Many people desire to lose weight, but rapid weight loss can be detrimental to your health and cause unpleasant side effects. Long-term weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes, which is why a slow and steady loss leads to improved success. Rapid weight loss may indicate you're losing water or lean tissue, not fat. A healthy weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs. a week.
Muscle Loss
A major side effect of losing weight too quickly is the loss of lean muscle tissue. Consuming insufficient calories results in a lack of energy for your body. Instead of your body refueling from the intake of food, your metabolism adjusts so it can preserve its stored energy -- fat -- and begins to digest your muscle tissue for energy.
Gallbladder Problems
Gallstones are clumps of cholesterol that form in the gallbladder when your liver produces excess cholesterol or bile due to rapid weight loss or crash diets. If you consume little or no fat, it may cause your gallbladder to stop functioning properly or become idle. The majority of people who develop gallstones experience no symptoms, but a few unfortunates do suffer painful attacks.
Loss of Body Heat Production
A temporary yet unpleasant side effect of losing weight too quickly is shivering and feeling cold. Fat insulates your body and prevents the loss of body heat. Rapid weight loss removes some of that insulation. Conversely, some overweight people sweat excessively; when your body sweats it acts as a cooling mechanism.
Hair Loss
Another short-term side effect of rapid weight loss is thinning or loss of hair. This usually occurs as a result of insufficient protein intake; your body will sacrifice protein derived from hair to support important body functions. The good news is that as soon as you return to proper nutrition and adequate dietary protein, your hair will begin to grow strong again.
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