Should you lose weight fast?

When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s tempting to want results as fast as possible.

But losing weight fast is unlikely to help you keep the weight off – and it also comes with health risks.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re probably keen to see, and feel, a difference quickly.

It can be tempting to put your trust in one of the countless plans that promise rapid, easy weight loss.

Unfortunately, even if these diets do help you lose weight, you’re unlikely to maintain a healthy weight in the months and years afterwards.

The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to lose it gradually.

This can involve following a weight loss plan, but it also should involve making changes to your diet and activity levels that you can stick to over the long term.

Weight loss tends to level off after a while, and you may need to make further changes.

If you are struggling to achieve a healthy weight after trying a healthy eating plan speak to your GP or practice nurse for advice.

You should also check with your GP if you have a long-term health condition before starting a diet.

Safe rates of weight loss

If you’re trying to lose weight, the safe weekly rate of weight loss is between 0.5kg and 1kg. That’s between around 1lb and 2lb a week.  Although that may seem like a slow pace for weight loss, it’s more likely to help you maintain your weight loss for the long term.

Remember that 1lb (0.45 kilogram) of fat contains 3,500 calories. So to lose one pound a week, you need to burn 500 more calories than you eat each day (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).

Also, if you lose a lot of weight very quickly, you may not lose as much fat as you would with a more modest rate of weight loss. Instead, you might lose water weight or even lean tissue, since it’s hard to burn that many fat calories in a short period.

Lose weight faster than recommended rate and you’re at risk of health problems that include malnutrition and gallstones, as well as feeling tired and unwell.

Fad diets associated with very rapid weight loss, which involve simply changing your diet for a few weeks, are also unlikely to lead you to a healthy weight in the long term.

In some situations, faster weight loss can be safe if it’s done the right way. For example, doctors might prescribe very low calorie diets for rapid weight loss if obesity is causing serious health problems. But an extreme diet such as this requires medical supervision. In addition, it can be difficult to keep this weight off.

Source: National Health Service (UK), Mayo Clinic

About STELLA

Stellapharm is one of leading generics pharmaceutical companies and strong producer of anti-viral drugs in Vietnam. The company established in Vietnam in 2000; and focuses on both prescription drugs and non-prescription especially in cardiovascular diseases, antiviral drugs, anti-diabetics drugs, etc. and our products are now used by millions of patients in more than 50 countries worldwide.

The company is globally recognized for its quality through our facilities have been audited and approved by stringent authority like EMA, PMDA, Taiwan GMP, local WHO and others.

Additional information for this article: Stellapharm J.V. Co., Ltd. – Branch 1
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