Quick fixes: are quick crashes. It is possible to lose weight quickly but without an overall plan and change in lifestyle, the weight comes back on when you resume your bad habits.
If the extra weight a person carries is in ripping lean muscle, I think there is no cause for complain and no adverse health implications. Unfortunately, this extra weight is usually in the form of adipose tissue, also known as fat.
The amount of fat cells a person has is usually fixed by the time he/she is past puberty. However the size of the fat cell is not fixed and can be influenced by accumulation (lipogenesis) or breakdown (lipolysis).
It is possible to lose weight fast, but there are consequences.
Liposuction - this is a surgical procedure to suck out the fat cells from the body. This is not a reduction in the size of the fat cell, but the removal of the fat cells. There is considerable downtime (4 weeks) needed for the body to recover from the procedure. Besides the bruises and having to wear a girdle post-procedure (if the liposuction was done in the abdominal area), the biggest drawback is this does not correct the underlying unhealthy dietary/physical lifestyle. When the person returns to his previous eating habits and sedentary lifestyle, the fat comes back on. Since you can't grow new fat cells, this means the fat cells in other places of the body grow in size to store the extra calories. This results in a body shape that is lumpy in all the strange places (think of cheeks, neck, underarms, nipples.....)
mesotherapy - this involves the injection of a cocktail of pharmaceuticals into the areas where there is undesirable fat mass. This cocktail causes the cell walls of the fat cells to leak, thus releasing the fat into the bloodstream. The blood carries this to the liver where it is converted to bile salts and excreted out. This does not remove fat cells, it merely reduces the size. When you return to your bad eating habits, the fat goes right back in the same places. One dangerous issue is the type of pharmaceuticals used in the cocktail. Phosphatidylcholine (tradename: Lipostabil) is one of these and it is NOT APPROVED by the FDA for intravenous use. Going to an unscrupulous or shady clinic to have the injections done poses serious risk to your life (think of breast implants gone wrong and the resulting cancer or disfigurement).
Pill Popping : such as Xenical. Xenical is used to help obese people lose weight and maintain weight loss. Xenical works in your intestines, where it blocks some of the fat you eat from being absorbed. This undigested fat is then eliminated as shit. You will pass oily shit or leak oil from your anus. The weight management effects of Xenical continue only as long as you are taking it.
Pill Popping : such as CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). CLA has more hype than it's worth. It's touted as the miracle hollywood fat metabolizer. There are concerns that the use of CLA may actually cause insulin resistance, leading to an increased risk for developing diabetes. A US Department of Agriculture(2006) study shows some highly worrying effects of CLA: it can dramatically induce essential fatty acid redistribution (DHA and AA) in various organ tissues. The same study raises the concern that it might pose significant risks, especially regarding cardiovascular health and inflammatory diseases
These quick fixes are generally not sustainable over the long term nor without its side effects. If you are 25 years old and obese, would you want to pop pills for the next 55 years or would you rather turn your life around ?
The key to successful weight management lies in :
- A sustainable healthy lifestyle
- Determination to see it through
- Time and Patience
A sustainable healthy lifestyle involves eating right and getting the proper amounts of physical activity; it does not involve quick fixes. There are numerous guides to eating right ... even in the context of Singapore's hawker center food. You need to get out more and engage in physical activities such as brisk walking, stair climbing, swimming, running etc.
You must have the determination to see it through. Determination is assisted by sustainability. If something is doable even over long periods, then it becomes easier to keep at it. Otherwise you'll give up halfway and all the weight goes back on.
You need to be patient and give it time. You cannot lose 5 kg in 1 week; you'll suffer serious blood pressure problems, giddiness, irritability and others. The axiom is, if you lose it fast you will gain it fast. A 0.5kg to 1kg weight loss (4500 kcal to 9000 kcal) over a 1 week period is reasonable. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends the weight loss should not exceed 1 kg per week. The Botak Ah Soh Beauty and Health Spa Center would have you believe you can lose 3kg a week using their herbal body wraps.
