There is no set definition for ‘extreme’ weight loss but to determine what technique is best, a starting point should be defined.  The problem with defining the term for everyone is that there are too many factors that would need to be included such as height, age, body type, and more.

For the closest definition, the parameters of what is considered obese should be taken into consideration.  To put this into ‘pound’ terms, someone that is 40%-100% over their ideal weight is considered mildly obese.  Someone over 100% of their ideal weight is considered severely obese.  Someone over 150% of their ideal weight is considered morbidly obese.  If someone in the severely or morbidly obese category were to be able to obtain their ideal body weight, we would most assuredly consider that to be extreme weight loss.

There is another perspective to consider when you hear the term ‘extreme weight loss’.  It could be used when describing the speed at which you lose weight such as dropping 10 pounds in 2 days.  As we all have seen, there are many that use extreme weight loss techniques even if they aren’t considered to be severely or morbidly obese…or even moderately obese!

Some of the extreme weight loss techniques used today try to target speed of weight loss or amount of weight loss.  Most attempt to target both areas. Here a just a few of the well known techniques:

Diet Pills

There are two varieties: pharmaceutical and natural.  Generally, these diet pills do one of two things.  They either suppress your appetite or block something ‘bad’ from getting into your system (like fat or carbs).  There are varying degrees of success with diet pills but the side effects often make this method less than desirable.  With many of the appetite suppressants really just being a form of amphetamine, you can actually run the risk of dependency.  With the ‘blockers’ such as Alli, there can actually be rather embarrassing physical side effects.  A recent study even linked Alli to possible liver damage.

Liposuction

Liposuction is the method of sucking the fat out of your body with a vacuum.  Sounds great, doesn’t it?  Your fat is literally ripped out, blood vessels and all.  Many that turn to liposuction don’t do so because they are severely or morbidly obese.  They do it to remove fat from perceived ’stubborn’ areas.  Because of this, liposuction would mostly be considered extreme weight loss in the speed definition sense of the term.

Gastric Bypass

What list of extreme weight loss techniques would be complete without listing the good old gastric bypass surgery.  While the success rate of gastric bypass surgery is quite high, so are the risks and side effects associated with it.  This surgery, put simply, makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass some of the smaller intestines.  To get a better idea of the risks and what you can expect from gastric bypass surgery, you can click here.  This method addresses both the speed and amounts of weight loss associated with extreme weight loss.

Extreme Dieting

There are too many types of extreme dieting out there to list.  You can easily find someone willing to sell you their latest extreme diet that guarantees you will lose 30 lbs in a week.  The promises are plentiful, the results are short lived, and the only lasting guarantee is that you’ll be looking for another diet that is bigger and better in short order.  Many of these diets have the potential to yield large amounts of weight loss and at an extreme speed.  The question you should be asking of these diets, thought, is this: Are they healthy and sustainable?

So what is the most effective extreme weight loss technique?  It is one that most people know but don’t want to hear.  It is one that disregards the speed aspect of the extreme weight loss definition.  It’s the timeless technique of good nutrition, exercise, and patience.  It’s often said that we are a society that wants everything now and some of the other extreme techniques really prove this.  We are willing to undergo major surgery (gastric bypass), painful minor surgery (liposuction), and the risk of addiction (diet pills) to achieve faster results rather than change our current lifestyle for a longer period of time.

Of course none of these techniques will ultimately be effective if you don’t address the underlying issues of why you are overweight to begin with.  Stay tuned for future articles discussing how to identify those issues and ways you can address them.