The super fast weight loss options include the good, the bad, and the ugly of all the options out there.
If you've ever gone onto the web looking super fast weight loss ideas, you know it's a circus. It's like everyday someone comes up with yet another spin on weight loss that's going to change your life.
So many promises, it's hard to know what is real and what is total "BS."
So lets take a look and see what we've got. It seems most product ideas fall into these categories:
CREAMS, DREAMS & MAGIC POTIONS. There seems to be an endless supply of mystical diet promises that will answer your immediate "make my butt smaller" wishes.
If...you can believe their promise to drop pounds without diet or exercise in just a matter of weeks, as the expression goes, "Fat Chance."
DIET PILLS & SUPPLEMENTS. It seems every day someone comes up with new weight loss pills, prescription diet pills or weight loss supplements that promise super fast weight loss. Basically, they claim either to block absorption of nutrients, increase metabolism, or burn fat.
FOOD DEPRIVATION DIETS. Celebrities popularized the so-called "master cleanse" diet: water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Variations of these diets have been around since at least the 1950s. It seems every year or so someone comes up with a new twist on it. The "Duct tape diets" would be a good name for this section as well, because it's really just starvation to lose weight.
VERY LOW CALORIE DIETS (VLCD'S.) These are medically supervised diets that often take place in setting away from all the stuff that got you so fat in the first place.
Sometimes these places are referred to as; weight loss clinics, fat farms, fat camps, weight loss spas, weight loss farms, weight loss retreats, fat camp for kids, or weight loss camps.
For weeks under the supervision of weight loss doctors, nutritionist and weight loss trainers, dieters will eat only about half their daily calorie requirement and get some much needed exercise. VLCDs are expensive, difficult, but for the ones who stick with it, effective.
SO DOES SUPER FAST WEIGHT LOSS WORK? The FDA does not regulate over-the-counter weight loss products. So marketers can make pretty much what ever claims they want, usually with no research or proof that their products do what they say they will. So buyer beware, you're on your own here.
At this time, the only proven method of safe, fast weight loss is the very low-calorie diet (VLCD) supervised and recommended by weight loss doctors (or nutritional experts in the weight loss field.)
So far no other product, pill, or diet (no matter what the promise) has been proven to work for super fast weight loss. However, the FDA-approved medicines Alli and Meridia can help, but they work slowly, and only with healthy eating and regular exercise.
THE TRUTH. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. In the end, with any super fast weight loss program, what really burns fat is not a magic pill, powder or special food. It's simply the drastic reduction of calories, combined with some exercise. In other words, eat less and exercise more.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR RISKS WITH SUPER FAST WEIGHT LOSS? Fast weight loss stresses your body. Possible serious risks include: Gallstones, which can happen when losing a lot of weight over several months / Dehydration, but this can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids / Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time / Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening.
Other side effects of rapid weight loss include: Headaches, Irritability, Fatigue , Dizziness and Constipation. Hmmmmm...better think this through.
The dangers of fast weight loss increase as time goes on. Eating a no-protein diet is particularly risky. It's never a good idea to stick with one of these rapid weight loss diets for long.
WHEN IS FAST WEIGHT LOSS A GOOD IDEA? Depriving yourself of food is certainly not a good idea and can take a toll on your body, but so does obesity and the risk of chronic disease. So if you're otherwise healthy, and under a doctor's supervision, a brief period of calorie restriction isn't likely to damage your body. Just be sure to include protein in your diet, a daily multivitamin, and eat potassium-rich foods.
If you do a VLCD for a few weeks, make sure it's doctor-supervised. The meals are nutritionally balanced, but can be a bit pricey over time. You can end up spending thousands of dollars. But it may be well worth it. After all, we're talking about your health. What's more important than that? Nothing. VLCDs can safely produce a loss of 15% to 25% of body weight in 12 weeks (if you finish the program).
My last words on crash diets. I've found most people seeking fast weight loss usually do it on their own. More often than not it's a short-term goal to fit into a dress or look good in a bikini.
You may get the pounds off in the short term, but the chances of you keeping the weight off, well, the odds are against you. Most people put the pounds right back on. That's the sad but true fact.
Smiles...Gigi
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