Safe Weight Loss is not 30lbs in 3 weeks
Most experts say that loosing 2-3 pounds a week is optimal weight loss that is safe and healthy. If you loose weight too quickly there is a possibility to send your body into shock from it in a worst case scenario. Most cases if you starve your body of calories it needs, your body will hold onto the fat stores it has and start eating at the muscles itself which is not what you want.
My personal weight loss issues are feeling like a yo-yo over the past year. I got pregnant in August 2007 and weighed approximately 255lbs. By the beginning of October 2007 I weighed in at 230lbs and my doctors started taking my complaints seriously. I was having severe morning sickness but it didn't feel 100% like morning sickness to me. I'd been pregnant before and had morning sickness with my son for 7 of the 10 months I was pregnant with him so I know what morning sickness felt like. I had all my thyroid functions tested at the beginning of September and had slightly elevated Free T4 levels which can indicate hyperthyroid or over medication of Synthroid, the thyroid replacement medication for those who do not produce it on their own. Fast forward to October and the level I had pulled in the ER after my hands were shaking so bad I couldn't write anything legibly. My Free T4 level was at 4.0 which is double the regular top end amount of 2.0. I was ordered to stop all Synthroid since until this moment I had always been hypothyroid due to having half of it removed in 2004. I was tested that day for Grave's Disease antibodies and was "grossly positive" when just 10 months prior I had been positive for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which causes hypothyroid unless during a flare up. This condition is rare by being only with 1 out of 200,000 people. Now that week I was started on the anti-thyroid medications and found out I am allergic to both of them so these were not an option to control the disease. Hop to January 2008 when the other half of the defunct thyroid was removed. At that point I was at my lowest weight of 188lbs which was a 67lbs weight loss in less than 24 weeks. There were weeks there where I lost 10lbs at a time. I felt like I was dying and there were periods where I thought I would end up in the hospital due to this thing being out of my control.The extreme weight loss that quickly made me both hyper active and feeling like I was going to crash and burn if I slowed down. I also felt like it was slowly driving me crazy. If anyone asks me if loosing 10lbs a week is a good thing I would honestly answer that it is never a good thing to loose that much weight that quickly because there are serious side effects and potential life threatening complications.
Some dos and don'ts to weight loss:
Don't Starve yourself. You need to eat in order to help your metabolism to stay the same instead of causing it to go into hibernation.
Do eat regular meals. For maximum weight loss you should eat smaller meals more often during the day. A recommendation is 6 small meals. A portion is approximately the size of your fist and anything bigger than that is excess. If you are eating out at a restaurant you can divide the meal in half and have it immediately boxed up so you do not have the temptation to over eat.
Don't assume that diet or exercise alone will get you to your goal. You need to be doing both together in order to achieve maximum weight loss.
Do drink plenty of water. Even-though most weight seems to be water weight, don't skimp on the water because it helps boost your energy and curbs your appetite when drank.
I would say a realistic goal for a three week period would be 10lbs. If you cut out all the sodas and fast food you have the potential to loose that much in such a short amount of time. I hope you meet your goal and stay healthy while doing it.
