What is reasonable weight loss?

If you read ads in the newspaper, watch infomercials on TV or click on internet pop-ups, you’d assume that quick and easy weight loss is a piece of cake. “Lose 10 pounds in two weeks,” “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days,” and “Lose 10 to 18 pounds in less than six weeks” are just a few of the claims that set our expectations for the task of melting away extra fat. But are those results really possible? According to the National Institutes of Health and the American College of Sports Medicine, one to two pounds a week is considered safe and appropriate weight loss. This guideline is often cited by the medical community to help dieters lose body fat without also losing lean mass and to avoid dehydration. Safe may be well and good, but one to two pounds a week sur View the rest of this article