Losing Too Much Weight In A Short Period Of Time Can Result in Bone Problems

Last Updated on 2022-03-17 , 5:02 pm

Everybody wants to lose weight.

You can live longer, look better and have a better chance of escaping the #foreveralone group.

That’s why we’re all so addicted to transformation videos online.

And typically, we’re not that interested in losing weight over 10 years. We want quick, fast results.

Instant gratification, some might call it.

Which is why we love stuff like lose a 100lbs in 3 months, lose half your own bodyweight in a year, and stuff like that.

And we try to achieve that ourselves.

But did you know that these kinds of weight loss can actually cause you more harm in the long run?

Losing Too Much Weight Can Mean Bone Problems in the Future

According to Dr Henry Chan, an orthopaedic surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Orchard, the downside of losing weight is bone loss.

He said that excessive weight loss will make your body go into the catabolic (deconstruction) state.

This means that your body will start to lose bone substance instead of repairing and building them.

An Estimated 16.5g of Bone is Lost With Every 1KG of Fat Lost

In a study conducted back in 2006 in the US, it was found that people who diet and successfully lost weight also lost bone in the following areas:

• Spine
• Hips
• Upper Legs

These areas, incidentally, are the ones most prone to fracturing as well.

And the worst part is, it could already be happening in your body. You just wouldn’t know until later in life when accidents occur.

So, does that mean that you cannot lose weight?

Nope, you’re still able to.

But the keyword here is not to overdo things, but to keep the progress gradual. If you keep things sensible and listen to the following tips, you can lose weight without losing your life.

1. Don’t Follow Crash Diets

People say that you are what you eat.

Exercising 24 hours a day can help you lose weight, but if your eating habit consists of six McDonald’s burgers a day, then you’re not going to see much weight loss.

Which is why some people tend to go all crazy over diets out there.

You can diet, just make sure not to overdo things.

A short-term diet to fit into a new top is okay, but if you deprive yourself of calories for more than a few weeks, you’re going to see some long-term damage to your bones.

The best way is to start eliminating added sugars, snacks and carbonated drinks from your diet.

Lose weight through a sensible diet and exercise so that your body has time to adapt.

2. Calculate Your BMI

Weight isn’t an accurate indicator of your health. Calculate using your BMI instead.

The healthy range of BMI is from 18 to 23. So if you’re looking to lose weight, make sure you don’t go below the “18” mark.

If not, you’re at the “high risk” group. Not a good place to be at, for sure.

3. Eat All Your Necessary Nutrients

A good diet isn’t just about depriving yourself. It’s also about getting all the necessary nutrients for your body to repair and rejuvenate itself.

Dietary Calcium

According to NIH, your daily dietary calcium requirement is about 1,000 mg per day.

One way to get this amount is to drink two glasses of low-fat milk and a serving of calcium-rich non-dairy food like spinach and tofu.

Vitamin D

Here’s where you can find some of that awesome D.

Simply get between five to thirty minutes of sun exposure in the early morning twice a week.

Eat fatty fish like salmon and mackerel.

You can also find Vitamin D in products like milk, juice and cereal.

Protein

This is the penicillin of your body. Protein is used to repair the wear-and-tear of your body, and it can help preserve bone density while losing weight.

You can get them from lean meat and low-fat dairy products.

And as a bonus, you can preserve muscle mass, lower blood sugar and reduce fat within the tummy.

4. Exercise

And finally, get your body moving.

Do activities like jogging, walking or strength training.

These activities put stress on your bones, which helps to trigger bone-forming cells to work.

If you are unsure whether the activity you want to get into will result in weaker bones, check in with a doctor first before beginning.

The TL; DR

Okay, it’s a bit counterproductive to put the TL; DR right at the bottom.

But hey, if you just skimmed through everything above, here’s what you really need to know.

Losing an excessive amount of weight within a short period of time is not healthy, despite how you’ll look after.

But a gradual weight loss, resulting from a combination of a sensible diet and moderately intense workouts, while slower, will result in a healthier you.

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