For a lot of people, the idea of rapid weight loss seems very enticing. But quickly losing too much weight as well as the symptoms associated with it can actually be bad for your health.
This is why rapid weight loss is usually not recommended by health professionals since weight loss should be done gradually and safely.
But before we get to that, let us first talk about what happens to your body when you lose too much weight.
What happens when you lose too much weight quickly?
When it comes to healthy and sustainable weight loss, the key is to take it slow and steady. Ideally, you should lose about 1 to 2 pounds each week. It might seem like a slow pace, but doing it slowly can help make sure that you can sustainably reach your weight loss goal, and stick to that weight.
People who are overweight or obese usually want to see results quickly. After all, dieting and exercising can be difficult to keep up if you are not used to doing it every day.
And what usually happens is that people lose weight really fast, and see great results. But over time, they tend to slack on their diets, and gradually stop exercising. Then suddenly, they are back to their old habits and are gaining weight again.
Risks of Yoyo Dieting
Once they realize this, they will once again try to lose weight quickly, only for the same thing to happen over and over again. This is known as yo-yo dieting and is one of the common problems that people trying to lose weight would encounter.
Another possible problem is that your body may not be able to keep up with how fast you are losing weight. If you cut out too many calories in your diet, and pair it with intense exercise, you will probably see results faster, but your body may suffer some serious problems, such as nutritional deficiencies.
Your health might even end up worse compared to when you were overweight! So it is important to pace yourself and not overexert your body, especially when it comes to weight loss.
Losing Too Much Weight: Symptoms to Watch Out For
Here are some possible rapid weight loss side effects and symptoms that you need to know:
You lose muscle mass
Some studies suggest that maintaining a low-calorie diet can actually make you lose muscle mass, even if you engage in exercise. This means that instead of making your body healthier, you may actually be making it weaker.
The goal would be to reduce the amount of fat in your body while increasing muscle mass. So you should try to avoid diets that cut out a lot of calories or protein and avoid starving yourself when dieting.
Nutritional deficiencies
If you eat fewer calories to lose weight, you may suffer from nutritional deficiencies as a result.
This is because eating fewer calories usually means eating less food, which means that you may not be taking in the right nutrients that your body needs.
People usually take vitamin supplements as a way to counteract this, but supplements are not always enough. Some types of nutrients are better if taken in through food, since the body can easily absorb and process these nutrients.
To avoid having nutritional deficiencies, be sure to eat healthy, and not cut out too many calories from your diet.
Your metabolism slows down
To lose weight, people usually cut back on the calories that they take in. This makes perfect sense, because if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will start to lose weight.
However, some people tend to take it further, and try to cut back even more calories from their diet. This might seem like a good idea, but in reality, this just makes it even more difficult to lose weight.
This is because one problem with having too few calories in your diet is that your body may think that you are starving. If this happens, it would actively try to slow down your metabolism in order to prevent you from losing weight too quickly.
A good way to avoid losing too much weight and avoid these symptoms is to eat less, but not too little. Portion management is key when it comes to dieting, and you just need to eat the right amount of food each day for you to lose weight safely.
Blood sugar levels go down
Lower blood sugar levels is one of the rapid weight loss side effects. This happens when you suddenly do not have enough sugar in your diet, and you start feeling dizzy or nauseous as a result.
This usually happens because of crash diets and is a symptom of losing too much weight.
Fatigue
Fatigue or weakness is another symptom of losing too much weight. This happens because your body suddenly has fewer calorie reserves, which means that you do not have enough ‘fuel’ for your daily activities.
Fatigue can also happen if you pair crash dieting with intense workouts, which leaves your body feeling weak, tired, and lacking in energy.
Gallstones
Lastly, gallstones can also be one symptom of losing too much weight.
Gallstones develop when bile starts to build up in the pancreas, which form gallstones over time. This happens when there are not enough carbohydrates in a person’s diet, so bile starts to build up in the pancreas.
So it is important to avoid diets that completely cut out carbohydrates since this can cause a person to develop gallstones.
Key Takeaways
Achieving your ideal weight is highly encouraged especially to maintain good health and to ensure a better quality of life. You can address your weight issues with proper diet and exercise, and good lifestyle changes. However, be wary of obsessing too much on exercise and diet as this may but greater stress on your body.
Weight loss of around 1 to 2 pounds a week is good, and this allows you and your body to safely adjust to the physical changes. Losing too much weight too fast may lead you to feel more unwell. Consult your doctor, dietitian, or trainer to help you better plan sustainable weight loss.
Learn more about Healthy Eating here.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
