Laxatives and Weight Loss

Before you start shedding those pounds, it is important to find out if you really need to lose weight. Laxative abuse is a common form of weight control, particularly in those suffering from eating disorders.

How Laxatives work for Weight Loss

The actual purpose of taking a laxative is to stimulate the large bowel to empty, which occurs only after the food and calories have been absorbed via the small intestines. Some who takes laxatives to control weight is only going to cause their body to lose fluid, which can be followed by periods of water retention and an appearance of bloating. Laxatives remove lots of water from the colon as well as food residue. The scales indicate weight loss after a laxative-induced bowel movement, but it is false weight loss.

The ounces or pounds return as the body rehydrates after liquid intake. If the person refuses to drink liquids, they risks dehydration which can lead to fainting spells, irregular heartbeat, and in some cases death.

Care taken while taking Laxatives for Weight Loss

1. Many people use laxatives to try to lose weight quickly. Never use laxatives to lose weight. They only cause water-weight loss and can seriously dehydrate you. When seriously abused, laxatives can become life-threatening.
2. Laxative will only help you lose water weight, which you'll gain back anyways.
3. Using laxatives to lose weight causes more damage than you know.
4. Laxatives are a dangerous way to lose weight and they can eat away at your digestive tract if abused.
5. The only safe way to lose weight is diet and exercise. The best range to lose weight in is 1 to 2.5 lbs a week. This will allow your body to accustom itself to the loss and the skin to regain its prestretched stage.

What to do to avoid Laxative Weight Loss?

1. You can eat fruit during or after a workout.
2. Don’t eat late at night because your body will turn it into fat.
3. Eat a smaller amount of calories than needed to maintain your weight.
4. You have to burn more than you intake.
5. Always exercise. Cardio especially, but weights are good too.
6. Don’t give up.
   

Common Laxatives using in Eating Disorders

Stimulant laxatives such as Ex-Lax and Correctol are the most common laxatives used by someone with an eating disorder. Laxatives have little or no effect on reducing weight because by the time they work, the calories have already been absorbed.

The person usually feels like they have lost weight because of the amount of fluid that is lost. That feeling is only temporary because the body will start to retain water within a 48 to 72 hour period.