Break Bad Habits to Lose Weight Faster

While your incentives may be perfectly clear, sometimes the results of losing weight can be unexpected and losing large amounts of weight too fast can come with unwanted side effects that make the weight you lost unsustainable. By maintaining your protein intake and adding some light resistance training, you can shift the ratio so there is less muscle loss when shedding pounds. As you add lean muscle, you will also increase your metabolism to burn more stored fat and avoid setbacks, such as:

• Loss of Muscle Mass - Not only does a loss of muscle mass translate to less strength for accomplishing your daily activities, it also reduces the amount of fat-burning tissues in your body when you need them the most.
• Imbalance of Electrolytes - When the amounts of electrolytes in your body is either too high or too low, you can develop an irregular heartbeat, feel dizzy or suffer from muscle cramps. Imbalances can normally be corrected with an electrolyte replacement drink.
• Nutritional Deficiencies - Anemia is a common disease that is associated with nutrient deficiencies. Too rapid of weight loss can lead to feelings of weakness and fatigue when your food intake is insufficient to adequately fuel your body.
• Gallstones - There can be a direct correlation between rapid weight loss and the formation of gallstones. If you already have gallstones, get your weight under control but avoid crash diets and unhealthy sources of fat.
• Drop in Energy Levels - The Mayo Clinic warns against cutting out meals or too many calories. Bad eating habits can cause your blood sugar to tank and leave you feeling lifeless. Add protein to your meals and snacks to reduce fatigue.
• Fat Loss Flatline - Weight loss plateaus are common after losing lots of weight quickly. A sudden loss of fat and muscle loss often trigger the body to function at a lower metabolic rate.

You wake up late and nix the healthy breakfast and stop at the local drive thru. It is okay if this happens occasionally but losing weight steadily will seem impossible if you allow yourself to get sidetracked all the time. If you focus too much on exercising for weight management, it can lead to a destructive cycle of giving yourself permission to work harder to burn off excessive calories from foods you know you shouldn’t have eaten. Visit Metabolic Research Center to learn more about our healthy approach to permanent weight loss.