People searching for weight loss programs and diets today
seem to be searching more for rapid weight loss than
permanent, healthy weight loss. Unfortunately, it is a fact
that quick diet weight loss programs are seldom without
their dangers, and their results usually range from erratic
to nonexistent.
I would advise anyone seeking to lose weight to substitute
the term 'healthy weight loss program' for 'rapid weight
loss program'. I hope, the following short discussion will
explain my position to some extent.
You, like so many others in today's society, are concerned
about losing weight. Like so many others, you are looking
for some sort of rapid weight loss program or plan. Rapid
weight loss, also often referred to as quick weight loss or
fast weight loss, involves, as its name implies, losing
weight in a short period of time. Claims of such programs
often cite fantastic results in anywhere from two to seven
days.
In the United States, approximately two-thirds of the adult
population is overweight or obese, and hundreds of
thousands of these Americans are understandably interested
in rapidly losing that unwanted weight. Many simply wish to
lose weight before an important event, like an upcoming
vacation or a wedding, while others are willing to accept
the fact that permanent, healthy weight loss is a lifetime
commitment.
While it is certainly simple to understand how you can want
to lose weight as fast as possible, to tell the truth, you
really need to proceed with caution. Although it is
possible to lose weight, or at least a small part of it, in
a relatively short period of time, you should realize that
there are dangers and problems associated with doing so.
One of the many dangers of rapid weight loss is simply that
which is inherent in some of the many measures that some
people take. For instance, it is common to hear of
individuals who have decided to fast, i.e. not to eat,
while trying to achieve a rapid weight loss goal. Going
without food, for even a short period of time, can be
dangerous to your health. It deprives you of many nutrients
necessary to health and will shortly cause your metabolism
to slow down. At that point, initial weight loss will cease
if it hasn't already. At some future time, when you return
to your normal consumption of calories, as most dieters do,
your body will burn fewer of the calories you take in, and
the excess will be stored as fat...more fat than would have
been accumulated before the rapid weight loss program.
This leads to a situation in which the person, now weighs
more than before the diet or weight loss program. They
attempt to lose the weight by going back on the same diet
or a similar program. This time, the weight loss is harder
to accomplish, the basic metabolic rate may diminish more,
and the person will eventually go off the diet and gain
more weight! This is a cycle often referred to as yo-yo
dieting, and, as you can see, it is a self-defeating
situation.
During an extreme diet, one in which as little as two to
three pounds a week are lost, the dieter can experience the
loss of lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass is the
'incinerator' which burns excess calories, and its loss can
only make healthy weight loss even more difficult.
Additionally, with less lean muscle, the person is less
likely to feel like engaging in activity which could help
burn fat.
While an actual rapid weight loss 'danger' is relatively
small though quite genuine, the results, or lack of same,
when combined with the loss of needed nutrients do not
really seem worth the effort or risk. However, be aware
that in the presence of some clinical conditions or while
attempting to achieve rapid weight loss through extreme
measures, the danger to health, and even life itself, can
be quite real.
A WEIGHT LOSS SOLUTION
A better alternative to simply 'going on a diet' is to cut
back on the food that you do eat, particularly empty foods
such as those sweetened with sugar, or heavily processed
foods, or to just make sure that it is healthy foods which
you are eating. By limiting your calories, you should be
able to achieve at least some small weight loss in the time
that you were looking to. However, it is very important
that you do stick to a healthy eating and living plan.
EXERCISE AND HEALTHY EATING AND LIVING
Along with healthy eating and living practices, another
important component of weight loss should always be
exercise. Unfortunately, many individuals do not realize
that it can take up to one week or more to notice any signs
of results from exercise, and very obvious results will
possibly take weeks or even months. However, in the long
run, exercise, combined with sensible diet, proper
hydration (plenty of water), and rest will result in a more
permanent and more healthy weight loss experience.
Note, by the way, that those beginning an exercise program,
particularly one which includes a strength training
component...as it should...might actually notice a small
weight gain at first. This is perfectly normal and is
merely the result of adding lean muscle mass, which is
healthier for the body, and this will help burn fat and
calories. The scary part for the individual is that lean
muscle mass often increases faster than they are losing
fat, hence the temporary weight gain.
With all that having been said, the good news is that the
more weight you need to lose, the sooner it is that you may
actually start seeing results from a combined program of
regular exercise and healthy eating and living.
While exercise should certainly be a major part of any plan
for losing weight in a healthy and permanent manner, it is
very important that you not overdo it. This is especially
important if you haven't previously had a regular exercise
plan. Running on the treadmill for two hours, instead of
twenty minutes, may burn fat faster, but, at the same time,
it may also land you in the hospital. It is much better to
begin at an extremely safe level and gradually work your
way up to more difficult workouts than to start at some
higher point just because you can and either give up
because maintaining that pace is just too difficult, or
because of some exercise injury.
DIET PLANS AND WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS
Another problem that should be considered when discussing
rapid weight loss, is the taking of medications or weight
loss products...particularly those sold off the supermarket
shelf or through some magazine ad or an Internet website.
The good news is that while some of these products do work
a little, and some are even safe, you may not be able to
tell what you are getting for your money or what it will do
to your health in the long run. These products, such as the
Alli diet pill, work best, if at all, when used in
combination with a regular program of exercise and proper
nutritional practices anyway. If you are doing that
already, you are probably losing a safe amount of weight at
a safe speed without having to shell out big bucks for a
'helper' which ceases to have any effect as soon as you
stop taking it and produces no permanent health benefit.
If you think you are interested in using a weight loss
product, like a diet pill or a cleanse, to help you lose
weight, it is important that you do the research first.
This should at the least involve checking product reviews,
to see if the product is effective, and speaking with a
healthcare professional such as your personal physician.
It is extremely important that you proceed with the utmost
caution if trying to achieve rapid weight loss still
appeals to you. Although unexpected events or appearances
will occur without much notice, most individuals have at
least a month's worth of time before attending a large
event such as a wedding or even going on a vacation to
someplace where they wear bikinis all day. As soon as you
become aware of your upcoming event, you are advised to
start trying to lose weight then in a healthy and sensible
manner, if you are interested in doing so.
An even better tactic might simply to be to adopt a healthy
lifestyle of proper nutrition combined with exercise. Then
you won't ever have to worry about such events, and you
won't have to 'diet' or try some other means of achieving
rapid weight loss.
----------------------------------------------------
Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer living in Central
Texas. He is a University of West Florida alumnus with a BA
in Accounting, and is a member of Mensa. He and his wife
have an online business which offers natural products for
health and home at http://shaklee.net/natural_health .
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