Summer is just around the corner, and that means a lot of people want to lose those few remaining pounds fast. The internet is full of diet tips and charts like ‘lose 2 kilos in a week’, but how (un)healthy is it actually to lose so much weight in a short time? We explain it to you.
Sounds like a sweet promise, that 2 kilos a week, but will you stay at your ideal weight in the long run?
Losing 2 kilos in a week: a good idea or not?
It sounds too good to be true: losing 2 kilos in a week. However, that promise often comes with fairly strict diet plans or extreme rules that you have to stick to. That’s why, according to dietitian Maine Warmerdam, it’s not a good idea. She explains that you might be able to lose weight with this in no time, but your body can get quite disoriented. The body needs time to get used to the change, and if you want to lose a lot of weight very, very quickly, it will not do your weight any good.
yo-yo effect
There are many diets that will help you lose a lot of pounds in a very short time. Such an extreme eating schedule is also known as a strict diet. In such a situation, your body goes into saving mode, while it needs energy from food when you are on the move. If you want to lose 2kg in a week with such a harsh diet and then start eating normally again, all those lost kilos will be added up soon.
We call this the yo-yo effect. Even after a year of strict dieting, the body can still demand more food. This is because your body feels that it needs to return to balance by returning to your old weight.
Less weight loss in saving mode
The Consumers Association also explains in an article that if you suddenly start eating much less to lose a lot of kilograms in a short time, your body will try to conserve as much energy as possible. Switches to power saving mode. Because your body is trying to protect its fat stores, you lose less weight. Proteins are burned out of your muscles and muscle tissue is reduced as a result.
Read also: How many calories should you eat per day as a woman to lose weight (healthy!)
gradual weight loss
Dietitian Warmerdam explains that you lower your thermostat as it was. If you can no longer maintain such a harsh diet, it will become difficult for your body to lose weight again. According to her, the secret to successful weight loss is to make gradual adjustments, rather than changing course all at once. This way your body can gradually get used to your new weight.
sustainable weight loss
Do you want to lose weight sustainably? Then losing half a kilo to one kilo per month is more permanent, according to the nutritionist. If you want to lose weight, it is healthy to lose a maximum of 5 to 10 percent of your total weight annually. So losing 2 kilos in a week is very ambitious and also ineffective.
Do you want to lose a lot of weight in a short time because summer is just around the corner? Then your dietitian will advise you to buy a bikini or swimwear in which you feel comfortable. It’s especially important to feel comfortable in your own body, rather than getting lost in drastic weight loss schedules to live up to a certain beach ideal.
source | Consumers AssociationAnd the Responsible weight loss
picture | Getty Images
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