Losing even a small amount of weight can make you feel better about yourself, have more energy and decrease your risk of certain health conditions. However, losing weight too quickly has negative implications and effects, too. For effective weight loss with minimal side effects, you should always consult a physician before you start your diet.
Health Effects
Losing weight too quickly might seem like a good problem to have, but it can have negative health effects. According to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, losing weight too quickly can lead to health problems including gall stones, electrolyte imbalance and lean muscle loss. You may also experience a change in body metabolism that, after a quick initial weight loss period, makes it harder to lose more weight.
Yo-Yo Dieting
When people lose weight too quickly, they can enter a pattern known as weight cycling, also referred to as yo-yo dieting. The Weight-Control Information Network, a service of the National Institutes of Health, reports that while experts aren't sure if weight cycling leads to health problems, it has been linked to conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and gallbladder disease. Weight cycling may also affect your mental health, leading to feelings of depression.
Other Concenrs
If you're losing weight very quickly, this may not merely be a result of dieting or exercise. Sudden weight loss with or without dieting may be the result of a serious medical condition. MedLine Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health, reports that unintentional weight loss may be a symptom of such health issues as malnutrition, depression, adverse drug reactions, cancer and AIDS.
Ideal Weight Loss
To ensure you don't lose weight too quickly, it's important to establish a diet plan that allows you to lose weight steadily over time. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends that to lose weight, reduce your daily caloric intake by 500 calories. A pound of weight is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, so if you are maintaining your weight and you decrease your food intake by 500 calories a day, you will lose about 1 lb. a week.
References
- University of Alabama at Birmingham: Weight Management Following SCI
- Weight-Control Information Network: Weight Cycling
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs: If You Are Overweight
- Medline Plus: Weight Loss - Unintentional
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Why is a Healthy Weight Important?
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