Losing Weight When You Have a Lot to Lose: How to Go About It

We all know that healthy weight loss (that you’re able to keep off over time) requires making maintainable lifestyle changes. For most people, this involves switching to eating healthier foods, sleeping better, getting more exercise and generally taking a proactive approach to living a healthy lifestyle.

However, getting to this stage in the first place can often feel like a hurdle. While 1-2lbs a week might be a good benchmark for weight loss in most people, if you have a lot to lose then this probably isn’t going to cut it. Chances are you want to make a dramatic difference in the beginning. This can help to keep you motivated, and generally give you a kick start for a more sustainable plan. You don’t want to fall into the habit of losing a few pounds, getting bored and going off track and then gaining them all back plus more.

This is particularly easy to do when you have a lot of weight to lose, and is a cycle that so many people find themselves stuck in for years. If you’ve made the decision to lose weight and know you have a lot to shed, here are some of the ways you can make it happen this time around.

Consider a VLCD

A ‘very low calorie diet’ (VLCD) is a weight loss program of around 600-800 calories a day. All of your nutrition comes in the form of weight loss ‘packs’ which are perfectly balanced to ensure you’re getting the right vitamins and minerals- but without the calories. If you have issues surrounding food these can be really useful since there’s no actual food involved- no weighing, portioning or making choices about meals. You simply eat between three and four of the packs per day (these are usually soups, shakes and bars) and drink plenty of water.

VLCDs were previously done under medical supervision only, however they are now deemed safe and effective for those with a high BMI and you can purchase them through a range of different companies. If you stick with the plan, you’ll lose around a stone in weight every month meaning it’s a quick way to get that initial weight off. Once you’re happy with where you’ve got to, simply move onto a different, more sustainable plan for the longer term. This could be a keto diet, or track your calories using an app like MyFitnessPal. 

Utilise Medication

There are some fantastic anti obesity medications these days. Take Dietica for example, this is a fat burner and appetite suppressant that can make shedding the pounds quicker and keeps you feeling full longer. This takes extreme hunger out of the equation so eating less is easier to stick to. Other appetite suppressants like Phentermine and Saxenda have made a huge difference to some people who have finally been able to succeed on weight loss plans for the first time in their lives. Other weight loss medicines and supplements such as Orlistat stop some of the fat that you eat from being absorbed which can again make losing weight a lot easier if you’ve always struggled. 

Look into Weight Loss Surgery

Finally, if you have a lot of weight to lose and have tried and failed on diets, weight loss surgery may be a good option for you. Less invasive types of gastric ops such as gastric bands or balloons are worth considering if you’re nervous about having a full gastric bypass.

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