Medical Reviewed by Krupa, A Postgraduate in Food Science & Nutrition
Ever wondered on shedding all of that weight in one go? Like getting back to how you looked 5 years ago in just a month!
Trying everything possible on the internet to get back in shape real quick or going through old albums and feeling bloated? Rapid weight loss is what everyone desires to achieve that appealing physique!
The need to reduce weight is very constant and majorly when there is a lot of fitness and bodily regime around you.
You must have seen somebody hitting the gym and shedding out all of that weight or doing power yoga and getting to size zero. There are many dieting processes that one can follow.
Quick weight reduction is very tempting. All of us need that beautiful body where we receive compliments and appraisals as soon as we hit the floor.
Getting on crash diets may help you attain the required weight but this does no good for the body and you would eventually gain back the same weight or even more.
This also involves a lot of heart, health, and bodily problems and in the worst cases, one might even have a chronic disease that can be life-threatening.
Crash diets for weight loss are not recommended for anyone as it could only make you weaker.
Basic Mechanism Why We Gain back the Lost Weight?
The basic mechanism involves around the appetite hormone: Leptin. This hormone is secreted by the fat cells or the adipose tissues in the human body which is principally responsible for appetite regulation.
This hormone is passed through the bloodstream and sends a signal to the brain, which in turn, controls the appetite. It helps the human body to realize when the stomach is full and when you must stop eating.
When you lose weight, you lose fat cells and consequently, reduction in leptin hormone.
This arouses the tendency to eat more as this abrupt reduction is not being read by the brain and therefore, the body gets signal to eat. As a result, the body tends to gain weight.
Table of Contents:
- Risks your health
- Psychological problems
- Losing of muscles
- The yo-yo dieting
- Other side effects of rapid weight reduction
Risks in losing weight really fast:
Rapid weight loss is very risky. You might reach your aimed goal really very fast but this could also lead to a lifelong health problem.
Such weight loss programmes make you starve yourself to death. Sometimes it may also lead to an emotional and mental breakdown. “Fast weight loss”, is not recommended for anyone. A person risks their life behind losing weight really fast.
Here we list 5 Reasons why rapid weight loss is not effective, and remember you gain it back anyway!
1. Risks your health:
We have heard this a million times that health is wealth. Nothing is more important than your health. In the modern era, when the human body is so delicate and vulnerable to diseases and problems, rapid weight reduction will only risk your health.
Various researches have shown that rapid weight loss is harmful causing symptoms like fatigue, tiredness, nutritional deficiencies. In fact, it has been established that rapid weight loss also suppress immunity, making the body vulnerable to infections [1].
Also, symptoms like muscles loss, and cramps, dizziness and confusion are also been witnessed. A study published in the Obesity Surgery has revealed that rapid weight loss associated with Bariatric surgery can lead to gallbladder stones and related diseases [2].
2. Psychological problems:
A healthy body is not only a lean body but also a fit and stable mind.
When your mental stability is at stake, you cannot really work out on any other thing because of distorted focus and concentration.
According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports of Medicine, it was seen that rapid weight loss in amateur boxers resulted in poor mood along with declined performance [3].
The proposed mechanism behind this has been associated with reduced nerve impulse transmission due to reduced blood flow along with dehydration.
Also, with suddenly reduced energy supply to the body also affects the cognitive ability of the concerned individual.
According to experts, weight loss of 0.5-1 kg per week is considered healthy whereas reduction beyond this is considered as an unhealthy approach. During initial stage of weight loss, this rate may vary owing to decrement in water weight.
3. Losing of muscles:
Ever wondered as to why you are losing on that body muscles which you already had? This might be because of the rapid weight loss thing that you have planned to do.
It happens due to the defense mechanism of the body for survival. It is easy to burn water and muscle mass as compared to fat.
In fact, as muscles require more calories for its sustenance as compared to fat, during the rapid weight loss, the body allows the metabolism of muscles first in order to save calories.
4. The yo-yo dieting:
Just like a yo-yo bounces up and down, similarly, your weight bounce between reduction and increment. This weight loss technique is not recommended and only adds up to the problem.
During the transition from normal weight loss routine to rapid weight loss, the body’s metabolism fluctuates a lot that results in weight gain as soon as the individual resumes back to normal phase.
There are a lot of people who have tried this weight loss process but the results have been worse than expected. This weight loss technique makes the human body a lot vulnerable to existing disease and problems.
5. Other side effects of rapid weight reduction:
Crash dieting may also cause human body a lot of other problems like hunger, fatigue, dizziness, electrolyte imbalance, irritability, dehydration, and other bodily problems.
These are just to begin with! With no control, the condition could even get worse and lead to chronic diseases. Weight loss comes with a lot of risks. One must make sure that they follow healthy ways for weight loss.
Conclusion:
It is important to lose weight but it is also important to stay fit and healthy in long run. Instead of crash dieting, one can involve habits like eating slowly, cutting down on starch and sweet food, giving up on aerated drinks, low consumption of alcohol. All these definitely help in reducing weight and also staying healthy.
Now that we have listed the major problems with the reduction of weight too quickly, keep in mind that you follow a healthy approach for weight loss. Opting for healthy habits not only help in effective weight loss but also, in healthy weight sustainability.
Possible weight loss program brings about a positive change in your life. Here are the 5 ways it does it.
Next Read:
- Importance Of Water Intake In Weight Loss & Ways To Increase The Intake
- Significance Of Liver Health And Its Impact On Body’s Weight
- 8 Tips That Help With Weight Loss
I really liked the article. You always learn something new.
Thank you!!
Hi Pablo! We are glad to know that you liked our article. It helps you understand why we should not go for rapid weight-loss as it will come back again. Keep following our blog to know such more information.
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I am really very satisfied with your post
Hi Annu! Thank you and keep following our blog to know more health information.