'Is one meal a day plus vitamins a healthy way to lose weight?'
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Q: I am fat. I am five foot seven tall and weigh nine to ten stone. I have stopped eating my breakfast and school dinner and have noticed that I feel dizzy and sick during the day – like I'm going to faint. I have been having only one meal a day, which is my tea, for two weeks now. Will this make me lose weight? I am asking because I have heard from a friend that if you starve yourself, the body takes in what you eat as fat. I will only do this until I'm seven to eight stone, then stop and eat healthily and exercise. What I'm asking is, will one meal a day and a load of a-z vitamin tablets be healthy until I get my weight down? Liz, 14. |
our online advisors reply:
The simple answer to your question is no – one meal a day and some vitamin tablets is definitely not a healthy diet, or a good way to lose weight. I'm actually quite concerned when you talk about taking a 'load' of vitamins. Have you been taking more than the recommended number of vitamin pills? This can be harmful and it is possible to overdose on vitamins.
You yourself make a connection between skipping two meals and feeling sick and dizzy during the day. Wouldn't you expect to feel better if missing breakfast and lunch was a healthy thing to do? It is certainly likely that your blood sugar levels are very low during the day, which could well make you feel dizzy.
Your friend is on the right lines about the effect of starving yourself. Missing meals can make your system act as if you really were starving, by making it a priority to lay down fat when you do eat. The other problem with trying to lose weight this way is that a high proportion of any weight you lose will be water and muscle instead of excess fat. This might all sound very strange, but for more details you can check out the website of nutritional therapist Dr Marilyn Glenville.
The only healthy way to lose weight – and stand a better chance of keeping it off – is to eat a healthy diet and take exercise. You say that you plan to do that when you've got down to your target weight. If you really feel you want to lose weight, why not start eating sensibly and exercising now? That doesn't mean a whole new diet and running marathons – just eating more fruit and veg, fewer crisps and chocolate bars, walking more, and using the stairs instead of the lift can make a surprising difference.
Take it slowly. The quicker you lose the weight the more likely you are to put it all back on again. Dieticians recommend losing no more than one or two pounds each week.
Having said all that, I must point out that your target weight of seven stone is very low considering that you are above average height for a 14-year-old. It's not good to be overweight, but don't forget that it can be unhealthy to be underweight too, particularly for growing teenagers. In fact, your current weight is well within range of what the experts would consider normal.
Working out a healthy ideal weight for someone depends on lots of different factors, including build and muscle distribution. Have you thought about getting checked out by your doctor? They can measure and weigh you very accurately, and also do other tests. Your doctor should also be able to give you suggestions for healthy eating and an exercise programme.
I hope this helps. Do try and get back to eating breakfast, even if it's only a couple of pieces of fruit. You need the energy to get you through the day. And be careful not to overdo the vitamin tablets – they're no substitute for a good diet, and too many can make you ill.
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