Is Rapid Weight Loss Good for Me?

There are two clinically proven ways to lose weight quickly: (1) a very low-calorie diet or (2) weight loss surgery. It’s important to note that very low-calorie diets should only be utilized under medical supervision and are typically recommended for short-term use only.

Instead of focussing on quick weight loss, your goal should be making sustainable lifestyle changes that integrate easily into your life and allow for weight management success in the long term. A healthy amount of weight to lose per week is .5 – 3 pounds, depending on your starting weight, your personal health, and any coinciding medical conditions that you may have.

Over-the-counter products, pills, and fad diets are not recommended for weight loss as they can increase your risk of developing short- and long-term medical problems. This may include gallstones, malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances, headaches, mood disruptions, fatigue, dizziness, constipation, gastrointestinal issues, menstrual irregularities, hair loss, muscle loss, and more.

Rapid weight loss is considered to be anything over 2 pounds per week. As 1 pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories, weight loss of more than 2 pounds a week would require a significant, and often unhealthy, calorie deficit of over 1,000 calories each day. This kind of substantial deficit can make you more prone to nutritional deficiencies (if your deficit is due to diet) and/or injury (if your deficit is due to exercise).

Healthcare practitioners recommend creating a 250 to 500-calorie deficit per day, through diet and/or exercise, for safe, healthy, and sustainable weight loss of .5-to 2 pounds per week.

For those who are considered to be medically overweight, healthy weight loss equates to about 1-2 pounds per week. Over the course of a month, this is a weight loss range of between 4 to 12 pounds.

How much weight you lose per week, and how quickly the weight comes off, may vary based on personal factors such as age, BMI, your starting weight, your lifestyle choices (including diet and exercise), any underlying medical conditions, and your commitment to the program you’re following.

Medical weight loss is a clinically proven way of shedding unwanted pounds in a safe and sustainable manner. This type of plan doesn’t focus on fast weight loss – instead, it prioritizes education, support, and accountability for healthy weight loss that can be maintained over the long term.

Having a weight-loss physician create a custom plan that is tailored to you, while also having them actively monitor and check in on your progress, provides patients with the information, tools, and resources to succeed. Medically assisted weight loss can also help you to treat any coinciding physical or psychological issues that may be preventing you from losing weight.

At Portsmouth Family Care, our team of medical specialists understands how complicated achieving weight loss can be and aim to simplify the process for those that need it. We offer comprehensive care so that you can get the results you want in a sustainable and safe manner. Contact us today for more information about our medical weight loss services or, if you’re ready to see a specialist, book with us online to schedule an appointment.

If you are having trouble losing weight then the medical weight loss program at Portsmouth Family Care might be the right option for you. For more information, please call us or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Portsmouth NH, Newington NH, Durham NH, Madbury NH, Dover NH, Greenland NH, Stratham NH, and Newfields NH.