If you've been hooked by the bait of false advertising, you may believe that your body is capable of burning pounds in the double digits every week. In reality, the most solid foundation for healthy and permanent weight loss is a series of steady lifestyle changes. Your doctor can offer you the best individualized weight loss advice, but you will improve your chances of staying safe if you understand why fast weight loss is risky and generally pointless.
Maximum Safe Weight Loss
Although losing lots of weight quickly can be gratifying, the results don't usually last. Most overweight or obese people should lose no more than 1 to 2 pounds weekly. This translates to a daily deficit of approximately 500 to 1,000 calories through exercise, diet or both. Still, you may be limited to losing ½ lb. or less each week if your current diet is low in calories, because most people shouldn't dip below about 1,200 to 1,500 calories each day.
Risks of Faster Weight Loss
Aside from the fact that extreme weight loss is difficult to sustain in the long term, it also can be harmful for your body. Fast weight loss may partially come from fat, but you are likely also losing water weight or muscle weight in the process. This is because the body has trouble burning off too many fat calories in a short span of time, the Mayo Clinic explains. Your body is also at risk of developing problems such as gallstones and diminished bone mineral density if you lose weight too rapidly. Further, the methods you might use to achieve rapid results can lead to health issues. For example, most weight-loss supplements aren't tested by the Food and Drug Administration, meaning they may have adverse side effects such as dehydration. Fad diets, too, can cause health problems through nutrient deprivation.
Choosing a Method
Don't use a diet if it sounds too good to be true and you can't find any medically reliable information about its benefits, the MedlinePlus online medical encyclopedia recommends. If you want to follow a weight-loss plan that keeps you healthy, look for one that: trims 500 to 1,000 daily calories without forbidding certain foods; includes tips on getting exercise every day, considers both your wants and your needs; and comes with a plan for long-term weight loss. Set up an appointment with a registered dietitian to create a plan specific to your current circumstances.
Considerations
If you are moderately to severely obese, have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight through healthy methods and have weight-related health issues, your doctor may recommend that you follow a very-low-calorie diet under his supervision. These diets, which typically allow you to eat 800 or fewer calories per day, typically require you to consume nutrient-balanced bars or liquid shakes to replace all food for weeks to months, according to the Weight-Control Information Network. You can expect to lose an average of 3 to 5 lbs. each week on a very-low-calorie diet, results that can rapidly improve your health. Do not attempt a very-low-calorie diet without prior recommendation from a doctor.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Fast Weight Loss: What's Wrong With It?; Donald Hensrud, M.D.; Nov. 20, 2009
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight; Oct. 18, 2009
- Mayo Clinic: Weight Loss: Six Strategies for Success; Dec. 18, 2010
- Weight-Control Information Network: Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-Loss Program; April 2008
- Weight-Control Information Network: Very Low-Calorie Diets; August 2008
- FamilyDoctor: What It Takes to Lose Weight; December 2010
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