Extreme Weight Loss Diets

The Truth About Rapid Weight Loss

You’ve probably been there. You’re chatting with one of your clients before a session and they tell you they have a big event coming up and they need to lose some weight--and fast--to look their best. They talk about some pills, concoctions, or fad extreme weight loss diet they heard about promising the quick results they’re looking for. 
 
The first thing to tell them is to be careful.
 
Those rapid weight loss diet shortcuts can sound appealing, especially when there’s a beach vacation or a friend’s wedding circled on the calendar, or, worse-case-scenario, a high school reunion a couple months away and they don’t think they look as good as they did in those yearbook photos.
 
Ask your clients if they’ve tried any of those extreme diet plans before. Did they work? How did they feel? If those methods provided a long-term solution, they wouldn’t have to do them again, right?
 
In the end, extreme weight loss diet plans can often do more harm than good. Evolution Nutrition thinks you’re better off getting started on a healthier path, one that includes better, well-rounded nutrition habits that will serve you better and lead to lasting weight loss thanks to exercise and meal-planning.

A Healthier Approach to Weight Loss 

Rapid weight loss is thought of dropping 2 pounds or more per week over several weeks, typically accomplished by severely cutting caloric intake, usually by adopting very low-calorie diets (800 calories a day), low-calorie diets (1,000 to 1,200 calories per day), time-restricted eating, intermittent fasting plans, or various fad diets, like only eating very limited types of food.
 
Instead of hitting the wall with those kinds of crash diets, the long-term, balanced approach to meal-planning Evolution Nutrition offers will keep your clients on a healthier, easier-to-maintain road by designing custom options that are easy to use and stick to.
 
Committing to a combination of meal-planning and a solid exercise program set up by a fitness instructor are a much better option to provide the kinds of long-term benefits that get-slim-quick schemes can’t.
 
In addition to setting up and sticking to a meal plan and going to the gym, there are lots of ways to get your clients started incorporating healthy eating habits and exercise into their day.
 
A good first step to talk to them about is going through their kitchen and tossing out all the high-calorie, high-fat, and sugary foods everyone likes, but also aren’t going to help them reach their goals.
 
You can also advise them to try eating smaller, more frequent meals. Trying for five to six meals per day, spaced a few hours apart, instead of those big breakfast, lunch, and dinner sessions, can make a big difference.
 
Suggesting healthier snacks is a good move, too. Blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries are a way better option that the sugary, salty snacks people usually reach for.
 
Shedding excess pounds in a smart, thoughtful way can certainly have benefits, from simply increasing energy levels to cutting risks for cardiovascular disease, sleep issues, depression, impotence, back pain, and even some types of cancers.
 
But as your clients watch the number get smaller on the scale--especially if you go the short-cut route--it’s important to also keep an eye out for some of the unintended consequences that can crop up from using rapid weight loss tactics. Some of those can turn into bigger problems and even discourage people from staying on course toward reaching their fitness goals.
 
While weight loss can improve people's mood and outlook, that’s not always the case. There are studies showing that some people who lose weight, particularly 5% or more of their body weight, were more likely to report feeling depressed. Getting good sleep and focusing on eating healthy foods can make a difference and head off that shift in mood.
 
Another byproduct of quickly losing weight for many is sagging, excess skin because it lacks the elasticity needed to snap back. In some cases, such as people who have lost large amounts of weight quickly and may have had large weight fluctuations in the past, plastic surgery might be needed to remove excess skin.
 
But for others with less severe sagging, building muscle by adding protein and incorporating more weightlifting into your workout could do the job.
 
Cutting fat out of your diet as part of a plan to drop weight quickly can also prompt other side effects, including the development of gallstones, which are hard lumps that form in your gallbladder. Fat is not always the enemy, so make sure to tell your clients to include some of the good kind in their daily diet.
 

Extreme Weight Loss FAQs

What is considered extreme weight loss?

Extreme weight loss typically means dropping 2 pounds or more per week over several weeks.

What are the negative side effects of rapid weight loss?

There can be many, including depression, relationship difficulties, muscle deterioration, stomach pain, loss of period, lose skin, cravings, and the risk of gaining it back.

How to develop healthy eating habits (think 1-2 things)

Using portion control and being intentional about what you put in your body (think lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains rather than sugar and refined carbs.

How can you best sustain weight loss?

In addition to being smart about what you eat, sticking to an exercise routine, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of rest will all make a big difference in helping you sustain weight loss.