How to Safely Lose Weight and Keep it Off

Healthy weight loss can be attained by gradually losing body fat. Losing weight too quickly can be harmful to an individual's health. It could also be a sign of a serious underlying medical condition.

Weight loss can be achieved through a combination diet and exercise. Weight loss supplements work by increasing energy and suppressing appetite, so they help accelerate fat loss achieved through lifestyle changes. Fat loss supplements alone can provide some weight loss, but they are much more effective when used in conjunction with diet and exercise.

The body is made up primarily of water, so it is easy to drop excess water weight quickly. Diuretic supplements or medications can cause a loss of five to ten pounds of water weight over the course of several days. This weight loss isn't sustainable though, as it will be regained quickly once you quick taking the diuretic.

Losing weight too quickly can create health problems, so most doctors recommend losing no more than more than two pounds a week. This is a sustainable amount that the body can maintain.

Rapid weight loss can cause gall stones. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), "Studies have shown that people who lose more than 3 pounds per week may have a greater risk of developing gallstones than those who lose weight at slower rates."

Heart arrhythmias can also be triggered by rapid weight loss. The electrolyte imbalances that can accompany dehydration from weight loss are the underlying cause of these arrhythmias.

Mood swings, irritability, and/or depression can also be caused by rapid weight loss. This is caused by insufficient calories or nutrients.

However, when you first begin to drop weight you may lose more than two pounds a week. This is okay, so long as your weight loss drops to two pounds or less after the first week or two.

Assuming you lose two pounds per week, you can safely lose sixteen to eighteen pounds in two months. To sustain your weight loss you'll need to maintain a lower daily calorie intake. This is because when you have a lower body weight you need fewer calories to maintain your weight.

To maintain weight loss you will need to make lifestyle changes. If you go back to your previous eating habits you will be eating more calories than you need to maintain your new body weight, which will result in weight gain. Small changes incorporated over time will improve your chances at success at maintaining your new weight.

Sources:

Fast weight loss: What's wrong with it?, Mayo Clinic
Water retention and weight loss, Mayo Clinic
Risks of rapid weight loss, NIDDK