Is this healthy...?

Question

My sister is 5'4" she weighs 175. she had a baby 19 months ago and just has not lost the baby weight. her and her husband want another baby but she wants to lose the weight first, and her husband wants her to lose weight and look like she did before baby. she weighed 130 lbs then. she had her baby by c-section. so she is doing a rapid weight loss diet plan that she made up her self. she is eating nothing but yogurt with grapenuts cereal in it and drinking lots of milk and water and doing a work out tape for abs and buns and also walking. is this healthy? can she eat nothing but yogurt and grapenuts? she is wanting to do this for a week. i told her it may not be good for her and she is insisting on doing it. is there another rapid weight loss plan that she can do that would be healthier?

she is 22 and her baby is 19 months old she wants to start trying when he is 2

Answer 1

"rapid weight loss" in itself is not healthy. It took your sister nine months to put that weight on, it's going to take just as long for her to take it off, if not longer. (By healthy means.) Read on...

Weight control is a widespread concern for many women after pregnancy. Although common during pregnancy, weight gain of 30 pounds is difficult for many women to handle emotionally. Many women are unclear about how to separate fact from fiction regarding this "post-pregnancy" weight control.

First of all, women need to understand how much weight gain is actually "normal" during pregnancy. About 15-30 pounds is the wide range of what is considered reasonable. This may vary according to how heavy a woman is before she becomes pregnant. A heavier woman may be advised to try to stay within the lower end of the weight gain range during pregnancy.

Second, there seems to be a myth that weight loss after pregnancy can only be successful if it occurs rapidly. Somehow, many women feel that if they have not lost all the pregnancy weight by 1 year after delivery, something is wrong with them, they are not normal, or they have failed in some way. Actually, the truth is that weight loss after pregnancy can take a very long time, sometimes a few years, without signifying that something is wrong. Gradual weight loss is the norm, not the exception, and the rate of weight loss depends on several factors, such as whether there were complications with the pregnancy or delivery. Pregnancy complications can make a woman feel weak or interfere with her mobility. Certain diseases like postpartum inflammation of the thyroid gland (thyroiditis), which is a common complication that shows itself soon after delivery, can cause massive weight struggles if they are severe. Other factors include whether the woman has other medical illnesses or takes medications that make weight loss difficult in the first place (whether after pregnancy or at another time in her life).

Third, there is myth about what is the best method for weight loss after pregnancy. A myriad of factors contribute to this confusion, beginning with the fact that there is not enough research about what type of weight program is safe for the mother (especially the nursing mother) after delivery. This lack of research, in turn, means that doctors are reluctant to allow any "radical diets." As a result, less stringent diets are recommended that may take longer to work and are thus less appealing and too frustrating to many women.

What should a woman consider the best plan for weight loss after pregnancy?

First, the woman should first have realistic expectations about how long it takes to lose weight. About 1-2 pounds per week is actually successful! She should also remember that no specific diet has been proven to be more safe or effective than any other, and that she likely cannot risk feeling ill from depriving herself of certain nutrients on radical fad diets. In addition, if she were nursing, she wouldn't want to harm the baby's nutrition by potentially dangerous or severely restrictive diets. Initially, a woman should try to lose the weight on her own by eating a sensible, balanced diet (see the U.S. Surgeon General web site for recommendations). Exercising every single day, even if that exercise is just walking, is an absolute must. The lack of exercise is what often holds up the process. Weight loss will simply not be satisfactory if exercise is lacking. This is true for many reasons; including that exercise helps keep the body's metabolism from decreasing excessively while dieting. Weight loss while dieting is easier with exercise and very difficult without it.

If a woman's efforts fail, meaning she has been trying the methods reliably for a year, including the daily exercise, she may need additional help. For instance, she may require and evaluation for medical conditions predisposing to weight control problems (such as thyroid abnormalities, which are common after pregnancy). Although there are vastly different approaches to weight control, all weight experts believe strongly that diet plans have to be individualized if a woman plans to maintain the weight loss. Individualized plans are the only way to get around the specific food preferences, eating triggers, and time constraints that each woman will have. (This explains why group weight reduction plans will frequently produce initial weight loss, but are usually followed by rapid weight gain. They do not address individualized eating programs that are tailored specifically for each woman to maximize her chances of keeping the weight off.) Consulting a dietician is an optimal way to obtain an individualized plan. The dietician will review key issues, such as the woman's food preferences, what triggers her to eat, who prepares the meals, and the details of her schedule in order to create an individual plan. Additionally, while a woman follows the dietician's plan, she needs to keep up daily exercise to optimize her weight loss.

Finally, expectations need to be realistic. We are only human. Rapid weight loss will not stay off, but rational weight loss (1-2 pounds a week) can stay off. And, remember that the biggest predictor of maintaining weight after the weight loss phase is keeping up exercise.

Answer 2

First, you didn't say whether she is currently nursing or not. If she is nursing then she should NOT do any kind of drastic dieting, it can affect the baby's nutrition.

On the other hand, if she is bottle feeding her baby and she only does this 'crash' diet for one week, there should be no real immediate danger to her health. But it has already been shown that people who lose/gain/lose/gain have much harder time actually keeping weight off (see link below). So this is definitely not the best strategy for dieting.

It took 9 months for her to put on 40 lbs, thats just about a pound per week. For permanent weight loss she should aim for that same one pound per week. It takes only a reduction of 500 calories per day (or 3500 per week) to lose a pound.

I know, because I did it myself. Tell her she can still eat a balanced diet without skipping any foods she likes and still lose weight! (see 2nd link below)

Answer 3

I would not worry too much, if its only for a week or two. I would suggest she take a multi- vitamin. tell her that there is that Hollywood diet that you drink and it dose work and has nutrients in it. but I like the way she is doing it. Tell her to do it for her not for anybody else, and if possible help accelerate the weight loss by walking maybe with the baby. Your sister will be fine if she stay focus and don't use this diet for long period of time. don't forget the vitamins.

Answer 4

Rapid weight loss = unhealthy. Period.

I recommend that everyone forget about their figures and focus purely on what is healthy! If you do that, not only will it be much easier on you, but the figure will take care of itself. You won't have to think about it. Live healthy and you'll just wake up one day and realize you look great. That'll be a mere bonus on top of the benefits of treating your body well.

There are new food pyramids out based on actual needs of the body, not marketing. I like Harvard's but there are others. I've linked to it as a source. Hope you find it useful.

Answer 5

No. This is not healthy. The only way to loose weight and keep it off is to eat a well balanced diet of grains, fruits, veggies, and protein, and excersize regularly. If she looses weight by restricting her diet that much, she will gain it all back plus some more once she starts eating normal again. Plus, it's not good for ovulation if she's trying to get pregnant.

Answer 6

Probably not. She needs to make sure that she does it in a healthy way for the sake of the next baby. She should see a doctor and explain her goals. If she wants to lose rapidly she should be on a Dr supervised reducing diet. Her Dr can refer her to a nutritionist or other professional.

Answer 7

IF she continues to not eat, Her body will enter in starvation mode and actually burn less fat. That will make her attempts frustrating and she really doesn't need that. She has a child at home that she needs to put her attention in to. She should try the 6 small meal diet. It does work, she'll need to eat 2-3oz of food six times a day........................ remember IF she doesn't eat right she can really damage her health.

Answer 8

Calcium is important in weight loss, but too much of it can lead to unwanted calories. She should try replacing a few servings of dairy with fruits and veggies and ESPECIALLY protein. She needs a high protein, low fat diet.

Answer 9

She needs protein and other nutrients. This is not a healthy diet and she is risking her health. She should talk to her Dr. about a good diet.

Answer 10

yeah it may help her lose weight but as soon as she gets pregnant and starts to eat more again she will gain weight faster. if she wants to lose weight she needs to excercise more. why does she want to lose weight to have a baby when she is going to gain it back when she gets pregnant?