Being overweight or obese often increases the risk of serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. A large part of treatment involves methods that promote weight loss. But when you take extremes as a way of losing weight, especially when it comes to your diet, it can bring about some painful problems of its own.
Joint Pain
Though weight loss reduces the strain on your joints, which usually helps alleviate discomfort, it can sometimes lead to joint pain. This pain, however, isn't the result of actual weight loss. Rather, it's an indication of malnutrition. Restricting your caloric intake can cause you to eliminate certain food from your diet. And if you're not careful, this leads to a disparity between the intake of nutrients and the body's nutritional needs.
Remedy
Balancing your diet is the easiest and most effective way of treating this type of pain. Even when you're trying to drop excess pounds, it's essential to eat from all food groups. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats, fish and dairy contain a distinct array of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients essential to your health. Aim for at least four servings of fruit, four servings of vegetables and six servings of grain. Limit your intake of dairy to two to three servings and meats to around 6 oz. portions.
Muscle Pain
Besides joint pain, it's also possible to experience muscle pains as a result of weight loss. Like joint pain, however, this isn't caused by the loss of weight. It's often an indication of dehydration and subsequent electrolyte imbalances. Again, restricting your caloric intake can cause you to cut certain foods from your diet. Since fluid intake accounts for roughly 80 percent of hydration, you may be eliminating foods that typically make up the difference. Broccoli, carrots, apples and grapefruits are just a few of the foods that contain high percentages of water.
Remedy
In this situation, increasing your fluid intake may help. People need approximately 64 oz. of water each day --- that's eight 8 oz. glasses. If you're cutting most of the carbs out of your diet, you may need to drink a little more. Severe dehydration isn't likely to respond to simple fluid intake. You may need to have fluids intravenously administered to balance fluids and electrolytes in the body and thereby alleviate muscle cramping and pain.
Member Comments