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6 Things Never to Do to Lose Weight

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Expert Column

Fighting the battle of the bulge can range from following a sensible diet to benign ill-guided efforts to extreme, downright risky behaviors. Some behaviors are unlikely to cause harm because they cannot be sustained long enough to do damage but other dieting tactics can be downright risky and cause serious health consequences.

“People get so focused on weight loss they are willing to do unproven and potentially dangerous things that can backfire and cause serious health problems,” says Michelle May, MD, an Arizona-based weight management doctor.

Extreme dieting can also lead down the path and increase the risk of developing eating disorders, says eating disorder specialist Connie Diekman, MEd, RD.

Skipping meals, weighing in every day, eliminating food groups, or relying on supplements to fix a junk food diet are not among the best ways to lose weight, but these behaviors are unlikely to cause significant health consequences.

WebMD consulted diet experts to identify the most dangerous efforts you should NOT use to lose weight.

Starvation, fasting, or very low-calorie diets.

Severely slashing calories leads to weight loss but the lost weight includes precious muscle mass and poses health risks -- and most people end up regaining all the weight, plus some.

“Rapid weight loss by critical calorie restriction causes water, some fat, and muscle loss, which ultimately decreases metabolism so the body needs fewer calories to survive,” says May, author of Eat What You Love and Love What You Eat. It also causes a shift toward a higher percentage of body fat, which increases the risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Don’t cut calories below 1,200 per day; otherwise you will struggle to meet nutrient needs, fuel activity, and satisfy hunger. Keep in mind that when you lose weight quickly, you tend to pack it back on with more fat and less muscle, which lowers your metabolism and calorie needs.

Dubious supplements and over-the-counter diet pills that make grand promises.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Diet pills, potions, and concoctions purchased over the counter or ordered through the Internet are unlikely to be effective, not necessarily safe or capable of delivering on the oft exaggerated promises.

Over-the-counter diet pills may not appear to be dangerous , but they can still cause harm. “Most diet pills are nothing more than a quick fix loaded with caffeine and diuretics that can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance," says Diekman, director of nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis.

The FDA does not give supplements the same scrutiny as prescription drugs. Some over-the-counter or Internet products “can be harmful, ineffective, and a waste of money,” says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, PhD, RD.

The FDA urges people to report dangerous supplements through its MedWatch program. Buyers beware: Just because it says it is natural, doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe or good for you.