What is a normal rate of weight loss?
A normal and healthy rate of weight loss is 1–2 lbs per week, depending on the initial weight. This is achieved by making rational changes in diet and increasing physical activity. Dieting gets rid of fat while aiming to maintain muscle. Let's talk in detail about the methods that people try to achieve a “wow” effect in the shortest possible time.
Starvation and restrictive diets
Thanks to Hollywood stars like Beyonce, who lost weight quickly to film a role, the "cleansing diet" has become popular. For an entire week, Beyonce consumed only a drink consisting of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. There are many variations of such "unloading" weeks, often combined with enemas and hydrocolonic therapy. A slightly less extreme version is a very low-calorie diet when a person consumes only 500–700 calories per day.
In both cases, excess weight is quickly lost, but at the end of the diet, it comes back at the same rate, and usually with a gain. This happens because severe restrictions disrupt metabolism and provoke the body to stockpile fat in case the "hunger strike" is repeated. As a result, each subsequent diet will be less effective, and the subsequent weight gain is even more rapid. Additionally, it can cause help problems including gastrointestinal issues and issues with teeth, nails, hair, and skin.
Diet pills and supplements
Advertisements for various dietary supplements promise magical effects with no downsides. In reality, the vast majority of these remedies are either useless or dangerous. The use of diuretics of all kinds gives only a short-term result but leads to dehydration and kidney problems. Appetite blockers can provoke insomnia, nervous breakdowns, tachycardia, headaches, and gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, after the end of the course of intake, the appetite returns in full.
Drugs that prevent the absorption of fats can disrupt metabolism, cause hormonal malfunctions and interfere with the absorption of useful substances. And it is also worth noting that no one checks the quality of these drugs. For example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the requirements for over-the-counter weight loss products. Manufacturers of dietary supplements do not have to prove that their products are safe or effective before they can be sold.
Acupuncture, surgery, and hardware methods
Hardware and surgical methods leading to fat loss are only good for correcting localized deposits. It is impossible to get rid of a large number of extra pounds with their help. In addition, all of them have many contraindications and potential risks. Additionally, acupuncture and all sorts of appetite-reducing earrings do not work in the long term — the appetite will only return or even increase.
Conclusion
Put simply, there are no miracle weight loss solutions. Any means that allow you to lose weight intensively are only a temporary solution and come with the risk of potential complications. Of course, if you are generally healthy, a short period of extreme caloric restriction is unlikely to be harmful. But resorting to such a method of weight loss is acceptable only occasionally, preferably under the supervision of a doctor and with the understanding that the result will be short-lived.
