[Sportsandrec] Five pounds by Dec 31.

[Thornbury, Kelly]

Good luck to all those who have taken this challenge. Since my goals are to actually gain weight, I can only provide philosophical and motivational support...But this goal is certainly attainable. 

For true "fat" loss, a loss of 1-3 pounds is recommended, any more and you are losing primarily water weight (despite all the popular "diet" ads on TV). This rate also has the best success rate for maintaining the weight loss, which is much more difficult than "merely" losing it in the first place. 

Remember that it is a slow process. The average walking program burns about 400-500 kcal an hour, and there are 3500 kcal in 1 pound of fat...One hour of moderate walking burns about 1 pound of fat at that rate over an entire week. 

The duration of the exercise session is more important overall than the intensity of the session for weight loss. That is, its better to lower the intensity and workout for the hour, then to burn out in 20 minutes. Several studies show this for weight-loss goals. 

Don't skip meals. Eat responsibly and in moderation, but keep the fuel stores up. This has both recuperative and motivational influences. Divide your meals into smaller, more frequent portions, and remember moderation. 

Don't get stuck on the numbers on the scale. This can be a detriment to motivation when you don't see the numbers drop fast enough. Consider buying a nice "outfit" one size smaller than your current size, and be motivated to fit that outfit. A little counter intuitive for the five-pound goal, but for long-term and sustained weight loss, this is a sound practice. 

Never leave a workout session weighing less than when you started. Its nearly impossible to lose a pound of body fat in one workout session (again, regardless of any pop cultural workouts or diets). So, at the end of your workout, drink enough water (not sports drinks or other gym snack bar favorites), to weigh what you did at the beginning of the workout. This keeps you properly hydrated, and you will see the chronic effects of the weight decreasing as the weeks progress as opposed to the acute effects of sweating off water weight that will be put back on as soon as you take a drink.  

For everyone who has taken this challenge, good luck to you, and I'm sure there are many here who would love to hear the progress you are making.