Is it true that if I lose weight quickly I’ll only end up putting it all back on quickly, too?
Myth busted
There’s no evidence that regaining weight is more common after losing it quickly on a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) like LighterLife Total than it is after losing it slowly on other types of diet. The rate at which people put weight back on simply relates to the amount of food they eat afterwards (see above!).
What there is, however, is plenty of evidence to show that losing large amounts of weight on a VLCD is highly motivating and more likely to lead to long-term weight maintenance. Research has shown that people who take part in LighterLife groups are more likely to keep the weight off, too.
Is it true that losing weight fast will mess up my metabolism?
Myth busted
Metabolism is mainly determined by your weight; the heavier you are, the higher your metabolic rate will be, just as a large car needs more fuel to run than a small one.
At the start of any diet there’s a small, temporary reduction in your metabolic rate. When you stop dieting, your metabolic rate increases again. But here’s the thing – it won’t be quite as high as it was before the diet, simply because you now weigh less, so if
you go back to eating the amount of food you used to when you were bigger, you’ll put the weight back on.
This is why support after losing weight is vital, and it’s why we have a long term weight-management plan. It starts with a structured reintroduction to a full range of food to help you match your intake to your reduced energy needs, and to create a healthy eating plan that’s right for the new, lighter you.
Is it true that… losing weight quickly will lead to unsafe muscle loss?
Myth busted
When you gain weight, it goes on as roughly 25% lean body mass to 75% fat, and it’s the same 25:75 ratio when you lose weight, too. Lean body mass is anything that isn’t fat – such as muscle, bone and water. What this means is that when you lose weight you don’t just lose fat, you lose that lean body mass you’ve gained, including some muscle. This happens whichever way you lose weight, and as long as you stay well nourished while you’re losing weight – as you will with LighterLife – you won’t lose any more muscle than is naturally appropriate.
Is it true that… if I lose weight fast all my hair will fall out?
Myth busted
A hair follicle grows in three phases: the active phase (anagen), the resting phase (catagen) and the shedding phase (telogen). At any one time most follicles are in the active phase, with 3% resting and 11-15% shedding. The growing phase requires lots of energy, so when energy intake is reduced on a VLCD, the body prefers to shut down the growing phase in order to conserve energy. This means more follicles – roughly 18-20% – go from growing into resting.
When energy intake increases after the diet, these same follicles go from resting to shedding, so the hairs in them fall out. In a small percentage of people the proportion of hair in the shedding phase exceeds 30% and this is when hair loss becomes noticeable. It’s similar to the hair shedding that often occurs after pregnancy, and it’s temporary – healthy hair will regrow.
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