CR vs. weight loss
From CRSWiki
What distinguishes CR from a weight loss diet?
Weight loss diets are aimed at shedding excess pounds, either for aesthetic reasons, or to avoid the dangerous consequences of overweight on health. These diets only make sense for people who are clinically overweight.
By contrast, the goal of CR is to slow aging and extend lifespan. Weight loss is a side effect, not the goal.
Weight change is, nevertheless, an easy and convenient way of gaging one's overall calorie intake. But, while it is worth monitoring one's weight, it is important to remember that weight is just a proxy for calorie intake, and it's not a very good one if energy-expenditure varies. Increasing exercise, losing weight, and keeping calories unchanged is not what CR is about. An exercise regimen that keeps you slim and leaves calorie intake unchanged is not CR, but simply a health program for weight control to slim down.
Sellers of weight loss pills and diet programs know that what the dieter wants is quick results and so advertise their products as producing substantial weight loss in a short space of time - some claim up to 18 lbs weight loss in as little as four days. CR practitioners know that rapid weight loss is extremely unhealthy and therefore completely counter to the principles of CR. They advise that when starting CR, practitioners should consume enough calories to ensure that loss of weight is very gradual – no faster than 1 lb a week. Try and sell a diet program with a claim like that!
