Whether you need to lose weight for health reasons, or you’re unhappy with your figure, then you may be thinking of ways in which to lose weight quickly.
Millions of people search for “lose weight fast” methods on Google every day, but the truth is, losing weight can be dangerous – mainly if you don’t do it properly.
If you starve yourself, eat the wrong food, or choose other drastic weight loss measures, you’re in danger of some horrendous side effects.
While number one is enough to put you off food in general, number five can end up killing you. Do you want to end up skinny or dead? Here are seven dangers of losing weight of which you need to be aware.
1. Stretch Marks and Saggy Skin
If you lose weight too fast as a result of drastic crash dieting measures, an illness, or changing your lifestyle habits dramatically, then you’re at risk of sagging skin and stretch marks – both of which can have an impact on your self-esteem.
What’s more, it’s not an easy fix. Once you have saggy skin, it’s there for good, with surgery costing thousands of dollars. To avoid this problem, choose a weight loss method with slow, consistent weight loss over a period of weeks.
2. Slower Metabolism
If you go down the crash diet road, with being hungry an everyday feeling, then you will no doubt suffer from a slower metabolism. Your body starts to go into starvation mode, holding on to all your fat because it thinks you’re not going to feed it!
Your body needs plenty of protein and sustenance to keep your metabolism going, boosting weight loss in the process. If it doesn’t get it, you don’t lose weight as quickly.
3. Gallstone Risk
Crash diets are not only bad for the health of your heart, but for your gallbladder as well. While you might be envisioning a bikini bod, you are more likely to be in a hospital bed instead.
If you lose more than three pounds per week, then you will be more at risk of not only gallstones but digestive problems and kidney disease too. Lose weight slowly, and your body will thank you for it now and into the future!
4. You Can Lose More Than Fat
Unfortunately, when you go on a diet, you’re at risk of losing more than only fat. Instead, you can lose muscle mass and water as well – both of which are necessary for your body to be at its best.
While a diet can be a beneficial way in which to lose weight, you need to be selective with the one you choose. Aim to lose two or fewer pounds per week by eating a balanced diet and exercising.
5. Pills Can Be Dangerous
A common and all too popular method for losing weight is through the use of pills. Unfortunately, this is a method that’s not entirely regulated and can end up doing more harm than good.
While you might be dreaming of your bikini bod rather than a mom bod, nutrition and exercise is the best method. The FDA states that several diet pills can have horrendous side effects such as strokes, seizures, and even heart attacks. You could get the slim figure you desire, but you can also be dead.
6. You Can’t Sleep
Think your sleep patterns are erratic now? You won’t know the meaning of the word until you include an unsafe diet into the mix. There is a proven connection between your food intake and sleep, which means that as soon as you change your eating, sleep will follow suit.
To avoid too much change, make sure you eat plenty of protein and carb-rich foods and meet your calorie counts. Otherwise, your body will continually be alert in its search for food – keeping you awake.
7. Your Taste Can Change
Food is both a necessity and a form of entertainment, but your weight loss techniques can inhibit how joyful the experience is. If you love the taste of food, then be careful with how you choose to lose weight.
Some weight loss techniques, such as bariatric surgery, can dull your taste buds, so food tastes less delicious. While that’s not always a bad thing when you’re trying to lose weight, it can mean you end up losing more faster, which can lead to any of these side effects on previous slides.
Conclusion
Choosing to lose weight is an excellent first step to a happier, healthier you. However, there is a right and wrong way to go about it. Rather than lose weight quickly, resulting in poor health and dangerous consequences, there are other methods available.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, exercise frequently, and watch as the weight falls off in the safest and most gratifying way possible. What’s more, it might seem like a slow road, but it’s one with a higher rate of success.