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How Can I Lose Weight In A Day Or Two? | Ask The Fitness Nerd

Is It Possible To Really Lose Weight In Just A Day Or Two? More Importantly, Is It Safe?

Hey Fitness Nerd,

I’m leaving on Monday morning for a vacation to the Bahamas. I’ve been working out like a fiend since the end of December, lots of cardio and I’ve really cut back how much I’m eating.  I’ve managed to lose a fair amount of weight so far. About 12 lbs. The problem is that I really need to lose another five to get into the shape I want for the beach.  I have less than four days left, how can I lose some more weight in just another day or two? I’m desperate and time is running out on me. — Jenna  (Dallas, Texas.)

Jenna, you’re probably not going to like my answer, but I’m going to shoot straight with you: You can lose some additional weight a day or two before your vacation, but more than likely, you’ll put it back on the first day in the Bahamas.

Why?

Because at this point, any scale weight you lose through additional exercise or restriction of food will probably be the result of lost water and less food in your digestive tract, and not real fat loss. Body fat percentage and not scale weight is always your best gauge of progress and body composition. Losing weight per se shouldn’t be your focus.

Remember, you lose fat over weeks — not days — regardless of what the fad and crash diet marketers say. And losing body fat is really what makes for a great looking physique at the beach — not what some numbers on a bathroom scale say.

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Am I Fat? | Why Body Fat Percentage Is More Important Than Weight

Here’s a Little Secret: The scale lies. Learn why you should focus on decreasing your body fat percentage, instead of just your weight.

Stepping on the bathroom scale is a daily ritual for many dieters, athletes and fitness enthusiasts. After all  being healthy and in-shape means weighing less, right?

Scales seem to be everywhere: The home bathroom, the gym or health club locker room, and – of course — the doctor’s office.  We’re a society increasingly obsessed with our weight, but ironically, one that is becoming fatter than ever.

But what if you knew that your trusty scale was deceiving you? What if you found out that losing a pound or two (or even five) doesn’t mean you’ll look any thinner or more in-shape? What if I told you that losing weight is actually making you fatter?

Why Weight Loss Should Never Be Your Goal

Our preoccupation with moving that pointer on the bathroom scale down closer to zero is at the root of most people’s frustration with becoming healthier and more fit.  Crash diets, fad diets, endless hours of cardio, extreme calorie restriction and eating disorders can be traced directly to our desire to step on the scale and see that we’ve lost weight.

Yet the number that you see on the scale each morning is a terrible indicator of body composition.  Weight alone can’t tell you anything about the distribution of that weight. It doesn’t take into account the ratio of fat to lean tissue, which can cause very lean people to think they are fatter than they really are, and fat people to think they are leaner.  

In other words, losing weight can actually be a bad thing, especially if you are doing it at the expense of lean tissue like muscle.  If all you are using to gauge your fitness progress is scale weight alone, you are only getting half-the-picture.
Continue reading Am I Fat? | Why Body Fat Percentage Is More Important Than Weight…

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