Losing Weight Too Quickly Symptoms

. But most experts say rapid weight loss isn’t the way to go. It can sabotage your long-term weight loss goals and may hurt your , too.

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Why is it bad to lose weight quickly? Endocrinologist and obesity specialist Marcio Griebeler, MD, explains why slow and steady wins the weight-loss race — and how to do it.

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There’s no magic number that qualifies as “rapid weight loss.” Your weight, age and activity level determine what that term means for you.

Don’t worry too much about the number of pounds you should (or shouldn’t) lose. Instead, look at the diet plan you’re following to lose weight. Extreme diets with lofty promises usually fall under the “rapid weight loss” category.

“Avoid super restrictive diet plans because they’re difficult — if not impossible — to keep up over the long term, ” says Dr. Griebeler. “If the diet plan isn’t something you can stick to for months or years, it’s probably a fast weight loss plan. And those plans and gimmicks aren’t a y, sustainable way to lose weight.”

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It’s hard to resist the lure of rapid weight loss. Be 10 pounds lighter by next week? Yes, please. But don’t give in to the flashy ads. Most of the time, those diet plans are bad news for your .

Your metabolism is your body’s calorie-burning process. And a metabolism that’s out of whack can damage your body’s ability to keep the weight off.

“When you lose weight too quickly, your body slows down its calorie-burning process, ” explains Dr. Griebeler. “That is your body’s way of trying to ensure you don’t starve. You might lose a good amount of weight right away, but your metabolism quickly goes into survival mode.”

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The change in your metabolism is a key reason why people regain weight after trying rapid weight loss plans. When you go back to eating a regular diet, your metabolism isn’t used to that many calories — and the pounds come back.

When you cut way back on calories, you might see that number on the scale drop like a rock. But it’s not just fat you’re losing. You’re also losing muscle.

“Sudden and severe calorie restriction will make you lose muscle mass as well as fat, ” says Dr. Griebeler. “It’s harder to lose weight when you don’t have enough muscle mass because muscles burn lots of calories.”

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Slower weight loss combined with exercise, on the other hand, gives your body time to lose fat while keeping your muscle mass. And bonus: You keep your muscles’ calorie-burning power intact.

Your body needs a certain amount of fat, protein and carbs to function. It also needs a whole range of vitamins and minerals. When you slash calories or cut out entire food groups like carbs or dairy, you risk:

“There’s nothing wrong with cutting calories if you’re eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods, ” says Dr. Griebeler. “Your diet should contain a wide variety of y, whole foods. Don’t try to cut more than 500 calories a day.”

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When you go for fast weight loss, you may find that it gets harder — not easier — to keep losing weight. A couple of weeks in, you’ll likely feel famished all the time. The temptation to crawl into bed with a box of cookies is real.

“Cutting too many calories too quickly triggers hormonal changes that make you want to eat, ” says Dr. Griebeler. “Even a very determined person will find it difficult to overpower those hunger hormones. These fast hormonal changes make you so hungry that they set you up for diet failure.”

There’s no single diet that works for everyone. But these general guidelines can help you lose weight — and keep it off — in a y way.

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Cardiovascular exercise like walking burns calories, but strength training is just as important. When you lift weights or do resistance training, you increase muscle mass. And when you have more muscle mass, you:

Ever notice that when you’re exhausted you want to eat more? When you’re tired, your hunger hormones barge in and ruin your chances of bypassing that donut. If you’re regularly missing out on sleep, even the best weight loss plan is going to feel impossible.

“Aim for at least seven hours of quality sleep each night, ” says Dr. Griebeler. “If you consistently have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. Many people who have sleep disorders don’t know it — and sleep disorders are treatable.”

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Think about your diet plan and whether you could do it for the rest of your life. Cutting a couple of hundred calories a day? Doable. Never having a bowl of ice cream again? Probably not.

“The best diet is one you will stick to, ” says Dr. Griebeler. “Changing our habits is hard, but it can be done. Choose a diet plan that allows you to have an occasional piece of chocolate or slice of pizza. It’s much easier to keep doing these types of plans for months and even years.”

Fast results are fun for a while, instant gratification isn’t best when it comes to weight loss. Go slow with dropping pounds so you can be ier today and stay that way for years to come.

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Losing weight too quickly can hurt your and make you gain weight again later. An obesity specialist explains why you should lose weight slowly and how to do it.Rapid, short-term weight loss may lead to the loss of muscle mass, nutrient deficiencies, or gallstones. Here are some tips to help you lose weight at a healthy rate.

That’s because most studies show that people who lose weight slowly are more likely to keep it off long-term. Losing weight slowly also comes with far fewer health risks (1, 2,

However, several recent studies have found that rapid weight loss might be just as good and safe as slow weight loss (

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Losing more than that is considered too fast and could put you at risk of many health problems, including muscle loss, gallstones, nutritional deficiencies and a drop in metabolism (

The most common ways that people try to lose weight fast are by exercising a lot, and by following a”crash diet” or a very low-calorie diet of fewer than 800 calories per day.

People often prefer the option of eating a very low-calorie diet, since it is often easier to lose weight through diet than exercise (

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However, if you’re just starting a diet or exercise plan, then you may lose much more than 2 pounds (0.9 kg) in your first week.

For this initial period, fast weight loss is perfectly normal. The weight you lose during this time is commonly called “water weight.”

When you consume fewer calories than your body burns, your body starts dipping into its stores of energy, known as glycogen. The glycogen in your body is bound to water, so when you’re burning glycogen for fuel, the body also releases that water (

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This is why you might experience a major drop in weight during your first week. Once your body uses up its glycogen stores, your weight loss should stabilize at 1–2 pounds (0.45–0.9 kg) per week.

Summary: According to experts, losing 1–2 pounds (0.45–0.9 kg) per week is a healthy and safe rate, while losing more than this is considered too fast. However, you may lose more than that during your first week of an exercise or diet plan.

Most people who follow a diet regain half the weight they’ve lost after only a year. Even worse, nearly everyone who follows a diet regains all the weight they’ve lost after 3–5 years (

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That’s why experts often suggest losing weight at a slow but steady pace. Most studies show that people who lose weight at a slow but steady pace are more likely to keep it off long-term (

Also, plans that encourage slow weight loss usually help you build healthy eating behaviors like eating more fruits and veggies and drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages. Behaviors like these can help you keep weight off long-term (

However, several studies have found that rapid weight loss may be just as effective as slow weight loss, even for the long term (

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In one study, 103 people followed a rapid weight loss diet for 12 weeks, while 97 people followed a slow but steady weight loss diet for 36 weeks.

Nearly 3 years later, roughly 70% of people in both groups had regained all the weight they had lost. This means that both diets were equally effective in the end (

Although these studies found that rapid weight loss was just as effective as slow but steady weight loss overall, it’s unlikely that a person at home would get similar results.

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People in the rapid weight loss groups had support from doctors and dietitians during the weight loss and weight maintenance phases. Research shows that having support from a health professional can improve your chances of long-term weight loss success (

Also, doctors and dietitians try to minimize the health risks that come with eating very