I personally feel that just berating anyone "brave" enough and or enthusiastic enough to mention they have lost more than 2.2 pounds in a week is unhelpful and misguided.
In reality the reliability and validity of weight measurements taken at home might be questionable anyway. Not only are the reliability and accuracy and repeatability of the scale' s results an issue it is also impossible to know the daily water content of the body.
For example if a were to drink 2 simple pints of water and then have a large meal and measure myself before I go to bed. Shock horror - in the morning after visiting the bathroom I have exceeded the weekly guidelines just in water loss alone.
In an ideal world we would - after having the same length of the same quality of sleep - measure ourselves at the same time in the same exact position at the same temperature etc this is generally not the case. In addition excessive weighing maybe an issue for some people. Other advice to weigh infrequently - may yield even greater inaccuracies as a trend in weight variation may take longer to be detected.
In an attempt to be objective I have gone back to the to the source of the GUIDANCE also see the NICE "Lifestyle advice on diet and physical activity" link here tiny.cc/NICE-DaPA-01
In it they say " * expect people to lose no more than 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lb) a week."
This I totally agree with this. I also don't find any scare tactics or clinically based warnings.
They then simply say "Programmes that do not meet these criteria are unlikely to help people maintain a healthy weight in the long term.
Also from Clinical guidelines, CG43 - Issued: December 2006
tiny.cc/NICE-CG43-htm-01 (web page)
tiny.cc/NICE-CG43-pdf-01 (pdf direct link)
• realistic targets for weight loss;for adults the targets are usually
- maximum weekly weight loss of 0.5–1 kg (6)
- aim to lose 5–10% of original weight
They also say "the change from losing weight to maintenance typically happens
after 6–9 months" so this will NOT apply to anyone with a greater amount of weight to lose than their weekly TARGET allows.
tiny.cc/NICE-OBBP-01 Self-help, commercial and community weight management programmes - Best practice
* aiming for a maximum weekly weight loss of 0.5–1 kg
* focusing on long-term lifestyle changes rather than a short-term, quick-fix approach
* addressing both diet and activity
also tiny.cc/NICE-DIaA-01 Dietary interventions and advice for adults
In particular I have not seen any EVIDENCE or guidelines that say if a sensible diet is followed and physically activity added and (especially initially) a greater than 1kg loss is recorded in one week that this is "unsafe".
I would like there to be specific guidance for anyone starting form a higher than BMI 30 starting point but I suspect "the health establishment" assume that those individuals will seek medical advice. It seems that there is a big variation in the level of support and information offered and received even to those who seek it.
It also seems likely to me there will be many people who will not access the perceived support available for many reasons and that openly available clear and concise information should be made available. Everything I have quoted here or liked to is publicly available though some items use language which might take some decoding as it is intended for an audience of health professionals.
People who have any queries or concerns about their – or their family's – diet, activity levels or weight should discuss these with a health professional such as a nurse, GP, pharmacist, health visitor or school nurse(1).
1 This is part of a recommendation from 'Obesity' (NICE clinical guideline 43).
Sorry if this seems long - but I believe people should have access to unbiased and non judgmental information and from it draw their own conclusions or seek advice or do further research.
Thanks
Another source or information is from the British Heart Foundation booklet - tiny.cc/BHF-LWFG-01
So You Want to Lose Weight...For Good
Isn’t quick weight loss more rewarding?
Many people want to lose weight quickly in just a few weeks, ready for a special event or a holiday. Unfortunately our body rebels against this kind of crash dieting in a number of ways.
First, eating so little means feeling hungry, listless and sometimes faint, so it is difficult to sustain it for long. It also means the body is unlikely to be adequately nourished because such a small food intake can’t provide enough vitamins and minerals for good health.
Secondly, losing weight quickly involves losing essential water and muscle as well as fat. So,
although the scales may show you’ve lost some weight, your body has not lost much fat!
Thirdly, your metabolic rate slows down and it becomes even harder to lose weight.Gradual weight loss really is the safest and most effective way to lose weight.
Another document for reference the Audit criteria for NICE clinical guideline no. 43
• encourage people to aim for maximum weekly weight loss of 0.5 – 1 kg
• focus on long-term lifestyle changes rather than a quick fix approach
• address both diet and activity levels through a variety of approaches
• use a balanced, healthy eating approach
• recommend regular physical activity
• include behaviour change techniques such as keeping a food and activity diary
• provide or recommend ongoing support