Did you know that fast weight loss isn’t always safe? No matter what the ads promise, an unhealthy approach to dieting is full of risks.

Although fast weight loss might be desirable in some situations, most people want to be careful about trying to drop the weight too fast. The better option is go slower and take a healthier approach. That way you can avoid some of the common pitfalls associated with quick weight loss attempts.

Crashing Your Metabolism

Most of us have heard that the speed of your metabolism can impact your weight loss. To achieve fast weight loss, therefore, you need to speed up your metabolism. Unfortunately, what most people don’t know is that by cutting their caloric intake too drastically, they can actually slow their metabolism and prevent efficient weight loss.

When you suddenly drop your calories, your body believes it is being starved because no food is available. To protect itself, the body slows your metabolism, so less energy is required to keep your body working effectively. Instead, drop your calories by a moderate amount and increase exercise.

Taking Unhealthy Supplements

Many of the products on the market promising fast weight loss simply don’t deliver. For one, most of the quick weight loss you will see is just water weight that you would lose anyway. Another reason is that many of these supplements contain products such as ginseng which is a stimulant. Taking too much of these stimulants can be dangerous for your heart, especially when combined with doses of caffeine.

Developing Flab

No one wants to achieve fast weight loss, then look in the mirror to find your skin drooping everywhere. That’s not attractive at all. When you lose weight too fast, your skin doesn’t have time to regain some of its shape, so you’re left with sagging skin in places where you once had excessive fat deposits. By choosing the slower path, your skin’s elasticity can help reduce sagging plus you can work on adding some toning exercises into your routine that will further reduce the problem.

Regaining the Weight

Another big problem with fast weight loss is that you’re more likely to regain everything you’ve lost and more. The reason is most of the approaches we use to drop pounds in a hurry cannot be maintained for long periods of time. As a result, we eventually go back to our own ways. Because our metabolism has probably dropped, thanks to the quick weight loss, we actually will end up gaining more weight faster. By changing your lifestyle – eating healthier, more balanced meals and being more active – you will be starting habits that will be effective for the long haul.

Moving Towards Eating Disorders

If you become desperate for fast weight loss, you’re more likely to try some dangerous routes to achieve this goal, such as starving yourself, purging after meals, or using laxatives or other products to help you eliminate the food you do eat. While you may lose weight, you’ll also be jeopardizing your healthy and paving the way for the development of a full-blown eating disorder down the road.