10 Worst Ways to Lose Weight

I have had off and on weight issues throughout my life. I am one of those people that would loose and gain a lot of weight in a short period of time. I believe this was a result of stress and very irregular eating patterns. I have gotten better over the last few months or so, but I still have a few things to work on. If you are looking to lose weight, here are the worst ways to do it:

1. Skipping Meals

Some people believe that skipping meals will help them lose weight. Initially, it may help one lose a couple of pounds, but the symptoms will end up outweighing the small weight loss. You may start to experience periods of extreme weakness and tiredness. Also, you will experience intense hunger. Many people will end up gorging themselves after going a period without eating.

2. Relying on Diet Pills

There are a number of diet pills on the market. While some may aid in weight loss, people should not assume that they alone will give the desired results. You have to eat the right foods in addition to taking them.

3. Drinking Liquid Diet Supplements or Taking Vitamins in Place of Food

This is perhaps the one of the worst things to do in order to lose weight. Substituting liquid diet supplements or vitamins for food is not a great way to go. While certain liquids can be a good supplement to a diet, they do not usually contain enough nutrients to give the required daily nutrition. It is important to eat solid food as well. Supplements are called supplements for a reason.

4. Exercising Without Eating

In order to have energy, one must eat nutritious food. This means trying to eat three square meals a day or eating small meals frequently throughout the day. Trying to do excessive exercise on an empty stomach is not a good idea. One may end up fainting and losing too much weight and muscle. Since your body will not have calories to burn, it will start taking it from other areas of the body such as fat and muscle. If you are going to exercise or do hard physical labor, then eat something!

5. Going on an All Meat and Dairy Diet

This is definitely not the way to go. I have never tried this and do not intend to. The idea that an all meat and dairy diet is healthy is not a good one to follow. Remember that these foods are generally high in fats and calories. While it is important to have these foods in a diet, it should not be the only thing in a diet.

6. Drinking Water

Drinking water is extremely important. We need to drink water in order to keep our salt levels in check and to keep from getting dehydrated. However, substituting water for meals is a really bad idea. Water does not contain the nutrients that our bodies need. Also, drinking too much water and not eating nutritious food can cause our body's salt levels (as well as many other essential nutrients) to go way too low. This can be extremely dangerous.

7. Taking Drugs That Are Stimulants

Some young people believe that if they take certain drugs that are stimulants that they will lose weight. In some cases this may be true, but this is not too bright of an idea. Taking a stimulant drug such as speed is not safe by any means. I knew someone in school who was taking speed in order to lose weight. Stimulants such as this can be very dangerous and lead to all kinds of health problems. It is just not worth it.

8. Being an Inexperienced Vegetarian

Am I against people being vegetarian? Not at all. So then why is this on my list of ten worst ways to lose weight? Well, the fact is that knowing what kinds of vegetables to eat the most of can be tricky. Remember that certain vegetables have more nutrients than others. A select few may contain a lot of protein, calcium, iron, etc. Before one becomes a vegetarian in order to lose weight, they must do the research. Many vegetables do not contain all of the nutrients that are in foods such as fish, eggs, lean meat, and so on. Remember that our bodies need other nutrients that many of us don't think about on a day to day basis. These include zinc, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, etc. It is important to know which vegetables contain all of these nutrients. Becoming a vegetarian immediately to lose weight without doing some research is a bad idea.

9. Making Oneself Get Sick After Eating

Forcing oneself to throw up after eating a meal is a really bad idea. This is not a good way to lose weight. Every time people cause themselves to get sick after eating a meal, they keep their bodies from being able to absorb needed nutrients. If this scenario plays out over and over again, a serious disorder may be involved (bulimia). Excessive throwing up can lead to serious bodily damage including a damaged esophagus (from stomach acid), liver problems, and stomach problems. Treatment should be sought after in these conditions.

10. Eating Just Before Going to Bed

It is not a good idea to eat right before going to bed. One when goes to bed on a full stomach, the body is not able to utilize the food as well. Therefore, the food will kind of just sit there. Essentially, the body will not be able to digest the food and your metabolism will not be able to reach its full potential.