Avoid These Weight-loss Pitfalls 

By Guest Author, Jessica Max

When you want to lose weight, it’s easy to turn to increasingly challenging and worrisome methods to do so. Being overweight is a horrible feeling, and our desperate desire to rid ourselves of that feeling can often push us to make life and health decisions that we would never have made in the past.

If you worry that you might do this, then we recommend that you take into account the following dangerous habits of people who wish to lose weight – and why you should avoid them.

Starvation and Fasting

The worst thing that you can do is to starve yourself. Many people see it as a form of dieting that is good for them, but it really is not. While starving yourself or continual fasting might lead to weight loss, it also leads to a significant loss in the quality of your life. If you are worried about this, then we recommend that you look to either try minimal/intermittent fasting in a healthy manner or avoid starvation techniques altogether.

One of the biggest mistakes that you could make is trying to fast when you are not sure what you are doing.

For example, if you do choose to go down this route, then make sure that you up to your fluid intake as much as you possibly can as dehydration is common when fasting. Dehydration can play havoc with your electrolytes resulting in a potentially dangerous health outcome.

To avoid dehydration keep yourself well hydrated and consider adding some lemon to your water in order to keep your electrolytes in balance. Not only will this make your fasting a bit more palatable, but it also will avoid the pitfall of dehydration. 

Lastly, any form of prolonged fasting can deplete your body of much-needed nutrients required to help you stay active and physically healthy.

Very Low-calorie Diets

Another common mistake that many people make is going on very low-calorie diets. While it might sound like a good idea, it often leaves you physically exhausted, not to mention utterly famished. This can make it tough for you to do just about anything and will ensure that you spend more time feeling tired and unable to do daily activities.

Add in the fact that such low-calorie diets often cause malnutrition to some extent, which is a major reason why this type of diet should be avoided. A key thing to remember is to make sure that your caloric intake never falls below 1200 calories – unless you are asked to by a medical professional, as this is an extremely unhealthy diet choice.

Low-calorie diets sound good until you think about the actual consequence of not having enough energy to move!

Cleanses or Detox Plans

Many people choose to go down the route of a cleanse or a detox plan. While it might sound like a good idea, in theory, such detox plans are often rarely as good as they sound. Indeed, they can leave you with the same issues as mentioned above; a lack of energy and the worry of dehydration, especially if the cleanse or detox is done incorrectly.  Furthermore, some cleanse and detox plans promote gut cleansing which can also lead to electrolyte imbalances, which can be equally as dangerous. 

Another possible issue when using these methods to lose weight can leave you malnourished, along with the potential of disrupted function in the body. 

A safer and better way to go would be for you to be more mindful of what you eat and drink; moderation is often better than detoxification.

That said when done correctly and safely, certain mild and common-sense cleanses or detox plans that have been proven to be effective, can help you reboot your diet and get you back on the path toward weight loss, health and vitality.

Smoking

Smoking is a known appetite suppressant. However, when you are a smoker, though you often feel like it is a ‘worthwhile’ habit as it helps you to cut down on the number of calories that you eat in the end, can only result in an unhealthy outcome.  

Indeed, smoking often brings out the worst in our health and produces far more risks than benefits.

Your fitness level, for one, is going to suffer, making it becomes much harder for you to stay in good physical condition. And of course, exercise is a much better method to lose weight than reaching for that cigarette high. 

In a nutshell, though smoking might help you to cut down on the volume of food that you eat, it does enough damage elsewhere in your body to render the pros far smaller than the cons.

Smoking is a terrible habit regardless, and it should not be pursued regardless of whether you wish to lose weight or not.

Extreme Exercise & Low Calories

If you decide to start using exercise to get into better shape, you are on the right track. Some people, though, push far beyond the limits of what is either safe or practical.

Exercising to excess will often cause significant issues in terms of imbalances to your electrolytes, low hydration levels, and the risk of injury. Also, doing so much exercise means your body will be crying for more fuel (more calories) to handle the physical impact!

If you intend on avoiding such an issue, then we recommend that you keep exercise in the moderate range. Thirty minutes of moderately intense cardio exercise five days per week is a good amount of exercise. Or, twenty minutes of vigorous exercise for three days per week will often produce positive results.

All Forms of Purging

Purging can often lead to health issues such as dehydration. As already mentioned, hydration is essential to health as well as a happy and healthy quality of life. But even more importantly, purging can lead to more serious issues such as bulimia and anorexia.  Aside from dehydration, both diseases can result in:

• Cardiac issues
• Esophageal inflammation
• Malnutrition
• Digestion issues
• Fatigue
• Muscle wasting
• Organ failure

So, if you think that purging is going to make sure you feel better, think again. 

Bottom Line

In the end, if you are confused about the best plan to choose to lose weight, then the best thing to do is seek help from a professional who can show you the best options of losing weight specifically for you. This will then ensure that you will reach your goals of losing weight, living happier, healthier and a more diverse life!