The Dangerous Trend of Using Wrong Ways for Weight Loss

It seems like everyone wants to lose weight these days. From detox teas, to diet pills, to new workout plans that promise to shed pounds quickly and efficiently, with minimal effort from you. There’s only one problem with this – one major problem, actually. Many of these approaches are in fact quite dangerous and may harm your health. Read on to find out the many ways your weight loss efforts might be harming you, and see our simple solution!

Dangerous Way #1: Detox Teas and “Cleanses”

Many of these detox teas and cleanses promise that you will shed a few pounds each and every week. It seems easy enough – when using detox teas, you drink one of them (or maybe two, depending on the plan you’re on) at some point during your day and let them work their “magic,” and with cleanses, you drink whatever concoction your cleanse plan allows and skip food altogether.

The detox teas are definitely less dangerous than cleanses, but keep in mind that you may fall into the trap of thinking that your weight loss goals will be most easily achieved by replacing a meal with a detox tea. That kind of thinking may help your weight loss goals in the short term but will likely hurt your health in the long term. Is it really worth the risk?

Cleanses take the idea behind detox teas one step further: don’t eat anything and drink lots of water (or tea, or broth, or a particular kind of juice – it all depends on what kind of plan you were thinking of following). Based on the principles of fasting (which can actually be a healthy and beneficial practice, if properly done), cleanses promise to melt pounds and cure belly bloat. The only problem is, your body will be very unhappy with not being properly fueled with healthy foods, so you’ll likely feel sluggish and fatigued. It’s also really hard to stay on a cleanse as the delicious foods you come across during your day will certainly tempt you. In the end, cleanses can harm your health because you’re not nourishing your body with the proper nutrients, and any weight loss effects you notice will likely disappear as soon as the cleanse is over.

Dangerous Way #2: Diet Pills

Much like detox teas, diet pills promise quick effects on your waistline, either through curbing your appetite, helping speed up your metabolism, or stopping fat from being absorbed into your body. Sounds promising, right? Unfortunately, these kinds of pills are mostly hype, and even when they do have some effect on your body, you have to remember the possible cost to your health.

In many cases, this health cost will be associated with the decrease in healthy foods you’re consuming, or with the effects on your metabolism. Likewise, diet pills may also encourage unhealthy eating behaviors, which can lead to a variety of problems down the line. Point is, diet pills are not the way to healthy and effective weight loss.

Dangerous Way #3: Over-exercising

You know that working out is good for you, and that it can have great impacts on your physique, so it makes sense to think that the more you work out, the greater those positive effects of exercise. Sadly, that’s not true – in fact, working out too much, or over-exercising, will likely have adverse health effects. When you over-exercise, you end up exhausting your body, and your muscles don’t have a chance to properly recover from all the work they’ve been doing. Additionally, many people choose to significantly reduce their caloric intake in an effort to speed up their weight loss. This can have very negative consequences, as an exhausted and starving body is not a healthy one.

So, what can I do?

Great question! Remember that exercising is indeed healthy for you, when done in moderation and when you keep your own level of fitness in mind. That being said, everyone can benefit from low-impact workouts that stretch and tone your muscles while focusing on relaxation and de-stressing. In today’s busy world, that is definitely something positive! The new work out you’ve been looking for to help you regain your health and whittle your waist might just be as simple as hopping into your neighborhood yoga class.

Yoga is an amazing choice for almost anyone looking to gain fitness and strengthen their body, and it has a positive impact on your weight loss goals. Not only will you be trimming down, you’ll also be helping to keep your body healthy! That’s certainly a win-win.

Of course, anyone who wants to practice yoga, for weight loss or other reasons, will need the proper gear. Comfort is key here, as yoga requires unrestricted movement. Therefore, we suggest finding clothes that are somewhat form-fitting, but not so much so that they will restrict movement or cause discomfort. Find yourself a comfy t-shirt or other workout top, and a great pair of yoga pants, or maybe several! As you become a yoga fanatic, you’ll surely want to expand your collection, and you’ll likely want to buy several pairs of leggings. Find one for every mood and have fun exploring the amazing world of yoga for health!