing it gradually allows one to make the kind of permanent lifestyle changes that make sustaining the lost weight more likely as then there then is no program to "go off".
Which is right for you? Whichever works. And whichever you can sustain for the rest of your life.
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