Q:
Hey I was wondering what the quickest way to lose weight without being really unhealthy in doing so? Like, I've done the Atkins diet before and it worked really well, but I don't know how healthy it is for you.
A:
We cannot advocate one "brand name" diet over another as more safe or effective, as some are neither, but most knowledgeable nutritionists recommend decreasing calorie intake while increasing activity level as the safest, healthiest and most permanent way to lose weight. It is a very simple formula of consuming about 700 fewer calories a day and burning up about 300 calories more per day (or some other mix to equal 1000 fewer calories) to achieve a 2 lb. weight loss weekly. Faster than that is too fast and is likely to bounce back up quickly because it is too radical a change in lifestyle to sustain. Slower is certainly okay, and is more likely to stay off as you are transitioning gently into a healthier lifestyle that is more likely to stick.
~The Doc
