How To Lose Weight Fast And Why You Shouldn’t
Updated: Feb 22
Written by Adina Loliceru, Health and Wellness Coach
Adina Loliceru is a health and wellness coach specialising in helping busy professionals regain energy, clarity, and balance. She combines behavioural insight with practical, sustainable health strategies to empower clients to reconnect with joy, confidence, and purpose.
We’re surrounded by messages that tell us faster is better. When it comes to weight loss, this can make extreme diets and rapid results seem very appealing. But your body is not a quick project you can rush through. When weight loss happens too fast, it often doesn’t last. In many cases, it leaves you feeling more tired, more frustrated, and less confident than when you started.
Why fast weight loss usually fails
Fast weight loss often follows the same pattern:
You cut your calories very low.
You follow strict rules and label foods as “good” or “bad.”
You feel hungry, tired, and more obsessed with food.
Your life starts to revolve around what you can or can’t eat.
After a while, it becomes too hard to keep going. This doesn’t mean you have no willpower. It means your body is doing what it is designed to do: protect you.
When your body feels restricted for too long, it responds by:
Slowing down how many calories it burns.
Increasing hunger and cravings.
Pushing you to eat more to feel safe again.
So, you eat more, the weight comes back quickly, and sometimes you end up heavier than when you started. Emotionally, this can be very painful. You might think:
“I always mess this up.”
“I can’t be consistent.”
“I’m just not someone who can stay slim.”
But the truth is, the problem is not you. The problem is the rushed, extreme method.
What works better: A sustainable approach
Lasting weight loss comes from building habits you can live with, not from punishing your body for a short burst of time. A sustainable approach is slower, kinder, and much more realistic.
Find a strong “why”
Wanting to look better is understandable, but it usually isn’t enough to carry you through tough days. Ask yourself:
Do I want to lower my risk of health problems?
Do I want to move more easily, play with my kids, or travel without feeling exhausted?
Do I want to feel confident in my clothes and comfortable in my own skin?
A meaningful “why” gives you a clear reason to keep going when progress feels slow.
Notice your habits before you change them
Before you try to fix anything, just observe what you do now. Ask:
What do I eat most days?
When do I usually eat?
Am I eating because I’m actually hungry, or because I’m tired, stressed, bored, lonely, or celebrating?
Do I use food to comfort myself, to avoid feelings, or to fill time?
Try to do this with curiosity, not criticism.
Often, simply becoming aware of your patterns leads to small natural changes, without strict rules.
Change one important thing at a time
When you try to change everything at once, it quickly becomes overwhelming and hard to maintain. Instead, ask yourself, "What is the one habit that causes me the most trouble right now?"
It might be:
Late-night snacking when you’re tired.
Eating to cope with stress.
Skipping meals and then overeating later.
Having no structure to your meals at all.
Pick one area to work on first. Small, focused changes build confidence and momentum. You prove to yourself that you can change, step by step.
Add helpful foods before cutting others
Stopping habits by sheer force is hard. Your brain doesn’t like feeling deprived.
Instead of starting with “no sugar, no carbs, no treats,” start by adding more nourishment:
Add colorful fruits and vegetables.
Add quality protein (like eggs, fish, beans, chicken, tofu) to help you stay full.
Add healthy fats (like nuts, seeds, avocado) for satisfaction.
When your body gets the nutrients it needs:
Your hunger becomes more steady.
Your cravings often become less intense.
You feel calmer and more in control around food.
Over time, many less supportive foods naturally start to play a smaller role—not because they are strictly forbidden, but because they are not doing as much for you.
Sustainable weight loss is not slower, it’s smarter
Fast weight loss can look exciting in the short term, but it often damages your metabolism, your mood, and your trust in yourself.
A sustainable approach works with your body, not against it. The aim is not just to make the number on the scale go down. The real goal is to stop fighting yourself and to build habits you can keep for life.
When you focus less on speed and more on consistency, respect, and self-care, that’s where real, lasting change happens.
Read more from Adina Loliceru
Adina Loliceru, Health and Wellness Coach
Adina Loliceru is a health coach who helps busy professionals move from survival mode to a life of energy, clarity, and balance. With a background in forensic psychology and experience in investigative work, she helps clients uncover the habits and mindset shifts that are holding them back, supporting them to find practical, sustainable ways to restore health and vitality. Her approach blends insight, encouragement, and actionable strategies to help people reconnect with joy, confidence, and purpose.
