Losing Weight Quickly : The Risks

Once certain limits are exceeded, losing weight quickly can prove dangerous. In effect, fast weight loss, which ignores the body’s basic needs, can expose you to many problems.

1/Muscle loss

When you deprive yourself, your body draws from the muscles first before attacking the fat. A low-protein diet, therefore, inevitably leads to muscle loss. The body becomes less toned and more fragile. In addition, if this poor nutritional intake is combined with intense physical activity, the body becomes weaker still, and you risk developing serious disorders such as sarcopenia.

On the other hand, a weight loss program without physical activity also promotes muscular atrophy. The common denominator, therefore, is the diet, hence the importance of a healthy diet high in protein, but not just any! To maintain muscle mass, you should focus on proteins high in essential amino acids (isoleucine to be combined with biotin or vitamin B7, valine, lysine, etc.), such as those found in fatty fish, egg whites, or fermented soy. In addition, consider taking protein or amino acid supplements; it helps a lot!

2/The danger of oxidative stress

Changing your nutritional intake suddenly or depriving yourself of essential nutrients is a shock to the system. And when pushed to its limits, the body develops what’s called oxidative stress. This phenomenon is marked by an overproduction of free radicals, which are responsible for cellular aging and numerous physiological imbalances, particularly with regard to the intestinal flora.

It’s therefore best to eat a healthy diet that includes all your nutritional needs. And an extra supply of antioxidants wouldn’t be too much: these are found in green tea (which is also recommended for its slimming benefits) and nutritional supplements.

3/Increased weight regain

When you’re not eating enough and/or following a strict diet, the body adapts by drawing its energy from fat. You lose weight quickly, to be sure, but the brain goes on high alert and causes the body to store more fat to prevent the next deprivation.

That’s why you risk regaining additional pounds in the year following an overly strict diet, especially when you return to a diet that’s overly rich (in bad fats). The result: it becomes increasingly difficult to stabilize your weight.

4/Other adverse health effects

Without medical supervision, particularly low-calorie diets can cause:

• physical fatigue;

• reduced cognitive function;

• health problems linked to nutritional deficiencies, such as anaemia (lack of iron), for example;

• irritability and mood swings;

• digestive issues;

• renal and cardiovascular disorders;

• inflammation of the liver;

• gallstones, etc.

5/Our advice: ask for appropriate monitoring

Losing a significant amount of weight (more than 17 pounds) alone over a short period of time can put your health in peril. If you’re considering losing a lot of weight, ask a nutritionist for advice that’s tailored to your case. That way, you can lose weight while preserving your health and peace of mind, with the assurance that you’ll achieve truly effective and lasting results.

As for more reasonable goals, you can readjust your diet yourself while taking the essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, etc.) into account, taking nutritional supplements, and avoiding unnecessary excesses.

There’s no point in losing weight too quickly when you know that you risk regaining much more weight after! Not to mention the repercussions on your health status, which aren’t necessarily visible from the outside. To lose weight properly, it’s therefore pointless to turn everything upside down. Avoid putting yourself in danger by forcing the results and, instead, consider correcting your eating habits!