Article by contributing author: Peter Hobbs (our comments in bold)

When people go on a diet for rapid weight loss, what they fail to understand that not only can it be unhealthy, the weight loss may stop before they reach their goal. That is the body’s natural protective instincts kicking in to protect itself from losing too much weight.

This is true. Your body notices very quickly that you are now dropping calories fast. So it starts to adjust. It uses less calories to do the same work it used to do. This is what causes plateaus in weight loss when you try a new diet, or program.

When a person embarks on a plan for rapid weight loss the first weight that will go away is typically water weight and if, for someone reason their efforts cease, the weight will quickly return as your body replenishes its water level. Additionally, unless a person achieving rapid weight loss does something to help strengthen their muscles, about a fourth of the weight loss will be muscle mass.

This is also true. Many people who start diets, not only cut back on foods, but also on water. Also, if they start exercising more intensely, they start to lose water more quickly. By not replacing this extra water loss, it looks like they may be losing fat, but they're not, they're just losing weight. You have to remember that weight is a combination of muscle, fat, water and all of your organs. Most people focus on losing weight, when really they want to lose fat. Its an important distinction that will help you make better choices when you go on a fat loss plan.

Too many times people undertake the effort for rapid weight loss and while losing weight initially, the last few pounds are more difficult to get rid of. The body’s protective mechanism will kick in and slow down the metabolism to save some of the weight it thinks it may need later. It has been shown over and over that when a person stops eating the body will start to worry about when the next meal will show up and begin to store fat for later use.

Loss Can Lead To Eating Disorders

While a few pounds lost very quickly probably will not have any long lasting effects, continued efforts of rapid weight loss has been linked to easting disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Additionally, the appearance of gall stones has been linked to sessions of rapid weight loss as well.

Doctors believe the healthiest approach to weight loss is to go slow and the rapid weight loss can lead to nutritional deficiencies as well as illness. Being able to lose two or three pounds a week is suggested and it should be done in a regimented fashion during which a balanced nutritional diet is supplemented by proper exercise and strength training.

This has been proven to be time and again, the best approach to long lasting weight loss. It does seem boring, and slow, but if you stick to it, its not. Losing even one pound a week for a whole year means you could lose up to 52 pounds. That's a lot by anyone's standards. And if you do it this way, it'll most likely be long lasting, which is the best part.

Metabolic enhancers and appetite suppressants are being used in combination by some people looking for rapid weight loss to stop their urge for caloric intake while keeping their metabolic run at its previous level, but a safer and healthier way is simply walking, which has been shown to help people lose up to two pounds per week without additional supplements.

Again, the simplest approach, that has worked for as long as man or woman has tried to lose weight is usually the best long term.

Extremely rapid weight loss has also been known to leave an excess of loose skin hanging from the body which, unless toned during the weight loss period, will remain once the weight is gone.