Losing weight is not always the same as losing fat. It is possible to lose more than fat when dropping pounds, and when this situation occurs, it could become unhealthy.
Find out the right way to lose weight to avoid health complications that can come from extreme dieting. Many people try the most extreme diets they can find because they are desperate to lose weight, but diets that restrict calories to below 1,000 can be potentially dangerous because these diets promote muscle loss in addition to fat loss.
While it may not seem that bad to lose a little muscle, consider this: muscle is the source of physical strength. When muscle mass is lost, the body become weaker. Muscle also provides the tone for the body. Losing muscle can make the body appear flabbier, even after losing weight. The most important thing to think about is that the heart is a muscle, and long-term, extreme dieting could damage it. The heart can also be harmed from the imbalance of electrolytes in the body that can occur with some diets.
There is a healthier approach to losing weight that is mostly fat and not muscle. Fat loss occurs slowly. The most weight that can safely be lost is 1 to 2 pounds per week. If more weight is lost, it could be muscle mass or water weight. Initially, some diets will cause a rapid weight loss of 5 pounds, or more, in the first week, but these are usually low-carbohydrate diets. This initial weight loss is usually from the loss of water that the body retains to metabolize carbs. While it might work for a while, the weight will return when carbohydrates are reintroduced into the diet.
The initial loss of water weight from some diets creates a false sense of hope for the diet plan. Starting and maintaining a varied diet throughout weight loss is the key to long-lasting, healthy fat loss. A healthy eating plan, centered on real foods should be combined with a regular, sustainable exercise regime for the best results. Exercise will help prevent muscle loss while building more muscle that can increase metabolism. Both cardiovascular exercise and strength training are needed to ensure the greater success of a fat loss diet program.
Losing weight can be dangerous, but creating a healthier change in eating patterns and exercising will promote fat loss, encourage muscle building and help to ensure that the weight lost will really be gone for good.
About the Author
Jane Lock has written professionally on TurbochargeFatLoss.com for eight years on a wide range of subjects including how to lose weight and other health and nutrition. She has done a considerable amount of research in the field of dieting and healthy eating and brings this education to her written work.
