Why is it unhealthy to lose 10-15 pounds a week?

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Friend says it is but I don't see why and I need to lose around 80 more so I'll be 180 at 6'3" I don't have years I want to be attractive and find lady before I'm 30

It's not healthy because the weight loss is your body cannibalizing itself. On a normal weight loss regime, one where you're actually eating, the old/dead cells in your body are being broken down and replaced by new cells from the food you're eating. If you're not eating, you're just breaking down the old dead stuff without replacing it with anything, and you'll eventually suffer from malnutrition, weakened immune system, and if doing it long enough, death. Not to mention that the body will cannibalize muscle (a fat burner) first, and fat (energy storage) last, meaning you'll lose all the muscle first, and then be stuck with all the fat, which at that point burns exceptionally slow because your body moves into starvation zone and conserves as much energy as possible. Once you start eating a normal diet again, you'll gain more weight than you had because you've eliminated all the muscle (muscles burn fat even when you're not actively working), left all the fat, and since you're in starvation mode, all new calories for a while will be converted to fat. It's just really not a good idea, do it the only way that works: balanced diet, increased exercise, over a long period of time (after 6 months of moderate working out and diet you'll notice a significant change).

I'm eating 1200-1600 calories and wouldnkeep doing that I'd just add working out

I dont know if I can keep going for more then 6 months. Life is bleak it's been bleak for 29 years and I can't keep going for much longer

I would say your main problem stems from depression then, and not physical appearance. If you do the hard work of working out and moderate diet, you WILL see results, if you see results you'll feel better and if you feel better you'll continue doing the things (exercise and diet) that make you feel good. Just don't expect results right when you snap your fingers, keeping your body in shape is hard work, that's what makes it worthwhile because any increases in health you know you've earned.

This is pretty spot on. I would like to add that if you go super low(which you already are doing), I would keep my protein intake high, to limit loss of muslce and bone mass.

I lost 15 pounds last month. For lunch I eat protein bar and shake. I also started taking daily vitamin pill. Ideally at the min I'd want to lose 20 pounds a week.
When I tried to join the marines they put me in a 1600 calories diet and told me to walk a lot. Was 4 400 calories meals. I'm doing 3 meals. Breakfast is 383, lunch is 390 leaving me 800 or less for dinner(dinner food tends to be more calories

It's about the other end then: exercise. If you're looking at losing fat weight obviously cardio is key, but it's not the only aspect (which a lot of people forget), it also takes muscle building (lifting weights is still the best approach imo). The only thing I'd like to add is move the calorie intake to 2000, that's the daily recommended for an adult male approx. 6 foot 200 lbs. You're over that threshold, meaning your body is burning probably closer to 2300-2400 calories a day. You'll be able to stick with the diet longer if it's less aggressive, and your body will feel better while you're losing weight if it's less aggressive. And I can't stress this enough: patience is the key. Stick with it and ask here for support if you need it (preferably ask before you go on an eating bender that sabotages the diet, not after). Good luck!

I'm currently not excising and at 2000 a day. I gained weight. I'd really like a gf soon asp and guess I'm super fat even though I'm half the size of a lot of people. So I need to loose 100+ pounds asap. Under 5 months is my goal I'm tired of being alone. There's some days I over eat and go near 2000 or more cause I lose motivation cause I'm depressed and say what's the freaking point. Honestly I doubt it'll help I'll still be super ugly and worthless

Just because you gained weight, doesn't mean you gained fat. Please don't use a scale to measure, I guarantee you that you didn't gain fat, that's physically impossible on 2000 calories for your size.

If you MUST use your scale, weigh yourself everyday, and then calculate the average for the week, and compare week to week. There's no use in being impatient, or freaking out because your body holds a bit of extra water.

That's not mathematically possible. Some wrestlers have tried to push themselves to that extent to make weigh-in and died; I saw it in some kind of documentary show about interesting ways people have wound up dead.

How'd they die was it painful?

Didn't think my first post here would be regarding fat loss but I happen to have a lot of experience so here goes

Firstly, losing 10-15lb a week is near impossible (after the first week, where you lose ~7-8 lbs of bowel content and water that was held by your emptying glucose reservoir - all of that will be restored once you stop a crash diet, that's normal).

In order to lose 1lb you need to save (= burn but not replenish/eat) 3500 kcal. This means if you save 500 kcal a day you will lose a lb a week. In order to lose 10 lbs of fat a week you would need to save 5000 kcal a day. That means no food but vigorous workout. That's extremely unhealthy.

Losing weight is like keeping a budget. There are many calculators in the net which let you calculate your expense and many apps and websites that help you keep track of your intake.

There are a few things to keep in mind: to prevent excessive muscle loss eat protein rich foods and do strength exercises. You don't have to work out much but it's a good way to burn extra calories (provided you do not eat more afterwards because you "earned it") and improve overall health. Don't be afraid to reduce intake considerably (like -1000 kcal/day) if you're obese but do not fast for a longer period of time! If you go low on intake, do it under medical supervision! Weigh and measure your food at least a few times and to get a grip on how many calories they actually have. People are terrible at estimating amounts. Count the bites, too. Chances are that you eat more than you think.

Look here for more info: acaloriecounter dot com - there's a lot of free info there, scientifically proven facts. It's often uncomfortable to read (because everyone likes to hold on to comfortable myths whether they admit it or not) but it's helpful.

Aside from that: being lean does improve health and wellness. But it is NOT a prerequisite for a girlfriend and getting things will not automatically get you one! Working on your apparent depression will be more helpful with that (and having a gf will not solve this problem anyway).

Gone to the gym twice. My boots are not helping much and I'm really tired after later in the day I hope I'll be able to make it thruough work still. I also am a bit disoriented immediately after the tread mill stops and I walk off it.

I am no health professional here but i think losing that much in a week is fine for a morbid obese person but not for anyone who is much smaller. It's always amazing how quickly morbid obese people can drop their weight after they change their eating habits with support. But for someone who is 200 lbs that wouldn't be healthy at all not would it be healthy for my husband at 258 lbs. I read somewhere it's very easy to drop the weight the heavier you are and the more you weigh less the harder it is because it slows down. Yeah I have only dropped 14 lbs in 6 months since I have started working out and I started at 134 lbs. Now I am trying to maintain my weight so i wouldn't keep dropping.


The reason why its unhealthy to lose that much weight so quickly for someone your size is because you just gain it right back and it's water weight you're losing. But you can gain it right back no matter how slowly you lose weight because people slip back into their old habits and the weight goes back on. If you have managed to keep your weight off for over five years, you're the minority.


To lose the weight, you need to cut back on drinks and only stick with water and make your portions smaller and pay attention to how many calories are in the food and cut back on junk food and no more snacking. You will always feel hungry because your belly wouldn't be used to having less food so it will take time for it to shrink like mine has. And you have to stick with this diet for life to keep the weight off. It's okay to cheat sometimes because you won't put on weight overnight. Exercising doesn't make you lose weight, eating less calories does than your body uses. Exercising just helps you burn more and fat and also help you get in shape and tone your body and build muscle and I say it helps you maintain your weight so you can eat more but because you are trying to lose weight, you can't eat more.


I still lost weight after working in the gym three times a week for a half hour. Now I only go twice a week spending two hours total there. I do some work outs in my bedroom for half hour a day and an hour a day on the weekends. You don't need to spend hours at the gym nor spend hours doing work outs. Just cut back on calories you will lose the weight. You just need to watch what you eat and limit sweets and coffee and stuff if you buy them from coffee places or fast food. Limit any calorie drinks. Switch to sugar free foods and low fat or non fat for less calories. I never really counted calories except limiting sweets and I don't really drink any calories so I didn't have to cut back on liquids. I also made my portions smaller.

Went from almost last hole on my belt to the first .

I need to lose at least about four inches off my waist.