Everyone wants to know how to reduce weight quickly. And with so many diets promising the same thing, it’s no surprise that the trend is continuing.
Anything that appears to be too wonderful to be true is most likely true.
Rapid weight loss fad diets are frequently deceptive and dangerous. Furthermore, decreasing weight too quickly has some serious drawbacks.
The key to losing and keeping the weight off is to approach it in a sustainable, intelligent, and balanced manner.
If you want to lose weight, speaking with a healthcare expert, such as a certified dietitian, can help you create an individualized strategy that is sustainable, realistic, and suitable for your lifestyle.
What Constitutes Rapid Weight Loss?
Rapid weight loss is defined as at least a 5% drop in body fat in five weeks. Depending on an individual’s body weight, this corresponds to two or more pounds per week.
Weight Loss at a Healthy Rate
Slow and consistent weight loss, or “healthy,” is 0.5 to 2 pounds per week, with an ultimate aim of 5-10% of total body weight loss within the first six months.
But if doctors recommend losing one to two pounds per week, why is losing more than that dangerous? Slow and quick weight reduction are both helpful in reducing body weight, according to studies, but the faster you lose weight, the more lean mass you’ll burn, and the more probable you’ll regain it over time.
Why is Rapid Weight Loss Risky?
There are numerous evidence-based reasons why rapid weight loss is dangerous, including loss of lean muscle mass, disturbed eating patterns, harmful supplement use, and more.
It does not preserve lean muscle mass
Weight loss and fat loss are not synonymous. It is possible to decrease weight without shedding body fat. If this occurs, you will lose lean body mass, which includes muscle, organ tissues, and water weight. Loss of lean mass has a number of negative health repercussions, including weariness, an increased risk of injury, low energy, a slower metabolism, and a loss of neuromuscular function.
One study compared the effects of rapid and delayed weight reduction on body composition and discovered that both diets resulted in weight loss as well as improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The gradual weight reduction group, on the other hand, exhibited bigger improvements in body composition. That is, lowering the weight slowly helps to preserve muscle, while dropping weight fast does not.
When reducing weight, it’s critical to focus on maintaining lean mass (muscle) so that you lose mostly body fat and change your body composition.
It might develop eating disorder
Crash diets and diets that result in rapid weight reduction are more restrictive and can encourage poor eating habits. Furthermore, research shows that the more extreme a diet, the more likely you are to abandon it prematurely.
Though little is known about the negative psychological impacts of dieting, some research indicates that restrictive diets, like rapid weight reduction, are associated with negative psychological effects such as disordered eating patterns and orthorexia.
Maintaining a healthy connection with food and avoiding restrictive diets are the greatest ways to prevent disordered eating behaviors. This is the polar opposite of any diet that produces quick weight loss.
It includes the possibility of using unsafe supplements, products, or medications
People often take risky and dangerous tactics to achieve their weight loss goals rapidly. Prescription weight loss medications work primarily by decreasing appetite or increasing satiety. Others, on the other hand, encourage weight loss by limiting fat digestion. This is risky since dietary fat is required for vitamin and mineral absorption, as well as many other cellular activities.
Furthermore, many of these obesity medications have unpleasant side effects such as fatigue, dry mouth, hair loss, sweating, sleep difficulties, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, and high blood pressure.
Dietary supplements sold for weight loss are frequently understudied for efficacy, and the majority are useless or cause minor weight loss. Other combinations, such as ephedrine and caffeine, are not allowed by the FDA and can cause jitteriness and heart palpitations.
Scientifically Proven Ways to Encourage Weight Loss
Don’t let the negative consequences of losing weight quickly prevent you from attaining your weight reduction objectives. There are safe ways to lose weight without putting yourself in danger of negative health consequences.
Protein should be prioritized
The goal should be to eat a wider variety of protein items, including lean options like fish, nuts, and chicken while avoiding cold cuts, cured meats, and fatty cuts of cattle.
For some active people, increasing protein consumption to roughly 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight may be beneficial. The precise amount of protein you require is determined by your age, exercise level, and any medical issues you may have. High protein diets have been demonstrated to improve satiety, lower total daily caloric consumption, and enhance fat loss.
Furthermore, although promoting weight loss, high protein diets assist in avoiding the loss of lean mass (muscle) and maintaining an efficient metabolic rate.
Sleep is important
As an adult, it might be challenging to obtain enough sleep owing to stress, sleeplessness, or a lack of time. It is crucial to note, however, that sleep patterns are critical for optimal weight loss.
The research was conducted on persons with sleep apnea who were on a diet. The severity of sleep apnea was taken into account. Researchers discovered that those with less severe sleep apnea had higher success with weight loss than those with poor sleep health. Other researchers have found similar weight-loss advantages from sleep health.
Aim for at least 7 hours of unbroken sleep per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reducing screen time before bed, decreasing caffeine usage in the afternoon and evening, and engaging in regular physical activity are all approaches to promote sleep.
Find Stress-Relieving Activities
One of the main reasons you can’t lose weight is stress. It might knock you off balance emotionally and physically, putting a damper on your aspirations. If you can’t figure out why your body isn’t changing, it could be because your stress level is out of control.
The impact of stress management on weight loss has not been extensively researched; nonetheless, the data that is available is promising. One study indicated that implementing a stress management program in obese persons resulted in significant reductions in their levels of perceived stress and despair, as well as the adoption of healthy eating habits.
Another study discovered that people who were under a lot of stress were less likely to lose weight. Furthermore, if you are anxious, you may be more inclined to gain weight. All the more reason to strive for stress reduction on a daily basis.
Stress management does not have to be time-consuming. Just 10 minutes per day is an excellent place to begin working toward reduced stress. Find things that make you happy and like to do and do them.
Make a Minor Calorie Deficit
To reduce weight, regardless of your lifestyle, you must generally create a calorie deficit. This suggests that your body is expelling more calories than you are consuming. However, it is crucial to note that for many people, reducing weight is significantly more involved than a calorie deficit, and perspectives on this complex subject differ.
The trick is to cut calories just enough to notice effects but not so much that you lose weight too quickly. A great approach to accomplish this is to generate a calorie deficit through activity and diet. That way, you just need to cut your daily calorie intake by roughly 250 to notice results.
Another strategy to establish a calorie deficit is to increase your daily energy expenditure.
Concentrate on Fiber
High-fiber foods, such as vegetables, whole grains, and fruits, are essential components of any diet, particularly those geared toward weight loss. High-fiber foods are more fulfilling, which may result in fewer calories consumed overall.
In an ideal world, calories from high-fiber foods would “crowd out” calories from less healthy foods like candy, cookies, and other high-sugar, low-fiber foods.
As an effective technique for weight loss, high-fiber whole foods (think 100% whole wheat bread, fresh veggies, and high-fiber fruits like berries) are preferred over fiber pills. Furthermore, a diet high in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
For women, 25 grams, and for men, 38 grams of fiber should be consumed daily.
Strength training should be included
Physical activity is an excellent means of promoting fat loss. Aerobic and weight-bearing workouts both burn calories and contribute to a healthy weight-loss regimen.
According to research, including 2-3 days of resistance training into your weekly routine results in the same amount of weight reduction as aerobic exercise alone, but resistance training improves body composition by reducing body fat and boosting muscle mass.
A personal trainer or coach can assist you in developing a strength training plan that is appropriate for your ability and lifestyle. If you don’t have access to a trainer or coach, there are apps, at-home streaming workouts, and other options for incorporating strength training into your regimen.
To Conclude
If losing weight is your objective, there are balanced, fair, and safe ways to get there quickly. Avoid being in a hurry to lose weight because rapid weight loss is unlikely to be sustained. Instead, keep in mind that slower development yields greater overall results.
Speaking with a healthcare expert, such as a Registered Dietitian, can assist you in developing a strategy to help you achieve your goals in the most effective way possible. If that’s out of the question, look for trustworthy, science-backed programs and coaches who advocate safe information, such as recipes produced by a qualified nutritionist or workouts devised by a licensed personal trainer.