Understanding the 4 Phases of Weight Loss

There are several phases of weight loss, which all have different ways to accomplish the same end result. Each phase is essential to the success or failure of any weight loss program, and a patient's success is dependent on how well they are transitioning from one stage to another. The first stage, known as maintenance, lasts from the first week of a diet to roughly two months later. During this time, most patients are allowed to maintain their current weight and calorie level.

This phase is when the dieter continues to eat the correct foods and engage in the appropriate exercise routine. In order to lose the excess pounds, most people will indulge in frequent exercise, but increase the amount of calories that they burn. If the calories are burned rapidly, however, then the weight regain begins as the body attempts to conserve energy and contain the remaining amount of calories. It also takes longer for the body to adjust to the increased amount of calories, which means that weight regain occurs more quickly than at any other time point.

During this time, the dieter may also experience some non-scale victories. These include being able to enjoy some of the food that they crave, as well as noticing positive changes in their moods and energy levels. Many dieters who lose large amounts of weight feel like they have achieved their goals when their scale suddenly starts to drop. They may also discover that they feel less sluggish after completing their exercise routines.

During this phase, the dieter is allowed to slowly reduce the amount of food and caloric intake. However, this reduction does not necessarily equate to fullness of life. Since losing arm fat typically requires large amounts of calorie loss, the dieter must substitute the current source of calories, which can be challenging. As exercise and diet become more limited, the dieter must rely on resources to help them feel fuller between meals and during exercise. In this phase of weight loss, many people find that eating smaller, more frequent meals helps them achieve the best exercise and diet possible.

The final phase of this process is known as the steady state. At this point, the dieter has reached their goal and can return to their previous levels of activity. At this point, the dieter has temporarily freed their body from storing fat cells. They may still be eating and exercise, but their metabolism has slowed enough that they are not burning calories as quickly as before. Since losing weight takes a long time, the person may find that even though they have reached their ideal body fat level, they still have a ways to go to reach their desired weight.

The final two stages of losing weight are known as weight regain and weight maintenance. At this stage, the dieter has reached their goal and is able to maintain it. If they were to eat more now and put it all back into their bodies, they would eventually find themselves right back where they started. At this point, the dieter will feel like they have gotten off the weight loss roller coaster, but they are actually on top of it!

These four stages of weight gain loss are the easiest and fastest way for most people to lose weight. In fact, it could probably be described as the "normal" way of losing and gaining weight. Many people think that once they reach their ideal body fat level that they will never turn back, but the reality is that it really takes a while to get to the desired weight loss and keeping that weight loss going. Once you have reached your ideal body fat level, you will continue to have leaner and healthier looking muscles for quite some time, and then the weight gain will begin its slow yet steady decline.

If you are planning on losing and gaining weight at the same time, you may want to follow the recommendation of someone who has already successfully lost and gained weight. There is no way to know for sure how your body will respond to a certain type of exercise without actually doing it, so it would probably be in your best interest to ask someone who has already been where you are now in order to get some first hand information on what your body has been like during this time. The great thing about most exercise programs is that if they are not followed correctly, many times the results will not be as drastic as if you had done them correctly. If you are planning on exercising, make sure that you are following a plan that includes lifting weights and cardiovascular exercises. You will be able to feel much better once you have started to see results from your hard work than if you were just doing exercises randomly and not following an exercise program.