Reasons to Lose Weight :12 Shocking Reasons to Lose Weight

Any weight loss journey needs a strong motivation for success. Without a strong reason or reasons to lose weight your fat loss efforts will have no drive. Without a driving force any goal you set in any part of your life will struggle to be achieved. In this post we will discuss what are probably the top 12 reasons to lose weight. These 12 reasons to lose weight (which include further reasons to lose weight and the benefits) will provide you with numerous health benefits of weight loss to spur you on in your goal.

Not forgetting your personal and professional lives. A healthier, slimmer you can prosper in many aspects of life with the positive effects of losing weight. I did and gained many health benefits of weight loss. If you ever had any questions or needed some weight loss motivation / reasons to lose weight, then read on – these 12 reasons to lose weight may shock you!!

“As a 59year old male, I have been around for a while and seen many lives destroyed by poor health – many of them through poor eating habits. I know – I have witnessed them with my own eyes! Many through poor healthcare from the so-called health professionals who are there (apparently) to improve our health – not destroy it!

Fortunately, I discovered the many health benefits of weight loss and the physical appearance benefits from healthy diet habits and an active lifestyle. Having gained weight during my marriage, I lost the excess weight and kept my size down to a healthy, proportional size for OVER 20 years. You can too – you just need to take these 12 reasons to lose weight seriously and take action as I did all those years ago and still benefit from!”

While it is not always your fault – we are indoctrinated to listen to and believe our health professionals and government advice), you we and I and partly to blame for our excess weight. However, weight loss and nutritional advice from health professionals is frequently incorrect or out of date. You may remember the public broadcasts that fats make you fat and that you should cut down on saturated fats while promoting “the health benefits of bread”. Then there is the issue over long slow cardiovascular exercise for weight loss. Cardiovascular exercise was created to improve heart health. They didn’t tell you the Doctor who created cardiovascular exercise died of heart failure, did they?

Or the fact that food manufacturers use sugars to improve the taste of their produce. Sugar is addictive and by using sugar in their foods, the manufacturers can create an addiction for their foods causing you to want more, resulting in your health declining day by day and becoming dependant upon the sugars for the feel good factor they give. I know, I have been there myself – during my marriage we lived mainly on prepackaged foods. Remember savoury pancakes? They were one of our staple foods for the freezer!

However, (medical issues aside) there are many ways it is your fault – over indulging on carbohydrate and sugar rich foods (pies, pastries, bread, pasta, pizzas, fast food….), soft drinks loaded with sugars and sweeteners and alcoholic beverages, poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle.

So, without further ado, here are 12 reasons to lose weight…

12 Reasons to Lose Weight #1: Stay Alive!

This may seem obvious but when you look at the facts – it makes for some serious thought about your overall health. Personally, I have experienced a few close calls and still suffer the occasional health issue from ‘excessive cardiovascular exercise’ – scar tissue on my heart compounded by pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium sack that surrounds and protects the heart).

As parents, we have a duty to protect our children from being left lone in this big bad world we live in. We have a duty to look after ourselves for the sake of our children.

The C.D.C state that “people who are obese are at risk for many serious diseases and health conditions including “All Causes of Death” along with other serious health conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer(s)…..

..the list just goes on and on.

In an article by Stanford Health Care, 300,000 DIE each year from Obesity related conditions – in the US! Globally, this death count from being overweight or obese rises to 2.8 MILLION/ year according to the World Health Organisation. The W.H.O go on to state that “1.9 Billion adults were overweight in 2016 and 650 Million obese“. More shockingly, 39 MILLION children Under 5 years old were overweight or obese in 2020.

Obesity and Sleep Apnea.

Obesity is also a primary cause of sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is a serious condition restricting blood flow and vital oxygen to the brain whilst sleeping. This results in tiredness the following day making operating machinery and driving hazardous and potentially fatal.

Fatal influenza and pneumonia are also high risk conditions caused by excess weight and obesity. If you’re obese, then these are enough reasons to lose weight, but if you want more reasons to lose weight, keep reading – it gets worse!

12 Reasons to Lose Weight #2: Lose Weight to Prevent Heart Disease….

“Heart disease (or hardening of the arteries) is 10x more prevalent in overweight / obese people than those of normal weight” (Stanford Health Care).

Heart disease itself:

• prevents you from engaging in quality time with friends and family,
• limits your driving abilities (and safety).
• restricts you to your home
• causes you to spend more time at the doctors surgery / hospital instead of living a life worth living.
• increases your medical insurance premiums

Reasons to Lose Weight #3: Peer Approval…..

Being overweight or obese has been proven to cause stigma from their “normal weight” peers. In a recent European study, 18.7% of people with obesity experienced a stigma from either :-

• Educators
• Employers
• Health Professionals
• The Media
• Even friends and Family

Yes, even health professionals – those people you turn to for help look at you with disapproval for being overweight or obese! And while there may be professional guidelines / laws put into place to prevent this – it still happens and always will!

And if that wasn’t bad enough, 38% of people with severe obesity are stigmatised! The stigma doesn’t end there, though! For school aged children, this figure rises with 63% of obese school aged children suffering bullying due to their weight. So there’s another 7 additional reasons to lose weight, with more to come….

Reasons to Lose Weight #4 : Increase Your Income…

“Overweight and Obese people receive lower incomes /wages compared with normal weight people” hsph.Harvard.

This may be due (in part) to the indirect costs in insurance premiums of employing obese people. Additionally, workers compensation payments for their obese employees are higher compared to their normal weight co-workers.

In a recent survey by World Obesity.org, people who are overweight or obese are losing out in employment….

“….obesity in adulthood is a disadvantage for employment. As adults, having obesity was associated with a greater likelihood of a lower status job, lower wages earned, and a higher risk of being unemployed compared to adults who did not have obesity.” 

World Obesity.org

World Obesity.org go on to state…..

“In conclusion, there is weak evidence that childhood obesity has an impact on adult employment opportunities, but adult obesity does have an impact, and this may start as early as when a person first starts to look for employment. There is strong evidence of weight bias and stigma directed against people with excess bodyweight in the workplace. As a recent expert consensus states: “Weight stigma damages health, undermines human and social rights, and is unacceptable in modern societies”.

The stigma, however, will not disappear anytime soon. Your health (and wealth) is at risk.

Obesity Hurts Your Purse Directly!

Then there are the additional costs of being overweight / obese : –

• Increased Prescription Costs
• Transportation Costs – fuel economy reduces as vehicle+passenger weight increases
• Bariatric Surgery failures. Bariatric surgery is proving to be a failure for permanent weight loss “weight regain faster with commercial centres over non-commercial centres”. Source : Int. Journal of Obesity 2018

Want more reasons to lose weight? here’s no 5..

12 Reasons to Lose Weight #5: Prevent Type 2 Diabetes, Reduce Insulin Resistance and Insulin Medications

T2 Diabetes and the risk of D.K.A (diabetic keto acedosis) may not be directly “fatal” diseases BUT…, T1 and T2 Diabetes can give rise to other health issues. Ballooning weight gain from the insulin and the inherent increased risks of heart disease from the obesity that follows elevated insulin dosage. Poor control of diabetes can also give rise to the aforementioned Diabetic Keto Acidosis which effectively turns your blood into acid. Pumping acidic blood through your body can damage organs leading to multiple organ failure and potentially death.

Reduce Insulin Injections / Medications.

Insulin, wether it be through injections or in tablet form is known worldwide (esp by medical professionals) as the fat storing hormone. Excess insulin in your blood causes your body to store fat. In type 1 diabetes it is particularly common for the fast acting insulin to accelerate any weight gain and here’s the inherent problem…

… if your diabetes (and esp your blood sugar levels) is not accurately controlled (ie your are consuming too many carbs), you will need to increase the levels of insulin injections / tablets. This causes a greater rise in insulin in the blood stream and a proportional rise in fat deposits around your body. Now you are into a downward spiral of increased insulin intake with an ever increasing amount of fat being deposited (even with the same volume of food intake). The only way to control this (and potentially reverse this fat storage) is by dramatically reducing your carbohydrate intake.

Reducing your carb intake inherently results in a reduction in insulin to balance the blood sugar levels to a ‘normal’ level which then reduces the fat storing signals from the insulin. I know – I have witnessed this first hand with my T1 Diabetic fiancee. Even her Diabetes nurse instructed her to increase her insulin intake to counter the elevated blood sugars. Despite the fact that she knew the increased insulin levels would cause a further increase in fat deposits / weight gain, she still insisted on increasing the volume of insulin injections. Consequently her weight has increased substantially and now has further complications to her health from the disease.

Not forgetting the daily issues surrounding victims of Type 1 and T2 diabetes. The constant medical checks and the inherent costs involved from travelling to appointments and medications, the actual pain / discomfort from injecting yourself several times/ day and finger pricking to check blood sugar levels all take their tool on your health, well-being, relationships and friendships and finances….

• Sight Loss. Diabetic retinopathy can be catastrophic for the patient (not forgetting the effects of having a blind relative to support and look after). Loss of eyesight can result in loss of career / employment, driving abilities, family life and independance.
• Nerve Damage (Neuropathy). Neuropathy is caused through high blood glucose levels damaging the small blood vessels supplying the nerves. Neuropathy can cause loss of co-ordination, weakened limbs, incontinence and impotence. Neuropathy can put you in a wheelchair for life making it difficult for you to be fully mobile and enjoy the active life you should be having. Neuropathy can also lead to loss of employment, relationship problems, public embarrassment / humiliation through incontinence or force you to become a “prisoner in your own home“ [ I know – my partner has neuropathy in her arms and legs and is now effectively bedridden / fully dependant on people taking her out].
• Foot Problems. Diabetics (both T1 and T2) are susceptible to to nerve and blood flow damage to their feet. Many diabetics have serious problems with foot health – many having one or both feet amputated at some stage.
• Hyperosmolar Hypoglycaemia State (HHS) is a life threatening state brought on by severe dehydration and very high blood sugars.
• Diabetic Keto Acidosis (DKA). DKA is a life threatening emergency where the lack of insulin and high blood sugars leads to a build up of Ketones in the blood effectively turning the blood into acid. This can severely damage vein / artery walls, chemically burn the heart and other organs (kidney, liver, brain etc) not forgetting the partial destruction of essential micro-nutrients carried around in the bloodstream – nutrients that could help you survive. If untreated / not caught in time – total organ failure and death may occur. DKA can affect T1 and T2 Diabetics.

Reasons to Lose Weight #6: Improve Physical Fitness

Placing excess load or strain on the human body causes many physical problems – women with oversize busts regularly complain of back pain preventing or limiting their normal daily activities. Obese people place a substantial amount of strain on their hearts and joints. This in turn causes them to be slower at movement leading to the employment stigma of “presenteeism“.

Losing Weight to Improve Physical Fitness Benefits :

• Improved Sexual Performance and Enjoyment (1 comment on a weight loss forum states “having a longer usable length!“)
• Perform Chores faster leaving more time to live and have fun!
• Physically able to be more productive in life
• Enjoy a more active lifestyle – adventure, sports etc
• Physical Appearance: “Fitness” attracts! Relationships blossom for healthier, fitter people.

Now, I don’t know about you, but fun in the bedroom (or wherever you choose) is one of many reasons to lose weight! Sexual activity is far better when you have the physical stamina and flexibility to perform in a variety of positions and helps to keep the relationship interesting and fulfilling (not to mention satisfying).

Reasons to Lose Weight #7: Prevent Cognitive Degeneration & Dementia

A healthy, balanced diet brings in many nutrients that improve mental abilities AND prevent brain dysfunction or degeneration. The mental benefits of losing weight are numerous…

Dementia is predicted to rise from 24.3 MILLION in 2001 to 81.1 M by 2040!

Cognitive degeneration also contributes to the rising occurance of fraud and theft from people with impaired mental acuity.

Improve Brain Function – Naturally..

Weight loss through healthy eating methods will inherently improve brain function through the ingestion of beneficial macro and micronutrients. The consumption of natural foods (esp grass fed beef, pork, sea foods, fruit and certain vegetables) will provide the nutrition your brain needs to function correctly, increasing cognitive ability and awareness.

Healthy eating introduces many beneficial nutrients into the body including the essential amino acids (a group of important nutrients that include neurotransmitters that help control appetite, energy production, stimulate muscle growth and regeneration, creation of proteins, collagen and elastin, boost metabolism, immune function and many more functions and benefits).

Elements from natures own pantry provide nutrients that:-

• regulate and reduce anxiety,
• improve nerve stimulation,
• reduce the risk of stroke,
• aids sleep, learning and memory,
• regulates appetite,
• prevent Alzheimers disease, mood swings
• improve hormone regulation.
• Prevents and reverse the symptoms of ADHD.

So there was another 7 benefits of lose weight, and there’s still more….

Reasons to Lose Weight #8: Prevent Cancer

According to Cancer Research UK, being overweight or obese causes 13 Types of Cancer including..

• Oesophageal
• Stomach
• Bowel
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Gallbladder
• Breast
• The Uterus
• Ovary
• Kidney
• Thyroid
• Mycloma
• Meningioma

Each of the above forms of cancer brings its own unique health based restrictions to your lifestyle and appearance – bowel bags, mastectomies, personal oxygen supply, hair loss, loss of energy, dialysis….). Not forgetting the emotional turmoil that ensues. Not just with the treatment but with family and work issues.

Healthy diets have been proven to prevent or ward off numerous types of cancer including prostate cancer.

As if those 13 cancers wasn’t enough, here are yet more reasons to lose weight…

Reasons to Lose Weight #9 : Combat Depression

Fact : Depression has been closely linked with overweight and obese people.

“Overweight or obese people are often blamed for their condition and may be considered lazy or weak-willed…..disapproval of overweight persons expressed by some individuals may progress to bias, discrimination and even torment“. (Stanford Health)

Combating depression through professionals (psychologists etc) is time consuming, expensive and – unnecessary. Unnecessary because when you add a variety of health giving foods into your diet, the nutrients provided can include naturally occurring minerals that help to reduce or even reverse anxiety and even prevent depression. You should already be aware that chocolate can induce a release of the feel good hormone ‘Endorphin’. Well, that is just the tip of the preverbial iceberg….

A healthy, varied and balanced diet naturally incorporates natures own anti-depression compounds. Oranges contain good amounts of Magnesium. Magnesium has been proven scientifically to improve mental health and reduce anxiety. A healthy balanced diet can actually reduce the effects of depression within days due to the increase in essential vitamins and minerals. Saturated fats have also been shown to improve overall wellbeing including lung health and cognitive abilities.

Yet more reasons to lose weight – your career and income are at risk…

Reasons to Lose Weight #10 : Improve Your Career

Looking for career progression, new job or total change? Your excess weight is probably holding you back, or worse, stopping you completely!

Obese people are stereotyped as being slow, lazy and of low productivity value to employers. And while this ‘stereotyped persecution’ is made illegal in some countries, it still exists – just hidden beneath a different excuse for not employing you. “Unsuitable” is a employers like to use not to employ you when they don’t want to expose themselves to a law suit.

As a direct comparison, many employers look for sporting / athletic people. “Sportsmen” (and women) are focused on getting results – they want (and work hard) to WIN! They work hard at their objective until they achieve the desired goal. They are highly motivated and regarded as achievers and are great for business.

Ask yourself this question : –

And it’s not just sports people who are making a success of their lives through engaging in health and fitness. Rebel Wilson and Dawn French are 2 great examples of successful people who have gained more fame through losing weight….

Many actors and actresses have found that losing weight and getting that toned, fit and healthy body brings new opportunities into their careers which also include high end modelling, TV and radio presenting, product promotions which can result in $Millions in commissions, higher profile social media accounts with “influencer” potential for additional marketing and income potential.

Just 6 examples of how focus on a sport and health can lead to great health and public greatness – be it in industry, commerce or entertainment! While Dwayne, Arnie, Sean and Amanda had no reasons to lose weight, they are proof of what can become of you if you live a fit and healthy life.

Unlike sportspeople, overweight and obese people are prone to victimisation from their peers & employers receiving lower wages and loss of promotion. If you’re looking for work, the situation is much harder as employers make ‘excuses’ NOT to employ you. While this ‘victimisation’ is frowned upon and prohibited, it still happens. The Big Question is ….“What are you going to do about it?”

Reasons to Lose Weight #11: Personal Development and Relationships

Being overweight or obese can have profound effects on your personal relationship(s). From school age through to adulthood, excess weight brings many trials and tribulations to overcome. Overweight and obese children have negative experiences during their vitally important formative years.

Overweight and obese children experience bullying and difficulty in developing fruitfull relationships from the associated stigma, physical (in)capabilities and the resulting depression.

In a recent study into obese relationships, obesity causes:

• Delayed dating in adolescents
• Early and risky sexual activities
• Increased friction between couples
• Intense personal and vicious arguments

Obesity and Sexual Health in Relationships

Obesity causes many other problems in relationships, results in infertility in both men and women and consequently difficulty in conception among women. The resulting stress and arguments give rise to vicious arguments and (in some cases) separation or the expense of divorce.

Overweight and obese men have similar problems. Problems that may cause the arguments from failed procreation and infertility. The excess weight (which typically gathers in the abdomen and lower abdomen / groin area) increases the internal heat in the groin damaging the number and quality of sperm. Poor nutrition contributes to this infertility and the energy to procreate and satisfy your partner.

Obesity in Men Causes:-

• Low testosterone levels (the male hormone responsible for a deep voice, larger muscles, development of male sexual organs, strong bones, sperm production and libido.
• In men over 40, a 1 point increase in BMI results in a 2% decrease in testosterone
• A 4” increase in waist can reduce testosterone levels by 75%
• Erectile Dysfunction. Obese men have an increased risk of Erectile Dysfunction. (Hormonal disorders & low testosterone levels are responsible for Just 3% of E.D cases). Studies reveal having a BMI of 28 increases the risk of ED by 90%.
• Obesity in men reduces the frequency of sexual intercourse.
• Male Infertility. A 3pt increase in BMI results in a 10% increase in infertility.
• Prostate Cancer. Men with a 43” waist are 2.4x more likely to need surgery than men with a 35” waist. The American Cancer Society reveal that “men who are overweight have an 8% increase in the risk of getting prostate cancer, obese men have a 20% chance and severely obese men 34%”. Obesity also causes a recurrence of prostate cancer with the added risk of it spreading to other organs and the bones. [Additionally, prostate cancer detection (through prostate biopsies) frequently causes urine retention leading to catheterisation and potentially septic shock from poor hygiene of the catheter. My own father died of septic shock from poor catheter maintenance / hygiene – not from prostate cancer with PSA levels up to 960.

Sources : Harvard Health (www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/)

Poor diet and lack of effective exercise cause many relationships to suffer unnecessary stress and strain. Failure to please your partner and/or failure to conceive can result in vicious arguments. Additionally the unending stigma from peers, depressive moods and mood swings all contribute to the poor lifestyle suffered as a result of being overweight or obese.

12 Reasons to Lose Weight #12: See Clearly!

• What would You do without your sight?
• Do You Have the Funds to Live without Sight?
• Would You Cope Mentally if You Lost Your Sight?

What does Your Sight mean to You?

Your eyesight is one of 5 vital senses we all need to conduct our daily life. Senses we can take for granted – until we lose them. Our eyes are very sensitive and need extra care. Care in the form of protection from foreign objects, adequate and correct nutrition, correctly regulated blood sugars ( see Reason to Lose Weight #5)

A healthy diet and lifestyle can :-

• Prevent A.M.D (Age-related Macular Degeneration). Recent high quality studies reveal that diet “may” affect individuals risks in relation to the onset of age related macular degeneration (eye disease). (Source: Wiley)
• Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy can cause catastrophic loss of eyesight and is preventable with a healthy lifestyle.
• Improve Peer Relationships. Blindness negatively effects your relationships with friends , family and your peers. We use body language as part of our communications skills. It is difficult (to say the least) to fully comprehend the body language when you cannot see the person you are communication with. – socialising becomes problematic.
• Improve Your Career. Catering for blind employees is very expensive and problematic in terms of safety. Employers will see you as someone who is going to be problematic even in these days of disability friendly. Would you employ someone who needed constant supervision, required expensive equipment to help them work compared with someone who has full eyesight? You’re an’action taker’. A pro-active person who resolves problems. Pro-active problem solvers are beneficial to employers / companies. Be an important member of staff, not just a ‘lump in the corner’.

Have You Seen the Light, Yet?

You Now Have Over 12 Reasons to Lose Weight.

I hope these 12 reasons to lose weight have helped you to understand why weight loss is important, some of the health benefits of weight loss together with some emotional reasons to lose weight. Is it time to improve your health? If you ever had any questions or reasons to lose weight, then I hope the above has given you sufficient motivational reasons to not just lose weight but to realise the benefits of a truly healthy body from a healthy lifestyle.

Now, assuming you have decided you want (and need) to lose weight, you’ll want to learn..

…How to Lose Weight?

In any weight loss attempt, you really need to focus on dietary changes first. It is your diet that has caused your weight gain probably coupled with a sedentary / low physical activity lifestyle. Our modern diets and lifestyle are filled with toxins from pesticides and industrial chemicals. Additionally our manufactured foods are filled with inflammation causing chemicals (preservatives and inflammatory nutrients) The best way to lose weight is to eat healthy and live a healthier lifestyle with an increase in physical activity / exercise of which a hiit regime has proven to be most effective.

For “completion” on how to lose weight, here are 7 Ways to Lose Weight. However, the best way to lose weight is by adjusting your diet to incorporate more nutritionally beneficial foods and reducing the bad foods that have caused the weight gain through excess consumption of bad carbs and inflammation causing foods and following the link below.

By reducing bad carbs to a minimum ( low carb diet ) and reducing the influx of inflammation causing foods you can automatically begin to lose weight. Increasing the beneficial nutrients (esp micronutrients) from healthy foods (including certain saturated fats) you will increase the rate of natural weight loss. Using safe and healthy methods, you will gain better health and live a better life.

With all these reasons to lose weight, and assuming you want to take the next step and lose weight – start eating healthy and engage in an effective fat loss workout. What is healthy eating and how can you lose weight with a healthy eating diet?….

..Personally, (from my own research into the healthy eating methodology and the vast health and nutrition science behind the program), I recommend the Fat Burning Kitchen book by fat loss expert Mike Geary. The fat burning kitchen will reveal many ways for you to make small but important changes to your diet without starving or going on a particularly restrictive diet plan. Mike shares many nutritional tips and guidance garnered from deep personal research uncovering many myths about the weight loss / healthy eating and nutrition industries.

With the Fat Burning Kitchen you will gain more insights into a healthy, fat burning diet that is low in inflammatory foods and rich in the beneficial macro and micro nutrients we all need to live a healthy life. Start your weight loss / healthy eating journey the right way by learning which foods help turn your body into a 24/7 fat burning machine and (more importantly) which foods to avoid.

Pick up Your Copy of Mike’s Fat Burning Kitchen Book today

F.A.Q’s

What is a Good Reason to Lose Weight?

In addition to the above reasons mobility is probably the most important reason to consider losing weight. With obesity comes the increased risk of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that affects the cartilage in the joints and gradually destroys the bones of our joints.

The osteoarthritis cycle goes like this : Obesity causes osteoarthritis to develop. Due to the discomfort from the pain, osteoarthritis sufferers tend to move lees for comfort reasons. Reduced movement and physical activity causes muscle weakness. Muscles are not just for strength -they also act as a cushion for your joint movements preventing bone to bone impact. As your muscular cushion reduces, osteoarthritis increases leading to more pain and an ever declining cycle of reduced movement and increased pain. This will inevitably lead to loss of independance and self reliance. Weight loss improves our mobility, immunity independance and self reliance.

What is the Biggest Cause of Weight Loss?

Research reveals one of the biggest causes of weight gain is cellular inflammation. While excess consumption of refined carbohydrates causes inflammation, fat storage and water retention, good dietary choices help improve cellular health, burn excess fat, boost your energy processes and metabolism.

By improving our diets we can reduce this cellular inflammation and increase metabolism while boosting our immunity, allowing our body’s to return (in part) to our normal size. Improving our dietary choices for healthier foods rich in antioxidants, low in inflammatory foods and high in anti-inflammatory foods (from a variety of foods high in beneficial nutrients like selenium), we can then begin to lose the excess fat through increasing our metabolism and reduce water retention. Once we have passed this initial stage we can start the repair process of healing the damaged and inflamed cells and re-ignite our full fat burning potential with a healthy physiology that will continue to burn excess fat – even as we sleep.

The BIGGEST singular cause of weight loss is by the reduction of refined and starchy carbohydrates. Refined and starchy carbohydrate foods include refined / processed sugar, bread, pasta, cakes, pastries, rice, potatoes and wheat based cereals.

How Much Weight Can You Lose if You Don’t Eat for 2 Weeks?

Losing weight by not eating for two weeks is not a safe or recommended approach. While the amount of weight loss would depend on several factors, including an individual’s initial weight and metabolism, such extreme calorie restriction can lead to serious health risks – including organ failure and death.

During the first few days of not eating, the body primarily burns stored glycogen for energy. This results in a rapid initial drop in weight due to water loss. After that, the body starts breaking down fat and muscle for energy, which can lead to further weight loss.

However, extended fasting can result in significant muscle loss, a decrease in metabolic rate, nutritional deficiencies, and various health complications, including electrolyte imbalances, weakness, fatigue, and even organ damage. The body enters a state of starvation, which can be life-threatening if not properly managed under medical supervision.

It is important to emphasize that healthy and sustainable weight loss should be achieved through balanced, long-term lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a caloric deficit, eating a well-rounded diet, and engaging in regular physical activity. Extreme fasting is not a safe or effective approach for weight loss, and it should never be attempted without medical supervision. If you have weight loss goals, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian to develop a safe and personalized plan for your specific needs.

What are the 7 Tips for Weight Loss?

1. Caloric Deficit: Weight loss primarily occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. Creating a caloric deficit through a combination of diet and exercise is essential. A deficit of around 500-1000 calories per day can lead to a safe weight loss of about 1-2 pounds per week. However, you should be aware that not all calories are equal. Consuming 1500 cals/ day of carbs is not going to help you lose weight. However, 1500 cals /day of healthy low carb dieting will help you lose weight (see Tip #2).
2. Balanced Diet: Focus on a balanced, nutrient-dense diet (vitamins, minerals, fats, amino acids and proteins) that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits and lean proteins. Avoid highly processed foods -refined carbs, sugary beverages, and excessive consumption of high-calorie, low-nutrient items. A balanced diet can also improve your thyroid health. A healthy thyroid gland aids in a healthy metabolism which can also improve your weight loss and weight management.
3. Portion Control: Monitoring portion sizes can be crucial. Even healthy foods can lead to weight gain if consumed excessively. Be mindful of serving sizes and use smaller plates to help control portions and reduce the likelihood of overeating. Rice for example. While I was losing my weight initially, I used to cook 1 cup of dry rice per person. However, you should limit your serving of rice to 75 g/ person dry weight -this then reduces the amount of carbohydrates (and starch) consumed for weight loss and weight management after the loss.
4. Regular Exercise: Incorporate both aerobic (cardio) and strength training exercises into your routine. Aerobic exercises help burn calories, while strength training aids in building muscle. Building muscle consumes many calories demanding higher volumes of carbohydrates and protein [proteins can also be created within the body through amino acids]. Strength training can also boost metabolism and facilitate weight loss.
5. Hydration: Drinking water can aid in weight loss. Research has shown that drinking water before meals can reduce calorie intake, and staying well-hydrated can help support your body’s metabolic processes. However, it is important to note that water should be consumed at around 20-22 degrees Celcius. Frequent consumption of cold or icy water can reduce the size of your veins reducing the amount of blood flow throughout the body.
6. Quality Sleep: Poor sleep is linked to weight gain. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Lack of sleep can disrupt hunger hormones, leading to increased appetite and potential weight gain.
7. Behavioral Changes: Adopting healthier habits and mindful eating practices can significantly contribute to weight loss success. This involves mindful eating, avoiding emotional eating, and being conscious of triggers that lead to overeating.

Remember, sustainable weight loss takes time, and individual results can vary. Always consult a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise routine, especially if you have underlying health conditions or specific dietary needs.

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References:

World Health Organisation : What are common health consequences of overweight and obesity?

Medical News Today – Why lose weight?

Obesity News Today – Medical Reasons to Lose Weight

British Nutrition Foundation – Obesity and Weight Loss