My guess is that your weight gain happened over a number of years, so shedding those extra pounds may take some time. Everyone loses weight at different rates. So how do you know if your weight loss is normal? Did you know that losing weight too fast can actually put your body under stress by not giving your body time to adjust.
We live in a toxic world and are exposed to toxins in the air we breathe, water we drink and the foods we consume. The body stores many of these toxins in our body fat. Assuming you're doing a good cleanse program as part of your regimen, your body should be processing the release of these toxins. If you're not cleansing, the toxins will stay stored in the body, potentially, well, most likely, resulting in a weight yo-yo loss-gain experience.
What is Rapid Weight Loss?
Rapid weight loss is usually associated with starvation diets which are very stressful on the body. The body becomes more stressed the longer you are on the diet. The no-protein diets or diets that focus on specific foods or food groups are particularly tough on the body (think grapefruit diet, banana diet, no carbs diet, etc.). The body requires a combination of specific nutrients for optimum health and most of these diets do not provide the nutrition the body needs to cope with rapid loss of excess weight.
The danger of rapid loss based on the "starvation" principle is that it slows the body's metabolic process. Because the body thinks it's being starved, it begins a hoarding process because it doesn't know when it will get the nutrients it needs. Essentially, the complete opposite result of your weight loss objectives.
The following are some of the risks associated with rapid weight loss.
• Malnutrition, from not eating the vitamins and minerals the body needs
• Decreased immunity (i.e. getting sick more easily)
• Gallstones occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
• Dehydration from not drinking enough fluids.
• Electrolyte imbalances, which can be life threatening in extreme cases
• Heart Attack (rapid weight loss puts a lot of stress on the heart, particularly where obesity is present)
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Constipation
• Menstrual irregularities
• Hair loss
• Muscle loss
What is Healthy Weight Loss?
Healthy weight loss based on good nutrition has numerous benefits. Good nutrition provides the essential nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Once the body has all of these essential nutrients, it can get to work putting the body in balance, releasing toxins and fat, and achieving an optimum weight. Feed the body good nutrition with all the essential nutrients your body needs and your body will strive to achieve a healthy weight.
While it may seem counterintuitive, getting lots of good nutrition into your daily diet (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, and natural sugars, etc.) results in healthier, long-term weight loss. The body doesn't hoard the nutrition because it knows it can count on a regular daily dose of all of the building blocks it needs. And with all that good nutrition, the body has everything it needs to function at peak health.
What are the benefits of healthy weight loss?
• Increased energy
• Consistent weight loss over time towards optimum weight
• Reduced cravings for unhealthy food
• Build lean muscle and improved muscle tone
• Improved memory and alertness
• Less joint discomfort
• Balanced digestion
• Better Sleep
Given good nutrition your body will naturally rid itself of excess weight at a rate that is normal for you. And keep in mind, even though this articles refers to "weight" loss, a more accurate indicator of healthy living is the "inches" you release in body fat. That ensures you are releasing toxins and fat as opposed to water and lean muscle.
Nutrition based weight loss works from the inside-out so focus on how it feels. If you feel great and you're losing weight and inches, then you're more likely to stay on track.
