Why is rapid weight loss unhealthy?

You might have heard a lot of rapid weight loss by the advertising agencies in the market. As per the experts slow and steady weight loss is a healthy way to shed off extra pounds.

How much weight loss is rapid weight loss?

When a person loses 2-3 kilos in a week it is called raid weight loss.

Losing weight too quickly especially through starving yourself can cause various side effects. With a quick weight-loss it is usually not easy to maintain it for a long time. According to the studies it is observed that many of the people who go on diet tend to put on more weight than weight lost.

This is one of the ways how rapid weight loss can be unhealthy and have a negative effect on the overall health.

Following a certain diet that promotes quick weight loss can be fascinating initially but are linked to various health problems. The problem becomes more severe when you follow the quick weight loss diet for several weeks.

Given below are the ways how rapid weight loss is unhealthy and will do more harm than good.

Lack of nutrients

People going on diet eliminate whole food groups. This may cause deficiency of nutrients, vitamins and minerals that is required to stay healthy.

Cut off of dairy products from the diet can cause deficiency of calcium and avoiding carbs from the diet will result in lack of fiber. If you are eating a low-calorie food it is important to include the essential vitamins required to stay healthy.

Lack of nutrients can cause lack of energy, fatigue, anemia, poor hair quality and constipation.

Choose the plan which is right not the one which promises to give quick result

If you think of going in a diet then choose a plan that contains all the essential macronutrients. Your dietician can help you to tailor the plan that meets your requirement. The plan you make should be according your lifestyle as it will be easier to follow it for a long time.

It affects the metabolism

Under a rapid weight-loss the body is deprived of excessive calories. The body thinks there is limited food supply and goes into starvation mode.

Rapid weight loss is a result of calorie deprivation. When the body starves the metabolism slows down to conserve energy and the body will use the fats stored in the body. The effect of rapid weight loss on metabolism leads to more weight gain when compared to the weight before the start of diet plan.

rapid weight loss

Know the number of calories you must cut

Do not cut off too much calories from your diet. Take help from professionals to know how many calories you can cut from your diet.

Loss of muscles not fat

While losing weight it is important to lose fats stored in adipose tissues rather than muscle mass. Cutting too much of calories in a short period of time seriously affects the muscle tone. Loss of muscle mass can slow down the metabolism as a result you tend to burn less calories in a day.

You may get dehydrated

During rapid weight loss the water weight is commonly visible in first two weeks. People who follow low carb diet or eliminate carb completely lose lot of water weight.

Quick weight loss leads to dehydration and side effects such as headache, constipation, dark yellow urine, muscle cramp, fatigue and low energy.

You can feel extremely hungry

When you go for quick weight loss the level of the hormone that controls hunger and satiety can go crazy. During low calorie diet the imbalance of leptin hormones can cause obsession with foods. This makes you hungry and lead to binge eating.

May affect mental health

Losing weight too quickly can affect the mental health. Some people think losing weight will make them happy and when they are not successful it impacts mental health.

Increases the chances of gallstone

Gallstone are painful and may occur as a side effect of rapid weight loss. The gallbladder secretes digestive juices that breaks fatty foods. If food intake is reduced the digestive juices is not released. This results in formation of gallstone causing pain and indigestion.

Ways through which rapid weight loss can be achieved

Most of the rapid weight loss is achieved by the following ways-

  • Strict diet
  • Diet pills and supplements
  • Low calorie diets
  • Certain creams and devices

Rapid weight loss needs extraordinary efforts in diet and physical activities. These efforts can be unhealthy and are known to have negative impact on health. There are certain ways through which one can lose weight in a healthy way.

In some cases, rapid weight loss can be safe but only when followed under professional guidance. Your healthcare provider may recommend you a low-calorie diet if obesity is causing serious health issues. If you decide to follow extreme diet it is essential to do it under medical supervision.

Scroll to Top