Why Fast Weight Loss is Unhealthy

By: Arnel Ricafranca - http://www.fitness-vip.com

Why Fast Weight Loss is Unhealthy

You've made the decision to lose weight as quickly as possible.
You have your diet in place and you expect to follow it
religiously. At this point, you may be wondering how much weight
you can lose in a given week and whether fast weight loss can be
dangerous for your body. There are a number of things that can
affect your weight loss. For instance, family history, or
genetics, can play a significant role. Also, your weight loss
may depend upon how much exercise you're engaging in, as well as
how much stress you are under. Your metabolism, or how quickly
you burn calories, can also have a major effect. Theoretically,
you could lose as much as 20 pounds a week. However, much of
that weight could be water weight. That means that, once you go
off your diet, you are likely to gain much of that weight back.
Also, unless you engage in strength training, you will be losing
muscle as well as fat, since about ¼ of the body's weight
consists of muscle. It is interesting to note that, at most, you
can probably lose four pounds of fat in a given week. Nature has
a way of protecting the body against excessive weight loss. If,
for instance, your calorie count suddenly drops, your body will
compensate for the fact by reducing your metabolic rate. As a
result, you'll need fewer calories to maintain your weight. This
explains why some people lose weight up to a point and then
cannot lose any additional weight, no matter how hard they try.
If you lose weight quickly, there's a good chance that your
health will be jeopardized. For instance, fast weight loss has
been linked to the appearance of gall stones. Also, you may
experience loose skin as your weight goes into free fall.
Perhaps most distressing of all, if you experience rapid weight
loss, there's a good chance that you will gain the weight back
again. This is because it is very difficult to maintain a
healthy diet regimen. You may find yourself falling back into
your bad eating habits after a period of deprivation. Fast
weight loss also places you at greater risk for an eating
disorder. You may be tempted to starve yourself, leading to
anorexia. Or, because your food cravings are so great, you may
want to binge and purge, leading to a case of bulimia. This is
why it is so critically important to lose weight under a
physician's care. Otherwise, you could be doing more harm to
your body than good. Although the body has the capability of
shedding a great deal of weight over a period of time, most
medical experts agree that one should not expect to lose more
than one or two pounds a week in order to remain healthy. This
can be disappointing to a dieter, especially one that needs to
lose about 50 pounds. However, doctors believe that the go-slow
approach is best for long-term weight loss. Otherwise, you could
end up with a number of health problems you weren't
anticipating. There are a number of approaches you can use to
lose weight. For instance, you might follow the Atkins plan, the
Zone, or the diabetic diet. You might try Sugar Busters or the
Carb Addict's prescription for losing weight. However, it is
vitally important that you accompany your diet plan with an
effective exercise routine. One of the best exercises you can
do, in fact, is the easiest--walking. It has been said that you
can lose as many as two pounds a week, just by walking alone. As
has been demonstrated here, rapid weight loss should be
approached with caution. It is far better to lose a few pounds
each week and maintain that weight loss over the long term. In
essence, all good things take time, and that is particularly
true when it comes to weight loss. Perhaps the best advice is to
be patient. Follow a reasonable diet, get plenty of exercise,
and drink a good amount of water. That way, you should be able
to slowly lose weight--without jeopardizing your health in the
process.

About the author:
Arnel Ricafranca is the President and Founder of Fitness VIP. He
is the creator of "The Ultimate Weight Loss Success Strategies
For Busy Men and Women Over 40." He is available for fitness
seminars, personal training, and online personal training. Visit
his website to claim your fitness gift ($50 real value)
http://www.officialfitnessguide.com http://www.fitness-vip.com
http://www.elitefitnessexperts.com