Weight loss, often viewed as the golden ticket to a healthier, happier life, can turn into a double-edged sword if you pursue your goals too aggressively.
In our efforts to get svelte fast for a special occasion or because we want to fit into a favourite pair of jeans, we can easily forget that our bodies are intricate machines composed of cells, tissues, organs, and systems that collaborate in complex ways to support the body’s total well-being. Before allowing yourself to be drawn in by the allure of quick fixes, it’s vital to understand what happens to your body and the many risks that can occur in how it responds when you try to lose weight too quickly.
Healthcare2U reports that roughly 45 million Americans annually go on at least one diet, with about half stating that they went on a “fad diet.” Fad diets make proposed claims that often go against the scientific foundations of biochemistry and proper nutrition by requiring the elimination of certain food groups to facilitate quick weight loss. Yet, minimal evidence exists to back these claims. In the meantime, research indicates that following these weight-loss practices long-term will often lead to adverse health consequences, according to a study of various fad diets in Frontiers in Nutrition.
There is almost always a price to pay when engaging in fad diets and other types of extreme caloric restrictions when desiring to lose weight quickly. Here are some examples of the many downsides that can result from these practices, per WebMD.
Muscle loss
Among the multitude of negative repercussions that can result from rapid weight loss, one of the most concerning is muscle loss. When the body is deprived of sufficient calories, it breaks down muscle for energy, which can impact your overall health.
You may think that when you go on a diet, you’re only losing fat, but whether you are lean or obese research indicates that when you diet, you lose a significant amount of muscle mass, according to The Conversation.
Dr. Jaime Almandoz, an associate professor of internal medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, explains to NBC News that about one-third of the weight you shed through weight-loss intervention is lean mass, which includes muscle. Lean mass is associated with improved metabolism, so when you lose too much muscle, this can impact your metabolism. For instance, adequate muscle mass allows you to burn more calories when you are at rest. So in an ironic twist, if you reduce your muscle mass by too much as you lose weight quickly, the rate at which you burn calories is reduced. Moreover, the shorter the time it takes you to lose weight, the more pronounced the loss of muscle mass as your body looks to muscle and fat for more energy.
To mitigate muscle mass loss while trying to lose weight, shoot for consuming 60 to 80 grams of protein daily through food and supplements and exercise regularly, with a focus on resistance training.
Nutritional deficiencies
Quick weight loss often results in a lack of essential nutrients, as restrictive diets may not provide a balanced intake of vitamins and minerals.
When you eat a balanced diet, you’re providing your body with all the nutritional support it requires to execute complex functions. When you deprive yourself of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, and protein, you put your health at risk. An article in Oklahoma State University (OSU) Extension points out that the rise in obesity in recent years amid the popularity of social media is putting pressure on more people to lose weight quickly to achieve an Instagramable look. To accomplish this, dieters may try diets that promise short-term weight loss by eating minuscule portions of food or eliminating certain food groups.
Nutritional deficiencies can develop within weeks or, in some cases, a matter of days (per Stewart Nutrition). Some symptoms of nutritional deficiencies may include a loss of appetite, low energy levels, and increased vulnerability to infections. For instance, vitamin B1 (thiamine) is naturally occurring in fish, meat, and whole grains. If you deprive yourself of enough B1 by not consuming fish, beans, enriched cereals, or yoghurt, you are at risk of causing a mild or moderate deficiency, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Consequently, you may experience confusion or memory loss, weaker muscles, lowered immunity, or peripheral neuropathy, which is when there is damage to the nerves in the body’s extremities. To lose weight effectively and safely, your best approach is a less restrictive diet that includes all five food groups, per OSU Extension.
Metabolic slowdown
Metabolism is a vital and complex chemical process that requires enough calories to function correctly. Drastic calorie reduction can slow down your metabolism, making it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight in the long term.
The experts at Cleveland Clinic explain that you need minimum amounts of vitamins and minerals to fuel your body’s metabolism, which supports key functions such as digestion and breathing. The minimum calorie threshold needed to support these functions is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR). During metabolism, the calories in the food and drinks you consume combine with oxygen and convert to energy. Your body requires about 10% of its energy for this conversion process, using its remaining energy for physical movement. Your body constantly needs metabolism, even while resting. In addition to breathing and digestion, metabolism also plays a key role in blood circulation, cell growth and repair, hormone management, and body temperature regulation.
By restricting the calorie intake your body needs to support your metabolic processes, your body ends up using fewer calories towards metabolism to preserve energy, consequently slowing your metabolism down (per Lloyds Pharmacy). Slowing your metabolism doesn’t only make it more challenging to lose weight and easier to regain weight; it also puts you at risk of developing serious health issues such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and strokes. Instead, experts advise that you take a safe approach to weight loss by aiming to lose weight gradually (no more than two pounds weekly) while upping your exercise.
