Obesity and its associated medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and a sedentary lifestyle all can lead to heart failure. Heart problems can start long before you have a major episode such as a heart attack and steps to mitigate the heart damage can reduce your risks. The only way to quickly lose weight is to significantly reduce the number of calories you consume. You should follow the advice of your physician to safely lose weight so you won't develop worse heart complications.
Diet Options
A number of medically supervised options are available to lose weight quickly. Plans such as the very low calorie diet can help you lose as much as 5 to 7 lbs. a week based on a meal plan of about 800 calories per day. The meals, usually liquid replacement shakes or bars are nutritionally balanced to provide all the necessary nutrients. According to the Weight-control Information Network, very low calorie diets usually are reserved for people with a body mass index higher than 30.
Surgery
Bariatric surgery can help you lose weight quickly and reverse the damage caused by your obesity. You can lose up to 20 lbs. in the first month, according to Medline Plus. The surgery reduces the size of your stomach so that you can't eat as much without getting sick. Exercise and education to learn how to eat healthy are important components of long-term weight reduction, but the effects of the surgery can be lasting. Bariatric surgery can lead to reduced cholesterol numbers, lower blood pressure and blood sugar and a reduction in your heart volume and mass.
Fad Diets
You can quickly lose weight on fad diets that severely restrict the kinds of food you eat. Ultimately, they reach the goal by reducing the amount of calories you eat. A diet, for example that relies only on grapefruit or cabbage for your meals reduces the amount of calories you eat to as little as 400 or so a day, resulting in quick losses. According to the American Heart Association, the loss is usually short-lived. You run the risk of regaining the excess weight as soon as you resume eating normally, adding additional stress to your heart.
Exercise
To lose weight quickly and effectively, you need to incorporate an exercise program into your plan. While the exercise may not burn a significant amount of calories to reduce your weight, it has other benefits that lead to more efficient weight loss. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, exercise improves insulin utilization and suppresses your appetite. You build muscles, which in turn increase your metabolism, allowing you to continue burning calories even at rest. Most importantly, exercise helps you feel better and boosts your confidence, making it more likely that you will continue with your healthy eating and lose weight safely.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Heart Failure
- American College of Sports Medicine: Establishing Eating Essentials for Weight Loss
- American Heart Association: Quick Weight Loss
- Weight-control Information Network: Very Low Calorie Diets
- Summit Health: Health Benefits of Bariatric Surgery
- MedlinePlus: Gastric Bypass Surgery
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