Most of us never talk to a doctor before choosing a weight loss plan and with several weight loss products and programs available, it is important that you are able to differentiate those that are healthy from those that can eventually take their tolls on your health.
Since losing weight is about improving your health, it will be counterproductive if you end up wreaking havoc to your health in the process.
Even though these methods may actually work in helping you lose weight, they remain unhealthy methods that you should not consider.
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Starving
It may make logical sense to eat less to lose weight considering that your concern is to limit your calorie intake. The first problem with this approach is that your food is not only meant to supply you with calories. There are several important nutrients your body needs to absorb from your food that are important to your entire wellbeing.
When you starve yourself excessively, you are depriving your body of essential nutrients it needs to stay healthy and prevent diseases. Your food is the most important medicine in the prevention of disease. Nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins and minerals are all important in the prevention of diseases such as high blood pressure and cancers.
You therefore don’t have to avoid eating to lose weight. Going for nutrient dense foods rather than calorie dense foods will ensure you remain healthy whilst limiting your calorie intake.
If you lose weight by starving, such weight loss is usually not sustainable. You will most likely feel relaxed when you reach your weight loss goal and tend to go back to your old eating habits. This is the reason why most people lose weight and within a short time find themselves right where they started, if not worse.
Your goal should be to live a healthy lifestyle. It may take longer to achieve your desired weight but when you do, it will most likely be easier to maintain.
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Pills
Having a “magic” pill that can make you lose some pounds – without letting go of your regular eating habits or lifting a single finger in exercise – can be very tempting. However, the safety of these pills should be your concern and not just the efficacy.
Most weight loss pills are categorized as dietary supplements, which according to FDA regulations, does not have to be proven to actually work. There is therefore little to no scientific research that backs up the claims by the manufacturers of these weight loss pills.
You must therefore be wary of any pill that claims to make you lose weight fast without exercising or dieting. It is either they don’t work at all or they work at the expense of your health.
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Over-exercising
As important as exercising is, you should not overdo it. You may be following different fitness coaches online and feel you need to combine different exercise routines in order to achieve maximal results. This may eventually disrupt your body’s physiology.
Over-exercising can be in the frequency and/or intensity of your exercise. When you exercise, your body needs time to recuperate and this is the period you actually maximize the benefits of the exercise. If you are not getting enough rest in between exercise, it can put too much strain on your body that can make you sick.
If you have decided to up the intensity of your exercise, then it’s important that you reduce the frequency. On the other hand, if you want to exercise more often, then you should engage in less intense exercises.
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Purgatives and Laxatives
The belief is that using purgatives and laxatives can help get rid of food from your body and ensure that they are not absorbed. Unfortunately, people that regularly use these also lose fluids and electrolytes which are pivotal in maintaining the fluid balance in your body.
One risk of laxatives and purgatives is therefore dehydration and electrolyte imbalance which can have fatal consequences.
Despite the advancement in the weight loss industry, the core of any successful weight loss plan or product remains its dependence on a healthy diet and exercise without going extreme. Since you did not gain the weight overnight, you should not expect to lose it so fast. Taking it slow and steady will ensure that your success is long-term.
Reduce the intake of processed foods and sugar. Fill half of your plate with vegetables of different colors and fill the rest with protein and carbohydrates that are high in fiber.
Include healthy fats like coconut oil and avocados in your diet. Getting involved in regular exercise will also ensure that you burn excess fat.
These are life-long principles that can help you lose weight and maintain it for a long time.
Matthew Kuyoro is a health writer at healthnichewriter.com. He has several years of experience writing informative health articles that has always emphasized the role of food as medicine. He believes that nature has immense potentials, in both the prevention and management of several diseases, and spends most of his time sharing these truths through his articles.