If you are overweight, you've probably been told that weight loss will improve your health. While this is generally true, there can be exceptions to this rule. As with all dramatic physiological changes, there is a certain amount of risk in addition to the possible reward. By knowing what the risks are, you can better prepare yourself to reach your ideal body weight safely.
Muscle Atrophy
Not all weight is the same. Muscle is an abundant and important tissue that can be compromised during periods of calorie restriction. While the goal of a weight loss plan should be fat loss, overzealous dieting can result in the loss of muscle. Muscle loss carries serious consequences, including strength loss, susceptibility to injury. To prevent muscle loss, aim to lose a maximum of 2 lbs. per week, by cutting out or burning 1,000 calories per day. The Mayo Clinic recommends resistance training during a weight loss plan to minimize muscle wasting.
Dehydration
Many dieters find that fluid restriction causes a reduction in body weight. Although this may look good on the scale, dehydration carries serious health consequences, the most serious being heat illness, seizures and kidney failure. Dehydration also makes it more difficult to stick to your diet because thirst is often confused with hunger. To reduce your risk of dehydration, keep your water intake high, especially during exercise. Under normal circumstances, you should be drinking about 2 liters of water each day.
Eating Disorders
The National Eating Disorder information Centre points out that for some individuals, dieting can develop into an unhealthy obsession with food and body weight. If allowed to persist, these behaviors may develop into an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. These conditions are serious illnesses that can result in physical harm or death. If while dieting, you begin to notice obsessive behavior, depression, or your dietary habits interfering with your ability to lead a productive life, it may be time to seek professional counseling.
Yo-Yo Dieting
Yo-yo dieting is the phenomenon of large fluctuations in your body weight due to irregularities in your diet. When you go on a crash diet, you typically experience significant weight loss. Due to resulting changes in your metabolism however, you are now more susceptible to weight gain. Avoid the yo-yo effect by relying on healthy lifestyle changes, not drastic, crash dieting.
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