But many health care providers agree that a medical evaluation is called for if you lose more than 5% of your weight in 6 to 12 months, especially if you're an older adult. For example, a 5% weight loss in someone who is 160 pounds (72 kilograms) is 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms).
If you're losing weight without trying and you're concerned about it, consult your health care provider. As a rule of thumb, losing more than 5% of your weight over 6 to 12 months may indicate a problem.
It might be caused by a stressful event like a divorce, losing a job, or the death of a loved one. It can also be caused by malnutrition, a health condition or a combination of things.
According to the American Cancer Society, significant weight loss happens most often with cancers that affect the stomach, pancreas, esophagus and lung.
Rapid weight loss usually occurs from extreme calorie deprivation, for example, people who go from eating 3,000 to 1,200 calories a day, says Gans. Trouble is, our body recognizes this as a sign of limited food supply and goes into starvation mode.
The thyroid produces certain hormones that regulate the body's metabolism, so an excess of these hormones often causes the body to burn more energy than usual. Burning more energy and calories can lead to unintentional or unexplained weight loss. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include: fatigue.
Rapid weight loss diet is a type of diet in which you lose more than 2 pounds (1 kilogram, kg) a week over several weeks.
Weight loss of 10 pounds or more, or five percent of body weight, over a period of 6 to 12 months is considered “unexplained.” Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of a serious condition or illness.
On average, it's not uncommon to lose 10 to 15 percent of your overall body weight due to anxiety and the chronic stress it causes. Always talk with your doctor if you've lost a lot of weight in a hurry.
Even a modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of your total body weight is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, a 5% weight loss is 10 pounds, bringing your weight down to 190 pounds.
An aggressive calorie deficit is anything more than 30% of your current maintenance calories.
Researchers found that when dieters cut back on sleep over a 14-day period, the amount of weight they lost from fat dropped by 55%, even though their calories stayed equal. They felt hungrier and less satisfied after meals, and their energy was zapped.
Increase your calorie intake.
One way you can stop losing weight is to increase the amount of calories you eat each day. You should consume at least 1200 calories each day. Try tracking your calorie intake each day using a calorie tracker app, and then add a couple hundred calories each day.
POTENTIAL NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF RAPID WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGIES
One potentially serious side effect is severe dehydration. Research indicates that even a 2% drop in water weight can lead to increased mental fatigue, sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, and apathy (10,19,38).
Yes, rapid weight loss can make you sick. It can result in nutrient deficiencies, electrolyte imbalance, fatigue, metabolic changes, dehydration etc. However, weight loss is essential for obese people for maintaining proper health.
The majority of cancer patients lose weight at some point in the course of the disease. Weight is sometimes the sign that leads someone to get diagnosed with cancer, but it may occur at any time, such as during treatment or in the advanced stages. Your eating habits may change.
Not all cancer patients lose a lot of weight. In fact, there are some cancers that result in weight gain during treatment. Certain types of chemotherapy, hormone therapy and medicines, such as steroids, can cause the body to retain fluids or increase a patient's appetite so that they eat more, causing weight gain.
Cardiac cachexia is a condition that can happen to people who have heart failure. It means you lose a serious amount of body fat, muscle, and bone. Doctors often call this “body wasting.” Once it begins, you can't reverse it simply by eating more.
The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips, Dr. Block explains.
Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.