Adverse effects of losing too much weight too fast

Majority of people usually rush the weight loss process by using weight loss products that promise results within a week or using diets that assure one of shedding weight fast. Even reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is an important goal, doing so too fast could have severe consequences:

Shedding more hair than normal.

Humans generally shed about 50 to 100 strands of hair a day but more severe hair loss can occur when one is losing too much weight too fast, this is according to the American Academy of Dermatology. One should however note that there is a difference between hair loss and hair shedding; hair loss is when something stops the hair from growing.

You could become really dehydrated

Due to water weight, it is common to see slightly faster weight loss in the first two weeks of your weight loss journey. When on low-carb or no-carb diets, a majority of people will lose a lot of water weight. It’s one of the reasons the ketogenic diet is often praised for quick weight loss.

The rapid water loss can lead to dehydration and other side effects like constipation, headache, muscle cramps, and low energy.

Your electrolytes get out of balance.

One of the scariest consequences of extreme weight loss is an electrolyte imbalance which can lead to death.

According to Healthline, electrolyte disorders are when naturally occurring elements are too low or too high in the body. Electrolytes are needed for your body to work properly is why slow and gradual weight loss is highly recommended. Having an imbalance of electrolytes can cause an irregular heartbeat, seizures, and muscle weakness.

You could stop getting your period.

It is not uncommon for women to lose their periods after rapid weight loss. This is usually because of the additional stress weight loss has on the body.

The faster the weight is lost, the more likely one is to lose their period because the body thinks it is starving hormonally and that's why menstruation stops.

Your energy levels plummet.

While taking in too few calories which provide energy to our body it ends up making one feel sluggish.

While in the process of losing weight fast and eating fewer calories, one may be taking in very little carbohydrates which are the body's preferred source of energy.

Some people may feel an increase in energy after rapid weight loss because there is less weight to carry around than before and because they experience improved sleep at the lower weight.

You lose muscle mass.

Losing weight is a different thing from losing fat. The weighing scale does not differentiate between fat and muscle mass thus when losing weight very quickly, it is likely that one will also lose significant muscle mass.

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