Many people have used drastic means for short periods to lose weight for a special occasion. In other cases, individuals have undergone drastic weight loss methods to preserve their health or even to save their lives. In any case, the decision to use a drastic weight-loss method should never be taken lightly and should be discussed with a health-care professional.
Meal Replacement Diets
With a meal replacement diet, you consume a low-calorie shake or a meal bar in place of one or more regular meals. You also eat one conventional healthy meal and one or more healthy snacks. Many people lose weight with meal replacement diets, and they can help you to control portion size. However, the Mayo Clinic warns that you may regain the weight you have lost once you go back to eating regular meals. Portion control is essential to maintain weight loss, according to the Diet Channel.
Liquid Diets
Liquid diets restrict calorie intake to 600 or 800 calories daily. The Mayo Clinic and the Diet Channel warn that liquid diets should only be done under strict medical supervision. With a liquid diet, weight loss occurs quickly. However, patients often must take a vitamin supplement along with the diet, and must modify their overall diet and activity level to maintain weight loss after resuming a diet of solid food.
Weight Reduction Medications
Weight loss medications can be prescribed by a physician or can be obtained over-the-counter. The Mayo Clinic warns that weight-loss medications are designed only for people who are seriously overweight and who have been unable to lose weight by other means. Once you start taking weight- loss medications, you may need to continue taking them indefinitely to maintain your weight loss.
Weight loss medications have several undesirable side effects, including gastrointestinal and digestive problems, dizziness and increased blood pressure. One popular over-the-counter diet medication, Hydroxycut, has been linked to serious medical complications and even death, according to CNN Health. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stop using Hydroxycut products immediately.
Bariatric Surgery
For the most extreme cases of obesity, bariatric surgery produces rapid weight loss by restricting the amount of food patients can consume. In gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon staples shut or removes a large part of your stomach, leaving only a small pouch. A less-extreme form of bariatric surgery is commonly known as "lap band" surgery, where the surgeon inserts a band around the upper part of the stomach, but does not actually remove any portion of it.
Along with surgery, you must also change your eating habits and make other lifestyle changes to gain maximum benefit from bariatric surgery. Besides weight loss, successful bariatric surgery may improve or eliminate Type-2 diabetes, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Possible complications from bariatric surgery include blood clots, vitamin deficiency, leaking or infection at the incision site and even death, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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