The possibilities surrounding weight loss may appear limited. Though most persons may seem to struggle with actualizing the desired shape, there are a few that might decide to push harder. But then how much is “too hard” when it comes to losing weight? Irrespective of what your body weight maybe, there’s an extent you will push it that would result in some detrimental health consequences.

The crux of this article is to discuss how safe – or not – losing one pound per day is. We shall be talking about how feasible it is; the ways to go about achieving it, and the dangers that might portend if one decides to stick to such a plan.

One thing you must understand is that it is vital that you’re guided when attempting to achieve your weight-loss objectives. You have to do some findings, ask questions and meet with a doctor or dietician when necessary to help you formulate a viable weight loss plan. Having said that, the recommended weight loss rate is 1 – 2 pounds per week. This is considered a safe limit for everyone even though it may not see you losing weight rapidly. With this, one can confidently say that losing 1 pound per day is not normal – whether you’re obese or simply overweight.

But is it achievable?

One will have to burn at least 3,500 calories per day to shed one pound of body weight. You will have to keep to an extreme weight loss routine to reach this goal. For instance, you can decide to go on a fast for a whole day; this can ensure that you burn a substantial number of calories.

On average, you may need to consume around 2000 – 2500 calories to maintain your current body weight. So, you can get to picture what it would mean to deprive yourself of that number of calories in a day. More calories will however need to be burned considering the 3,500 calories mark, and this, you can achieve by doing some exercises. All these will mean placing immense pressure on your body system and could leave you with undesirable health outcomes in the long run.

Another way to lose one pound a day is to consider a diet rich in fiber, along with some moderate-high intensity physical exercises. A fiber-filled diet ensures that you’re left full for a longer time as you hit the road or the gym for workouts. To crown it all up; fiber has been reported to suppress energy intake, meaning addictive or needless eating will be kept in check. Your diet should have a good measure of vegetables, legumes, and fruits when you’re on this weight loss routine. Foods rich in protein are also worth considering in this regard.

You must, however, drink water – habitually so to say – while at it. This is because the tendency for the body to lose water is quite high when observing a weight loss routine as radical as one pound a day. Running a weight loss program without good fluid balance can lead to devastating consequences like decreased kidney function, decreased muscle strength, heatstroke, and so on. In essence, the need to stay hydrated cannot be overemphasized.

There are numerous exercises you can do to burn the needed 3500 calories weekly. The number of calories burned will be primarily determined by your present body weight, type/intensity of exercise, and the hours spent doing it. For instance, a 190-pounds individual can burn 2,760 calories doing 2 hours of 10 mph run per day while someone weighing 130 pounds will lose 1,888 calories toeing similar exercise routine. To make up for the leftover calories that need to be burned, you should cut down your daily caloric consumption. You can gain insight into the number of calories burned per exercise by using this calculator.

You should also make sure you get sufficient hours of sleep, especially at night. This is because sleep deprivation can result in the arousal of hunger pangs which could result in you eating more than necessary. Increased hunger amounts from the rise in the activity of ghrelin – a hunger-inducing hormone. So, you must learn to have your dinner early; keep the distractions away, and have a good night sleep.

Potential dangers of losing one pound a day

That a one-pound-a-day weight loss goal is achievable doesn’t mean you should go ahead with it. Moreover, such a rapid weight loss routine has been reported to be untenable. You may regain the weight if it’s something you do intermittently – over a month. This is considering how the strict reduction of calories can heighten the rate at which you get hungry thus reaching for the next available “munchable”. Plus, one could even become worse off if s/he sticks to such an aggressive weight loss plan – as attainable with losing one pound a day.

Muscle loss

The loss of muscle that can result from radical or rapid weight loss programs can be very massive. This occurs as the body mechanism breaks down the muscle to fulfill energy demand. And, you may end up looking skinny and unhealthy in a not-so-distant time. Though strength or resistance training is usually recommended to ward off instances of muscle loss. Such exercises may be risky to embark on if you’re particular about losing one pound a day. By the way, prolonged hours of intense exercise could have an adverse impact on the heart and immune system.

Slow metabolism

Again, anyone consistently losing one pound per day will be faced with issues of slow metabolism or general metabolic dysfunction. This is apparent as the body is made to readjust to an energy level or caloric intake that is so alien to it in a quick time. This could threaten the well-being of certain vital organs and the body system invariably. The findings from a study indicated that the consumption of diets that are significantly low in calories could lead to severe cases of dizziness, fatigue, and nausea.

You may also have to grapple with considerable nutritional deficiency, gallstone development, constipation, and loss/thinning of hair. so, given all that has been discussed in this article, you must have grasped the need to count the cost of losing one pound a day.

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