> Losing too much weight too quickly, with or without the help of a drug, can be very unhealthy.
Is there evidence to back this up? It sounds reasonable, especially without a limit on "too quickly" but (anecdata incoming) I'm curious because:
- When I first tried a low-carb diet (for non-weight reasons) I lost about thirty pounds in under three months without really trying, and hit something like 12% bodyfat
- When I started intermittent fasting (mostly unrelated to weight) I again lost about thirty pounds, this time in a little over three months, and probably ended up around 15% bodyfat
- Since then I found that neither low-carb nor intermittent fasting had a significant effect on my weight, so:
- When my doctor suggested I lose some weight I pretty forcibly calorie restricted, and lost about thirty pounds over four months (only down to about 20-something % that time)
- And just recently, for cholesterol, I've done it again and lost 25 pounds so far in something under three months.
...and as far as I know I haven't suffered any ill effects. I have a concept 2 rowing machine, and I just rowed my slowest 10K ever :-/ but I did row a 10K, and I am in significant calorie deficit, and I probably have lost a fair bit of muscle along with fat, and I have been away from the rower for several months, so all up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
All of which to ask, what evidence do you have, and what's "too quickly"?
Anecdotally (but in line with what I read about this), I got gallstones after getting rid of 30 kgs in about 6 months, which is too fast for losing a third of your body weight. Since I had a scan before starting the diet for unrelated reasons, I'm sure they weren't there before.
1. I can't speak to that, no analysis here and the time frame (the low carb thing was back around 2008) is too long for meaningful comparison.
2. Maybe? For normal things, not really, but when I try to row for an hour I feel it. I definitely get cold more easily.
3. I'm not built that way. The low carb thing was completely annoyance-free. As I said, the goal there wasn't weight loss, but raising my HDL; the weight literally came off by accident. Intermittent fasting doesn't bother me at all. Calorie restriction, which I generally do by A. going longer without food -- up to 2+ days; and B. eating less/less carb-rich/processed foods; can be somewhat unpleasant if I push it too hard, but I generally don't. Some days I'm feeling it (in a good way) so I go longer without food, some days I'm not, and I don't sweat which is which much.
4. Generally not a factor for me.
4.1. Definitely not a factor. Two times like I said, weight loss wasn't really the goal, so not relevant; and two times I hit the goal I set (last time), or went further (this time).
4.2 Doesn't really apply, since I've never been visibly overweight? Like, my waist has never been close to half my height. I'm tall, so the large numbers aren't as much of a factor. Regaining weight has never happened to me faster than about 10 pounds/year (just a guesstimate).
The interesting thing will be once I stop losing weight and start rowing again seriously, can I get back to a reasonable performance level. Fingers crossed...
Is there evidence to back this up? It sounds reasonable, especially without a limit on "too quickly" but (anecdata incoming) I'm curious because:
...and as far as I know I haven't suffered any ill effects. I have a concept 2 rowing machine, and I just rowed my slowest 10K ever :-/ but I did row a 10K, and I am in significant calorie deficit, and I probably have lost a fair bit of muscle along with fat, and I have been away from the rower for several months, so all up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯All of which to ask, what evidence do you have, and what's "too quickly"?