Is it possible to lose weight too fast?

Well – is it?

An interesting conundrum, some folks get so excited about weight loss that there quick results have them wonder if they should be drag their feet on the figurative asphalt to slow their skateboard and prevent a massive face-plant.

I'm going too fast!

This is a reasonable question. Weight loss can dramatically change your body in a short amount of time and those who are health conscious are wise to consider the possibility that a slower approach could be more sustainable or less risky.

Should you slow down, or keep going?

I don't think there's one right answer so I figured I'd list the pros and cons for speed.

Reasons to continue losing weight rapidly

First off, I think (and I'm sure you think) that rapid weight loss feels great.

Results!!! That's what we're after. So many people are completely stuck, so to see the scale moving, especially at a fast pace, is very motivating. It means it's working, you're on the right path. The success can propel you into an upward spiral that will reach into all areas of your life.

If you don't feel like you're being too restrictive, I would try to maintain that rate of weight loss as long as I could to reap the benefits.

Here's the thing: many times a large boost of weight loss can just be a sign that you're shedding water. That's not a bad thing, but it's important to balance your expectations and be ready for things to slow down (because they will).

Enjoy the results and let them propel you, but prepare for them to slow and do not cling to them. I have found myself feeling entitled to results and that's what leads me to feel disappointed and crash.

Reasons to slow down

Okay, so you've reveled in the glory of results but they've started to slow. Or you realized the intensity of your diet was not going to be sustainable. Maybe you were practically starving yourself, doing too much at once, it wasn't fitting into your life.

That's a reason to put on the breaks, maybe bump up your daily calories, and slow the pace of your diet.

We know that adherence is possibly the most important thing in your diet, so a slow one, where you get to eat more food while still holding a deficit, can be very beneficial to your long term success.

Remember your diet pressure valves? This is about keeping them from building up and causing a crash/binge/some other screw-up that you do every time.

For me, it comes in waves. I'll ride the natural boost in motivation and weight loss that will come every now and again, and then I'll dial it back when life gets in the way.