Alyssa Ridenour
reporter@greenepublishing.com
In today's society, the focus leans heavily on social media. People go to great lengths to look good and feel comfortable in their own skin. However, the image of “beauty” that is perpetuated in the media is, in a sense, unrealistic. Women look at magazine covers and social media posts, and they see women with perfect skin, flat tummies, big lips, long hair and flawless makeup. However, the majority of these pictures are heavily photoshopped, and some models are even underweight. This leads heavier set women and healthy women to feel that they need to shed weight as fast as possible. However, this is not healthy. Here's what you need to know when trying to lose weight, according to multiple online sources.
1. Weight loss takes time. It is not a 90-day process.
Many women think that the faster they lose weight, the better they are doing on their diet or exercise routine. However, losing weight too fast can be detrimental to your health and can cause muscle loss, hair loss, headaches, irritability, dizziness, fatigue, constipation and menstrual irregularities.
2. Be careful when dieting. Do your research now, not later.
Dieting without properly researching is also a dangerous game. Make sure that you research thoroughly before following through with a diet plan. What kind of diet are you going on? There's the ketogenic diet, the paleo diet, the Atkins diet and dozens more. Figure out which one will be best for you. Take into consideration your overall health and body type. Will it remove any necessary nutrients from your diet? Taking a daily multivitamin may help your body handle the changes. Does your chosen diet cause an increase in sodium consumption? If so, make sure to drink plenty of water.
3. Calories still count, no matter what diet you choose.
Some diets will claim that if you eat certain types of food and avoid others, that you can eat as many calories as you want. However, this is false and may cause you to keep the weight or even gain more. If you do not burn more calories than you eat, you cannot lose weight.
4. Don't overdo it.
Many people will overwork themselves when exercising to lose weight. This can cause issues such as hormonal dysfunction, anorexia, impaired metabolism, lowered immunity and cardiovascular stress.
5. You still need to eat.
Many people who have allowed their physical health to take a toll on their mental health end up feeling guilty after eating. This can cause bulimia, an eating disorder where people will throw up after eating. It is often accompanied by periods of not eating at all, followed by short bursts of binge eating.
6. Trust the process.
Losing weight is hard, and it takes time. You cannot lose too fast or your body will pay for it. According to research, losing one or two pounds a week is considered healthy weight loss, and anything more than that may be a cause for concern.