Is it true the faster you lose weight the quicker it comes back? Here’s what we know about slow and fast weight loss

But expert guidelines usually recommend slower weight loss to treat weight loss obesity. This is consistent with the prevailing view that rapid weight loss is regained more quickly.

Slow weight loss is generally seen as better for your health and more sustainable.

Many “fastest way to lose weight” programs are fad diets that severely restrict calories or eliminate certain foods.

But does slow and steady really win the weight loss race? Or is rapid weight loss just as effective and safe? Governing bodies typically recommend a weight loss of 0.5 to 1 kilogram each week, which can be defined as slow weight loss.

So rapid weight loss – also called “rapid weight loss” – is losing more than 1 pound per week over several weeks.

There are several well-conducted studies examining different approaches.

One study randomized 200 people to lose weight quickly or slowly — 12 weeks versus 36 weeks — with the goal of a 15 percent weight reduction.

The rapid weight loss group was placed on a very low-energy diet using meal replacements, including shakes, soups, and soups, three times a day. The slow weight loss group in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating was advised to aim to eat 500 calories fewer than those used for energy (creating a calorie deficit) each day. They also used one or two meal replacements daily.

About 50 percent of the slow weight loss group and 81 percent of the rapid weight loss group achieved 12.5 percent or more weight loss during this period.

After this initial phase, those who lost 12.5 percent or more were placed in a Weight maintenance diet for approximately 2.75 years.

While restrictive diets can bring quick results, studies show that they can come with adverse effects. (Source: Getty Images)

By the three-year mark, 76 percent of those in the slow weight loss group and the same percentage of those in the rapid weight loss group had regained the weight lost.

So, it doesn’t matter whether they lost it slowly or quickly, they still gained the weight back.

However, there is another study done on 101 Postmenopausal women It found that rapid weight loss produced better results than the slow weight loss group at the three-year mark.

But there are other factors to consider, aside from weight loss, when it comes to different ways to lose weight — such as changes in body composition and bone mineral density.

This is best characterized by a large meta-analysis. This type of study combines the results of all previous well-conducted studies on this topic.

While this analysis found that the magnitude of weight loss was similar for both approaches, slow weight loss produced better results than rapid weight loss in terms of metabolism Or how many calories we burn at rest.

There were no differences in the amount of lean mass or muscle mass lost between the slow and fast weight loss groups. However, slower weight loss resulted in a greater reduction in fat mass and thus an improvement in the fat-to-muscle ratio.

Slow weight loss also appears to be better for bone density, because rapid weight loss results in a twice the rate of bone loss and puts a person at increased risk for osteoporosis, or osteoporosis.

Research shows that it doesn’t matter what kind of macronutrient diet you follow – moderate or High protein dietLow or high carbohydrate diet Low or high fat diet. All diet approaches achieve similar weight loss results.

The same can be said for trendy ways to cut calories from the diet, such as intermittent fasting.

Research has shown that such diets do not produce any better weight loss results than any of their predecessors. This is because our bodies are very good at protecting against weight loss.

your metabolism

When you lose large amounts of weight, your resting metabolism — the energy you burn at rest — will decrease. Keeping your resting metabolism high is essential for weight maintenance. Unfortunately, once it slows down, your resting metabolic rate does not recover to the level it was before dieting even after the weight is regained.

However, research has confirmed that slow weight loss maintains your resting metabolic rate compared to rapid weight loss. As with a weight loss program that includes exercise rather than a program focused on diet alone.

Side effects

While restrictive diets can bring quick results, studies show that they can come with adverse effects. This includes an increased risk of developing gallstones and deficiencies that can lead to poor immune function, fatigue and low bone density. Such restrictive diets can make it difficult to meet your nutritional needs.

sustainability

Many fast weight loss diets restrict or exclude foods required for long-term health. Carbs are often banned, but whole grain carbs are an essential source of them feed, which helps in weight loss and disease prevention. Also, including meal replacements as part of a restricted diet is not sustainable for long.

No matter how you lose weight, it is very difficult to maintain the losses. Our bodies work to keep our weight around a set point by adjusting our biological systems and forcing a series of physiological changes within the body to ensure that the weight we lose is regained. This stems from our hunter-gatherer ancestors, whose bodies evolved this survival response to adapt to periods of deprivation when food was scarce.

Successful long-term weight loss is due to: 1. Following evidence-based programs based on what we know about the science of obesity 2. Losing weight under the supervision of qualified healthcare professionals 3. Making gradual changes in your lifestyle – diet, exercise and sleep – to ensure Form healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Center, we study the science of obesity and run clinical trials for weight loss. You can register for free here to express your interest.

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