Cautionary tale - don't lose weight too fast!

xAdrianax

I see where you are coming from and can relate a bit.

I lost 50 lbs from April 2011 to October 2011 all the wrong way. 1200 cals, excessive exercise and no eating back exercise calories so some days i think i would net 300-400.

Since December 2011 i have put back on ten pounds while basically eating what i want but still making healthy choices and just getting my body back to a healthy nourished state - im proud i managed to keep most of it off though and lets say i put myself in a kinda maintenance mode - bar the 10lbs!

I just needed a break and normality, but still cautious to not put everything back on.

I feel i am in a good place now though as i still ahve maintained 40 lbs lost since Dec 2011 out of the 50lbs and now i am doing it properly and am in no rush!

And yes, my hair was awful when i dropped the weight so fast.

Healthy_4_Life2

OP, I am so sorry to hear about your current health issues relating to losing weight too fast. I hope more people read this post. It has taken me almost two years to lose about 60 pounds whereas some people can probably get there in 6 months. I took the slow approach and didn't want to starve myself to get there too fast. It's a lifestyle for me. Not a race. I wish you lots of luck getting your health back. Thanks for sharing your story.

Otterluv

Thank you for posting this OP - it was brave of you to share your experience.

Best of luck to you in improving your health!

^^^ all of this

SezxyStef

Why would you continue that for 6 months?

Because there are so many people on this site spouting a lot of hooey about how losing that fast is not harmful. These things may not happen to everyone, but it does happen to a lot of people. The sad thing is some of the damage to your body may not be discovered until much later.

But the OP indicated she was experiencing symptoms all along. Fainting, hair loss, nail loss. I guess it's just denial? Thinking it would reverse once at goal? Or that something else was the cause?

My question wasn't meant to be rude.

My answer was not meant to be rude either. I just think that sometimes what is pushed on MFP is that losing weight quickly is not harmful. People drop their calories really low, start losing fast and because they want it so badly, maybe there is some denial. Our health is the most valuable thing we have. Not focusing on that while losing is the biggest mistake we make. Good health should be our ultimate goal - not weight loss. This should give pause to all who promote VLCDieting.

Really because what I see is the "bullies" saying VLCD are bad and do this...but people choose not to listen because it's all about what the scale says not doing it in a healthy way to prevent these things.

Then the thread blows up with "bullies" reiterating their point while a "few" get on to say "I did it and I am fine"....

mind you this post wont change those bound and determined to do it fast.

mike_ny

Extreme calories reduction makes it hard to get all your essential nutrients especially if you're already at a deficiency or close to one in any of them. By the time you calculate your needed protein, fats, and the fuits and vegetables to get all your basics, that's higher than many people want to allow themselves for daily calories. Fitting everything in a very low calorie diet is possible, but it requires planning and may really limit your food choices to meet it. Many vitamin or mineral deficiencies can often take a while before noticeable symptoms and some of those symptoms may be mistakenly attributed to other causes, so long term issues won't be obvious at all in the short term.

The body is also not very good at extreme changes. Big calorie drops may work in the short term, but don't have the long term effects to your metabolism and new weight set points that a gradual loss does. Consistently running even a small calorie deficit and eating clean healthy foods will affect your gut biome and help reset your weight set point to new levels along the way so you're less likely to gain back that weight for those occasional binges.

The other big consideration for me was that I could never have kept up a severe low fat low calorie diet for long due to always being hungry and the lack of energy. High fat, adequate protein, and a lesser calorie deficit were how I was able to not be constantly hungry for a year and eat real food (not diet foods) both during the weight loss phase and long afterwards.

Saggy skin is a much debated topic. I'm at my target weight and target body fat, but now have some saggy skin around the midsection. I am exercising, drinking plenty of water, using moisturizers, and dry brushing which may be helping, but I know it'll take a while. It didn't stretch and grow overnight, so it won't shrink that quickly either.
I have a strong suspicion that the saggy skin won't really start tightening up until the body fat in those areas hits a low enough threshold first. Why would the body shrink skin that still has an ample layer of fat still there and it still sees that as a fat storage area? There's no saggy skin on my arms, legs, shoulders, etc... where there's hardly any fat at all so it seems that threshold is what is holding it up. I'm hoping that continuing to run a small deficit, even though I'm technically in maintenance mode now, and exercising will gradually tighten that loose skin over the next few months or so. Obviously, the more you lose the more excess skin you'll end up with, so it can take a while. The encouraging news is that it has tightened for many people given enough time, so keep your skin healthy and nourished and hope for the best.

BattleTaxi

Thank you for sharing and being honest! Good luck on your health!

QuietBloom

Why would you continue that for 6 months?

You are very often in the threads of people ridiculing the anti-1200 folks, and you're asking this question?

Her main focus was, most likely, on losing weight. That's why EDs start. That's why people make money selling incredibly dangerous weight loss routines, drugs, etc.

As evidenced by an entire culture surrounding weight loss, let alone on MFP, people will do borderline insane things to get to a "desired weight." People often even think they're fine UNTIL something like what OP experienced happens. "Huh, my nails constantly crack and bleed... but I have 5 more lbs!" or "Huh, I keep getting sick and having a hard time fighting off this stupid cold... guess it's more reason not to eat!"

OP, I really appreciate you sharing this. I've been down that road, too, and it took me years of recovery from chronic undereating as an anorexic. I wish you all the best as you work on nourishing your body.

And to the person who suggested getting thyroid levels checked... yeah, those things can all make you lose weight, have brittle nails, etc... but that's what you look at when everything else is in order. Diet/nutrition is the Occam's razor of your body--if it checks out, go to the doctor. If it's poor, then that's the easy reason for many health problems.

Well thanks for your suggestions, but it was a genuine question for the OP. I am curious why anyone would continue a plan (any plan) with such obvious signs of physical distress.

Anorexia is a mental illness. You might as well ask a Type I diabetic why don't they just make their pancreas start secreting insulin.

OP, thank you for sharing this. I wish you the very best in the recovery of your health.

persistandendure

Very wise advice...thank you.

hazeljordan1974

Why would you continue that for 6 months?

Because I could and because I got results and positive comments "you look great!" that sort of thing really help with motivation.

The health issues gradually crept in - I didn't wake up after a few weeks of eating like this and they suddenly appeared. You kind of brush them off - the toenails for instance, I've always lost toenails when I ran and I just put it down to more running, but I haven't run properly for about a month and they're still not growing back. I've always been a fainter and ignored the increasing dizziness.

I thought I could get away with it, I have before (losing weight before in similar manners) - this time I had no partner and a lot of time on my hands (I was only working until 12:30) so I could go for a 4 hour walk, I could eat the way I wanted to with nobody to tell me different. I love "being in control" and of course food and body shape are things I had within my control.

I have never formally been diagnosed as having an "eating disorder" although I do have a difficult relationship with food and body image and this has plagued my life. Even though I am in a healthy BMI the other day I was obsessing about "skinny fat" trying to convince myself I need to improve my body even more.

I think that getting healthy and having adequate nutrition as well as loving my body is going to be harder than losing weight ever was.

SLLRunner

Hazel,

Thank you for sharing your experience.

ironmonkeystyle

I'm pretty sure you're describing what happened to Jeff Goldblum's character in "The Fly"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091064/

PetulantOne

Thank you for sharing this OP. Hopefully someone following the path you did will read this, and stop before they get to the point you have. I'm wishing you a speedy recovery.

yarwell

Because there are so many people on this site spouting a lot of hooey about how losing that fast is not harmful.

All this demonstrates that a diet of crap is a bad idea. It doesn't say anything about rate of loss per se.

CM9178

I totally agree about not losing weight too fast. I didn't experience all of the physical things you did (maybe my situation wasn't as extreme), but here is my story:

About 12 years ago, I followed Weight Watchers and managed to lose 72 lbs in just about a year. I was only tracking weight watchers points, never calories, so I had no idea how many calories I was eating, or how many I needed.
While the weight came off fast, it was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to keep it off. I felt like if I ate one little thing off my "diet" I gained 2 lbs that week. So maintaining that weight loss didn't last long. Over the following years, the weight crept back on no matter what I did. I didn't want to feel like I was on a diet for the rest of my life, so I started not tracking as much. Over the years, I tried doing Weight Watchers again, and I'd lose some, but then give up again for the same reasons. Fast forward to last year, I decided to try one more time. I lost about 40 lbs in less than year, and was very happy with the results, but then I hit a plateau for about 3 months. I didn't understand what the problem was. I'd lose 1 lb then gain back 2, over and over again.

I decided to start tracking my calories on MFP in addition to counting my WW points, and did a little research about the number of calories I should actually be consuming. Well, I discovered that I was only averaging about 1200 calories a day, and some days I was eating WELL under that number. I also discovered that I should be eating somewhere around 1500 to 1600 calories per day - to lose weight HEALTHILY. I decided to slowly increase my calories and sure enough, the weight started coming off again, much slower than previously, but still coming off.

Then it all made sense. 12 years ago, I wasn't able to keep the weight off, because I had probably been eating about 1000 calories per day in order to get there, and that is impossible to maintain. This time, had I continued losing weight, I would've had to eat under 1000 calories per day to get to my goal (about another 40 lbs to lose), which would be horrible for my health. Luckily, I hit that plateau and finally figured out what I was doing wrong.

I don't blame the Weight Watchers program at all - I realized it was ME who was doing it wrong. I never ate my extra weekly points allowance and only ate my daily points. WW includes those extra weekly points for a reason and you should ABSOLUTELY eat all of them. If you don't, you will be undereating drastically and that is NOT good.

I've realized that while these next 40 lbs may take 4 times longer to lose than the first 40 lbs, I'd rather lose them the healthy way and know that I will be able to keep them off this time. Sometimes, getting to the finish line faster, isn't always a good thing.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Wow...I'm so sorry you are experiencing this :brokenheart: :noway:

Yet, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time and care of others to post this important warning. :flowerforyou:

elyelyse

now I need to change my diet totally to nourish my poor body and get it back to health...

I was malnourished before I began losing weight,; I ate enough calories but I ate crap food...I experienced many of the symptoms you are dealing with, especially losing my hair (which is also my "thing"). I just want to reassure you that it is totally possible to reverse that. I've been eating well (lots of lean proteins, veggies and fruits, healthy fats, whole grains, etc + some yummy less-nutritious food too) and a bit over a year later...my hair looks awesome.

Some people might see that as one petty little cosmetic thing but...for those of us who really love our hair, it can be pretty devastating to lose it.

and good on you for your post...I hope lots of people read it and rethink what they are doing.

2hmom

When I first started I lost a lot of hair, too. It's a big change to your system to restrict calories and exercise if you're not used to it. My hair came back after I exercised a bit less and ate more, it's quite the journey, but do what's healthy for you.

jofjltncb6

OP:
Thank you for sharing your open and honest experiences. I hope your thread will help others and I wish you the best.

^this

Best of luck in finding your way through this and to a place where you are fully healthy, both mentally and physically. I am optimistic that you will be successful.

Why would you continue that for 6 months?

Because there are so many people on this site spouting a lot of hooey about how losing that fast is not harmful. These things may not happen to everyone, but it does happen to a lot of people. The sad thing is some of the damage to your body may not be discovered until much later.

and ^this

auroranflash

This is terrifying. Please go to your doctor. Thank you for posting this warning.

Yanicka1

thank you for sharing