13 Most Unhealthy Ways to Lose Weight - Methods to Avoid

Weight loss is rarely straightforward. Between energy expenditure, calorie intakes, macronutrients, and a world of supplements, it can be a steep learning curve to shedding those extra pounds.

Sadly, this leads many to resort to unhealthy weight loss methods, in a desperate attempt to regain control. While these methods aid in weight reduction, their side effects can be detrimental to our physical and mental health.

In this article, we discuss the 13 most unhealthy ways to lose weight. We cover how to determine unhealthy nutrition practices, and risks, and highlight to healthy alternative for weight loss.

What Are Unhealthy Ways to Lose Weight?

Unhealthy weight loss refers to methods that help you reduce weight but at the cost of your health and well-being. These include severe calorie restriction, skipping meals, cutting out food groups, and consuming only liquids. This leads to a poor relationship between food, and nutrient deficiencies.

Defining Unhealthy Practices

Below, we discuss common unhealthy practices to help you avoid the quick fixes and fad diets.

Quick-Fix Promises

A dead giveaway for identifying unhealthy practices is the quick-fix promise. Like a sensationalized headline, these grab our attention and promise big weight loss quickly. However, if you look a little closer, the results don’t stick, often leading to weight regain.

Here is a list of common quick-fix promises:

• Lose 10 kilograms in 10 days
• Secret weight loss trick
• Weight loss superfood

Lack of Scientific Backing

An easy way to identify an unhealthy weight loss practice is when it lacks scientific backing. The weight loss and diet industry is built on these quick-fix claims. Advertising uses psychology to feed you dieting buzzwords, vague weight loss descriptions, and before and after photos to get you emotionally invested.

And you know what? They sadly work, as many of us long for successful weight loss.

But have you noticed how these often don’t display the research, and even when they do, there isn’t a shred of reputable evidence to support their claim?

This is a telltale sign of an unhealthy method that will not only negatively affect your health but also your bank account.

A good rule of thumb is if you are reading the copy page of their website and see nothing but claims of weight loss without evidence, close the window. Evidence is the biggest selling point of healthy weight loss methods. If it's not scientifically backed, it's not the real deal.

The 13 Most Unhealthy Ways to Lose Weight

Below, we discuss the most unhealthy ways to lose weight, detailing why they are ineffective, and how they affect your health.

1 – Overly Restricting Calories

One of the most unhealthy ways to naturally lose weight is severe calorie restriction. Likely the most evidence-based method on this list, this followed the principles of a calorie deficit but takes it to unhealthy levels.

Calorie deficits are essential for weight loss. They ensure that we are burning more calories than we are consuming. However, when our deficit is too big, it can lead to intense hunger, nutrient deficiencies, and health concerns, making it unsustainable long-term.

Furthermore, exercise during severe calorie deprivation can lead to impaired cognitive control, mood, and self-rated exertion which is how hard you think you are training.

2 – Skipping Meals

Under a similar umbrella as severe calorie restriction skipping meals aims to decrease food intake to lose weight.

We know what you are thinking, isn’t this the same as intermittent fasting?

In a way, yes. However, individuals who fast intermittently tend to pursue it alongside healthy nutrition practices. They plan their meals and aim to hit their calorie and macronutrient targets to ensure they are still feeding their body vital nutrients.

Meanwhile, meal skipping is done without planning and structure to reduce daily calorie intake. While this does create a calorie deficit and can help you lose weight, it reinforces poor nutrition habits and creates a bad relationship with food.

This can lead to rapid weight loss, however, it comes at the risk of weight regain, fatigue, dehydration, depressed immune function, reduced bone density, reduced muscle strength, nausea, cramps, headaches, and mood swings. This takes its toll on your mental and physical health.

3 – Replacing Meals with Shakes or Bars

Replacing meals with shakes and bars is an unhealthy weight-loss method that appears harmless, but can set us up for failure when we choose to come off them.

While they are great protein sources, they are far from balanced and offer only one part of the nutritional equation. When we rely on them solely to nourish our bodies, we forgo vital nutrients critical to our health and well-being.

Consuming shakes and bars also doesn’t teach us anything about correct nutrition. Eating a balanced diet containing complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats not only fuels our bodies with essential nutrients it educates us on nutrient-dense food sources, creating a positive relationship with food.

Protein supplements can be used to increase your protein intake. However, we recommend consuming them along with a balanced diet to ensure you meet your nutritional needs.

4 – Cutting Out Entire Food Groups

When it comes to unhealthy ways to lose weight, few methods take the cake like cutting our entire food groups. The cornerstone of the fad diet, entire food groups have been used as scapegoats for all your weight gain woes.

We want to preface this by saying that people do have dietary requirements that impact what they can consume. However, fad diets and unproven weight loss programs use this old chestnut to trick many unsuspecting people out of their money.

Like skipping meals and solely consuming protein supplements, cutting entire food groups can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Sure, cutting out grains, and dairy, or only consuming low-fat food can help you lose weight, however, if it’s not because of a dietary restriction, you are simply reducing your nutrient intake.

For example, when we cut our grains, we reduce complex carbohydrates which is our body’s primary fuel source, along with fiber, which is excellent for gut health and is associated with lower chronic illness. Meanwhile, cutting dairy reduces calcium which is essential for bone health.

Cutting food groups seems easy and can have encouraging signs of weight loss. However, over time it becomes a challenge due to restriction and the lack of essential nutrient intake, making it difficult to maintain long-term.

5 – Eating Too Much Protein

If you have trained in the gym or dieted in the past you may be guilty of overdoing it on the protein. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.

This is understandable as you’ve likely been told how important it is. However, there can be too much of a good thing. For example, while protein is essential for building muscle and improving satiety, consuming a high-protein diet for an extended period can place additional stress on the bones, kidneys, and liver.

Furthermore, protein while excellent for our health still contains calories, and when we consume too many we can exceed our daily calorie limit, leading to weight gain. Like replacing meals with shakes and bars, and focusing heavily on protein, we can forget to eat a balanced diet, leading to nutrient deficiencies.

The recommended daily is 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. Aim to eat 25–30 grams each meal. This is sufficient to build muscle and improve satiety, enhancing your weight loss potential.

6 – Exercising Too Long or Intensely

Up there with skipping meals, and extreme calorie restriction is exercising for too long at high intensities. Like all of these ways to lose weight, frequent, vigorous, and prolonged exercise can contribute to weight loss, however, it is simply unsustainable.

Often when people take on intense workout sessions, they are likely trying to burn off that 500-calorie packet of biscuits they inhale while watching their favorite show. This can work, however, it is inefficient, unsustainable, and when it is performed for an extended period can lead to negative health outcomes including:

• Musculoskeletal injuries
• Adverse cardiovascular effects
• Impaired immune function
• Chronic negative energy balance
• Osteoporosis
• Sleep disorder

A better approach is to eat the biscuits in moderation in line with your daily calorie limit. You see, your body has a resting energy expenditure, which is the amount of calories you burn each from simply existing. For women, this is approximately 2,000 calories per day. If we account for 100 calories of biscuits in our daily nutrition plan, our body will burn them without us lifting a finger.

7 – Going Gluten-Free Without a Medical Reason

Going gluten-free without a medical reason is closely related to omitting entire food groups. Gluten is a storage protein of wheat, rye, and barley, which can be harmful to those with celiac disease. In this instance, gluten can damage the small intestine lining, leading to inflammation and disruption of nutrient absorption.

Individuals without celiac disease can experience benefits and often have a better nutrition profile when going gluten-free. However, it is speculated that this is likely due to these individuals having better nutrition practices such as avoiding processed foods and eating a balanced diet.

Between 2009 to 2014 the relevance of celiac disease remained stable, while the number of people who avoid gluten (PWAG) tripled, with 72% of people who adhered to a gluten-free diet in 2014, which would be considered PAWG vs 44% in 2009.

This does not discount the feelings of many who still experience symptoms such as bloating, abdominal discomfort, flatulence, altered bowel habits, fatigue, and headaches. However, because of this, researchers propose that other compounds may cause these symptoms.

While practicing gluten-free may be beneficial, it deprives the body of complex carbohydrates, which are a major fuel source and dietary fiber.

8 – Overly Restricting Carbs

Eighth on this list, but probably one of the most ‘popular’ unhealthy ways to lose weight is overly restricting carbohydrates. Low-carb or carbohydrate-restrictive diets date back to 1860, and more recently 1972 have been used for weight loss.

Used for lowering insulin which produces a fat-storing state, to improve cardiometabolic function and induced weight loss, it can be used to improve our health. However, over the decades, it has been adopted by many seeking rapid weight loss.

This is because when carbohydrate intake is reduced, our muscle's stored energy known as glycogen decreases. Each gram of glycogen stored in muscle is bound to approximately 3 grams of water. As we decrease these energy stores we experience sudden loss of water weight. This results in decreased body mass and waist circumference, proving this to be an effective method for weight loss.

Because of this, many people adopt a severe carbohydrate restriction for a quick fix. However, after rapid loss in weight as muscle energy stores decrease many people become frustrated as weight stabilizes. This leads them to cycle back to eating carbs, binge eating, and weight regains.

Furthermore, people who restrict carbohydrate intake without correct monitoring or a balanced diet can experience feelings of fatigue, mood changes, and impaired cognitive function. Over long periods this can lead to heart arrhythmias, impaired heart contractile function, osteoporosis, kidney damage, and an increased risk of cancer.

If you want to go low-carb, ensure you meet your dietary protein and healthy fat requirements, and track your carbohydrate intake. This will still help you drop the weight in healthy weight without the risk of negative health outcomes.

9 – Eating “Fat-Free” Everything

Eating “Fat-Free” everything is a popular unhealthy weight loss method. Before the fitness boom in the 90s, long before instant internet access, we were informed by physicians, marketing, and media about health and nutrition. One of those things was to go ‘fat-free’.

The fat-free diet began in 1940, with links between high-fat diets and high cholesterols, leading to the belief that low-fat diets could prevent heart disease. The '60s rolled around and the low-fat diet was broadly prescribed to the general population, before booming in the 80s as the government, media, and food industry began pushing the fat-free narrative as a go-to for our health and well-being.

However, over the years, research has revealed that not all fats are bad, highlighting saturated fats found in processed foods to be associated with cardiovascular disease while deeming healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids essential for supporting cardiovascular, brain, and eye, and reducing inflammation.

Eating ‘fat-free’ is a great way to reduce calorie intake, as each gram of fat contains 9 calories compared to 4 calories in proteins and carbohydrates. However, without healthy fats can experience major negative impacts on our health.

10 – Fad Diets and Detox Plans

Nothing screams ‘empty promises’ and ‘lack of evidence’ quite like fad diets or detox plans. Based on little evidence these will both sell you on a secret formula, dressed up with fancy buzzwords to distract you from the fact that they are feeding you a severe calorie deficit for rapid weight loss.

These programs like many methods on this list will help you lose weight. But, hey, so will most eating plans which get you to consume fewer than 800 calories daily in liquid form.

As mentioned, severe calorie restriction and rapid weight loss can lead to nausea, mood changes, fatigue, headaches, and loss of strength and bone mass. Based on these findings and lack of evidence, you strongly recommend against these unhealthy weight loss methods.

11 – Misusing Weight Loss Pills or Supplements

Few things are more dangerous than misusing weight loss pills and supplements. A new weight loss pill enters the market each week, promising rapid weight loss without little effort (alarm bells ringing yet?). Thriving in an unregulated industry, these pills fill shelves leading many to believe they can provide sustainable healthy weight loss.

However, as you might suspect, they offer little more than a quick fix with a sprinkle of harmful side effects with some negatively impacting the heart, brain, nerves, liver, and kidneys.

Meanwhile, supplements are exclusively there to supplement your diet and provide a nutritional boost alongside a balanced diet. However, due to a lack of education, or a simple desire for a quick fix, many fall into the trap of replacing a balanced diet with shakes, bars, powders, and pills. This leads to insufficient calorie intake and nutrient deficiencies as no powder or pill can compete with the nutrient density of whole foods.

More than this, these methods offer no education. While they simplify the eating process, they don’t teach us about portion control and nutrient sources of foods, which are vital for long-term sustainability.

12 – Purging or Using Laxatives

One of the most unhealthy and certainly the most harmful weight loss methods is purging and using laxatives. Typically associated with bulimia nervosa which is characterized by binge eating, followed by purging in the form of vomiting and or excessive laxative use, with approximately 94% never seeking treatment.

This can lead to further negative outcomes including:

• Psychiatric disorders
• Hopelessness
• Shame
• Impulsivity
• Non-suicidal self-harm
• Suicidal ideation
• Death by suicide

Sadly, those suffering from bulimia nervosa are 8 times more likely to die from suicide.

Furthermore, purging can have negative health outcomes including:

• Electrolyte imbalances
• Cardiovascular disease
• Dental erosion
• Pharynx trauma
• Menstrual irregularities
• Gastrointestinal problems (reflux and bloating)
• Body image disturbances

If you are currently suffering with your body image or bulimia nervosa please speak to your doctor for treatment and medical assistance.

13 – Drinking Only Liquid Diets

From the clear fluid and soup diet to shakes and cleanses, consuming only liquid calories for weight loss is as unhealthy as it sounds. Liquid diets promote decreased digestive stress while reducing calorie intake. However, as you might suspect they do far less for our satiety, which leads to increased hunger.

The benefit of eating solids is they take time to digest, which keeps us fuller for longer. A 2015 study reported more chews per bite increased gut hormones, leading to increased satiety. Meanwhile, further research indicates chewing was beneficial for decreasing self-reported hunger and food intake.

However, when we consume our meals in liquid form, we forgo these benefits which can lead to hunger between meals. This makes them difficult to sustain for longer than a few days which can result in overeating and weight regain.

Liquid-only diets have their place and may be prescribed by physicians before medical procedures. They should not be undertaken unless recommended by a nutritionist, dietician, or licensed health professional.

Risks of Unhealthy Weight Loss Practices

Unhealthy weight loss practices are effective, but they can be harmful to your health. Below, we discuss the consequences and negative impacts to show you how dangerous they can be.

Physical Health Consequences

The most noticeable risk of unhealthy weight loss is the physical health consequences. More than just fuel for our body, food contains nutrients that support our vital organs, immune systems, and hormones.

Our macronutrients, carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats intake all support our physical health.  Complex carbohydrates contain fiber, which can help maintain energy levels, promote gut health, improve satiety, and reduce the risk of cancer. Protein helps to build and preserve muscle mass and supports the immune systems, cell structure, and the transportation of molecules. Healthy fats support the heart, brain, eyes, and cell growth.

However, restricting or eliminating foods can alter macro and micronutrient intakes, negatively impacting these systems. Low dietary fiber can increase colon, liver, and breast cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Low protein can lead to muscle wasting, weakness, loss of function, and weakened immunity. Low healthy fats can lead to cardiovascular disease and impaired brain, nerve, and eye health.

Furthermore, severe calorie restriction and rapid weight loss can lower energy levels and exhaustion, impairing basic human function and overall quality of life.

Mental Health Impacts

The desire for weight loss appears to begin at a physical level, however, it’s deeply rooted in mental health. For many, the desire to use unhealthy eating methods can come from years of failed weight loss. Chronic dieters describe feelings of guilt, self-blame, irritation, anxiety, and sadness due to the failure of another failed diet.

Those who diet regularly are five times more likely to develop eating disorders compared to those who never diet. These include binge eating and purging. Over a prolonged period, it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, negatively impact metabolism, impair mental capacity, as well as lead to feelings of depression, and low self-esteem.

Healthier Alternatives to Dangerous Methods

Now that we have covered the unhealthy ways to lose weight, let's talk about healthy alternatives. Below we discuss how to approach nutrition to fuel the body and form a long-lasting positive relationship.

Creating a Balanced Diet

One thing that almost all unhealthy diets do is they lack nutritional balance. Whether from skipping meals, eliminating entire food groups, or misusing supplements, the limitation mindset withholds the correct balance of vital nutrients to sustain our health.

To remedy this, a nutrient-dense diet containing complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats is required to meet our nutritional needs. Complex carbohydrates and protein improve satiety, meaning fewer calories are consumed. Protein also increases thermogenesis,

This can be achieved by eating complex carbohydrates such as whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and whole grain bread—protein including meats and fish, and healthy fats in fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.

Building a Sustainable Exercise Routine

A Sustainable exercise routine is an excellent way to invest in our long-term health. Physical activity can increase energy expenditure, which can help maintain a healthy weight. Resistance training preserves and increases lean muscle mass, while increasing resting energy expenditure for up to 48 hours after exercise.

Meanwhile, exercise can also increase the production of feel-good hormones dopamine and endorphins. This leads to feelings of reward and motivation while reducing stress and anxiety. These benefits improve the capacity for weight loss and boost mental health.

Seeking Professional Guidance

Losing weight is one of the hardest things we can do, with every failed attempt taking a greater toll on our physical and mental health. However, you don’t have to do it alone as thousands of experienced, qualified health professionals can not only help but have also conquered their weight loss journey.

Health professionals can help you identify achievable goals, comprehensive meal plans, workouts, and expert guidance to work with you every step of the way.

Recap: The Most Unhealthy Ways to Lose Weight

Losing weight is a challenging and complex task that takes weeks, months, and sometimes years of dedication. From identifying your calorie and macronutrient targets to sourcing nutrient-dense whole food options and sticking to a calorie deficit it can be incredibly overwhelming.

However, this is no reason to partake in unhealthy weight loss methods. Nothing more than a quick fix filled with empty promises, they offer little more than rapid weight loss which can cost you your health with side effects including:

• Hopelessness
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Cardiovascular disease
• Weight regain
• Fatigue
• Dehydration
• Depressed immune function
• Reduced bone density
• Reduced muscle strength
• Nausea
• Cramps
• Headaches
• Mood swings.

A billion-dollar industry would have you believe the foods you have been consuming for centuries caused your ill health. However, we want to assure you that food is not the enemy, as these unhealthy, unfounded products, programs, and recommendations line the shelves, profiting off your desire to lose weight in an unregulated market.

To begin, we recommend identifying your harmful dieting practices such as binge eating, skipping meals, and fad diets. From here, you can explore nutrient-dense, whole foods, implement healthy nutrition practices, and forge a healthy relationship with food.

It is time to stop being at war with your body and start treating it like the only one that you’ve got.

If you need help regaining control of your nutrition, Reverse Health can help. We have hundreds of healthy, nutrient-dense meals that help you lose weight safely and enhance your quality of life.

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