Going on a diet is tough work
and requires lots of motivation and effort. That being said, it's important to
be careful with how much you're losing each week and what actions you're taking
to get results. If you embark on an extreme diet plan, you may be putting your
body at a disservice. It may even drive you to quit early, thereby gaining back
whatever you lost. (And maybe more.)
Good news — we had Christopher
Hollingsworth, MD, from NYC Surgical Associates explain what can
happen if you see the scale dip too low, too quickly. He also provided us with a
few tips for losing weight the right way — as well as keeping it off.
What's A Good Amount To Lose?
Instead of thinking about
weight loss in pounds, Dr. Hollingsworth recommends looking at the percent of
bodyweight lost. A safe metric to aim for is a loss of five to 10 percent of
your bodyweight over a three-month period. Anything more than that puts you at
"risk for having some problems associated with weight loss," he says.
"Once you have lost more than 10 percent of your bodyweight within three
months, you are most likely going to have significant issues."
Dr. Hollingsworth's approach
is different than the popular opinion of losing up to two pounds per week. He
says it's important to keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all approach
to determine the specific number of pounds since everyone is different. For
instance, when keeping bodyweight percentage in mind, the healthy weight loss
range will be larger for an overweight individual than someone who is not
considered overweight.
He also believes that looking
at weekly weight loss isn't always the best indicator, which is why
he focuses on a three-month window. "When running a caloric deficit to
lose weight, your average trend over a month is important, but targeting weekly
goals can be unfairly discouraging if results are not seen."
What Happens If You Lose Too Much
According to Dr.Hollingsworth,
there are many side effects that can happen when you drop too much weight in a
short period of time. You might experience constipation, diarrhea, nausea, or
abdominal pain. "Your intestine is used to handling different types and
amounts of food, so it goes through an initial adjustment period," he
says. "If there's less food to push through or fewer fats and oils to
lubricate the passageway, you decrease the amount of salivation that would aid
in stimulating the gut for a smooth digestion"
What's more, you might also
experience headaches and mood swings. "Headaches come from running a
prolonged caloric deficit, as your body switches to a different form of
metabolism while you are fasting or crash-dieting," says Hollingsworth.
"Your body starts oxidising fats, and even breaking down muscle to convert
these energy sources into a usable energy form called ketone bodies. During the
period where your body is switching from using glucose to ketone bodies, it
transiently uses another form of stored energy called glycogen that is good for
meeting short-term energy requirements," he says.
Related: The Pros and Cons Of Going Keto
But once glycogen stores are
depleted, your insulin and adrenaline levels fluctuate and your brain is
starved for a short period until the ketones kick in, he says. When this
happens, you can easily get a headache or mood swings as nasty side effects due
to change in hormones. (And, this pretty much sums up the the Ketogenic
Diet, if you're curious.)
If those mood swings aren't
bad enough during the daytime — they might be even worse due to a lack of sleep
that can happen when you're losing too much weight on a restrictive diet and
fitness plan. "Sleep is disturbed because of fluctuating stress hormones,
including cortisol, insulin and adrenaline. Your body is using these hormones
to fine tune your metabolism to compensate for fasting, but these hormones can
mess with your sleep-wake cycle, as well as make you feel bad in general,"
Hollingsworth explains.
In more extreme cases,
malnutrition can result and lead to a host of symptoms like dizziness,
decreased energy, and swelling of the body. This will also put you at risk for
developing secondary conditions like anaemia, muscle wasting, and brittle hair.
The Takeaway
To avoid these pitfalls, it's
important to do your research and talk to a doctor before making any major diet
changes. During your diet, keep track of how your body feels. If you constantly
feel sluggish or unwell, add in additional complex carbs to see if that makes a
difference. This is even more important if you're also working out — you want
adequate fuel to accomplish and recover from workouts.
Lastly, remember that weight
can shift based on what you eat, how much you sleep, how stressed you are, and
other factors, he says. So, don't get too caught up in it and let it derail
your progress.
"Your body weight is good
to assess in regards to the general trend, but it is not something to target
from day to day, because it is susceptible to fluctuation based on temperature,
fluid intake, and exercise," he says.
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