Obey Their Rule and Lose one Pound a Day?

Have you seen those ads that claim that you can lose one pound a day if you obey their rule? Well, unless you take a knife and start cutting off body parts, which I do not recommend, it's physiologically impossible to lose one pound of fat per day. In fact, most people can only drop one pound of fat per week when all cylinders are firing.

Of course, you might be able to drop one pound of water weight in a day doing things that I would not recommend, but soon after re-hydrating (drinking fluids)that pound magically reappears.

So, why can't the average human being lose one pound of fat per day? Because it takes the oxidation (burning) of approximately 3500 extra calories to burn that much fat. However, even if you could expend 3500 extra calories in one day, not all of the fuel being burned is fat. Glucose (sugar) and amino acids (proteins) are also oxidized.The body can breakdown muscle to liberate specific amino acids for this purpose via cortisol (adrenal hormone).

Let me put this into perspective - An individual weighing 170 pounds walking 4 mph, for 9 hours without stopping, would burn approximately 3580 calories. Of course, it is ridiculous to think that anyone could or even would attempt this, but if they did - to reiterate - fat would not be the only fuel burned as explained above.

Losing muscle mass sabotages metabolism, immune system integrity, bone density and overall health.

The bottom line: Don't be fooled by bogus claims, and don't focus on how much weight you can lose in a day. Rather, focus on making smart choices and eating a well-balanced diet, and exercising on a regular basis. Focus on becoming healthy and fit, and body fat will drop as a consequence.


Dr. Sardone
Author of The Naked Truth: Overweight, Overwhelmed and Confused
www.drsardone.com