If you’re looking to shed some pounds, there are plenty of ways to do it. You can go on a diet or take up an exercise routine. But if you’re feeling adventurous, you can also try a new extreme-weight-loss method called ‘throwing up’.
Based on the idea that food is fuel, throwing up refers to the reflexive act of vomiting after eating. The thinking is that the body needs to process the food it just consumed in order to function. And if it can’t do that due to excess weight, it will create a hostile environment for any kind of digestion, leading to further weight gain. So it’s a vicious cycle that, theoretically, can lead to weight loss. Although there’s no specific scientific evidence to back this up, the concept of ‘throwing up’ has gained a lot of popularity in the trend-setting social media world.
Why Is ‘Throwing Up’ Popular On Social Media?
Throwing up is largely thought of as a 20th century invention. In the 1960s, a young man named Paul Brathwaite noticed that some of his friends were becoming increasingly frustrated with their weight issues. And so, armed with a supply of raspberry flavoring spray, he set out to prove that throwing up was indeed the best way to lose weight. In 1969, he published the first-of-its-kind weight-loss book titled ‘Throwing Up: A Simple Guide for those Who Want to Lose Weight’. Since then, the extreme-weight-loss method has taken over the social media world, with enthusiasts sharing their experiences and offering tips on how to lose weight through ‘throwing up’.
Thanks to the influence of social media, throwing up is now thought of as a ‘lifestyle choice’ rather than a diet, and is often used as a general verb to indicate intense overeating or gluttony. But is there any truth to the claim that eating too much will cause you to lose weight?
Is Throwing Up A Good Way To Lose Weight?
While there’s no denying the popularity of ‘throwing up’ in the social media sphere, there’s also no denying that the diet trend has shifted in recent years to more moderate measures. So is throwing up a good way to lose weight, or is it a fad that won’t last?
It’s a valid question, and here’s where a lot of the controversy lies. According to the American Dietetic Association, there’s no specific evidence that points to vomiting as a weight-loss strategy. In fact, they go on to state that while there’s no guarantee that it will work for everyone, there are definite risks associated with throwing up. These include dehydration, malnutrition, and stomach discomfort. While these are all serious conditions, they don’t necessarily have to be a cause for concern. It’s simply not advisable to try and lose weight through ‘throwing up’ without the proper preparation and training.
What Is The Proper Preparation For Throwing Up?
To really try out this new approach to weight loss, you’ll need to do a little research into the topic beforehand. The first step is to try and determine how much you need to lose, and why. If you’re not sure, you can ask your doctor for help or look up the BMI (Body Mass Index) for guidance. Once you know why you’re trying to lose the weight and how much you need to lose, you can determine how to prepare for the diet. The next step is to ensure that your body is in a healthy condition before you begin your journey. This means getting plenty of sleep, eating a nutritious diet, and avoiding strenuous exercise. If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to sustainable weight loss, avoiding all the health risks associated with ‘throwing up’.
Is It Effective?
As a diet trend, ‘throwing up’ is fairly new. So it’s not entirely clear how effective it is as a weight-loss strategy. If you’re looking for a quick fix, you might find that throwing up isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a long-term solution, you might be able to lose weight and avoid the risks associated with dieting.
There are also anecdotal reports that suggest that when used properly, it can help people lose up to 70 pounds in as little as six months. While this might seem like an incredible feat, we need to bear in mind that these are only stories that have gone viral online. So while they might be inspirational, we can’t necessarily trust them.
How To Properly Use Throwing Up?
According to the experts at Eat Better & Live Better, in order to maximize your weight loss potential from ‘throwing up’, you need to consider a number of factors. These include how often you should be consuming the substance, how much fluid you should drink, and how long you should stay in between meals. Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors.
How Often Should You Be Throwing Up?
Just because food is fuel doesn’t mean that you should be eating constantly. In fact, staying hydrated is especially important when trying to lose weight. This is because dehydration can cause you to lose a lot of your weight, and it’s also one of the primary reasons why ‘throwing up’ is thought of as unhealthy. The general consensus among experts is that you should be throwing up once or twice a day, every other day or once a week. The key is to find what works best for your body and stick with it.
Eating frequently in a way that suits your body can help you to stay in a healthy weight range. When you eat frequently, your body will begin producing the hormone ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry. But if you overdo it and eat too much food on any given day, this can cause your body to produce too much of the hormone glucagon, which in turn makes you feel tired, irritable, and bloated.
How Long Should You Stay Between Meals?
When you eat frequently, digestion will become less effective as your body gets used to processing food. This is why most experts say that you should stay in between meals for no longer than three or four hours, to maximize the benefits of ‘throwing up’. After three or four hours, eating will start to feel more like a chore than a pleasure, since your body will have started storing food as fat, making it harder for your digestive system to break down and process. Staying in between meals will help you avoid this, as you won’t be giving your body any opportunity to store extra food as fat. This also means you’ll be curbing your appetite, which could lead to weight loss.
What Should You Drink?
Depending on the time of day and how long you’ve been awake, your body needs different amounts of hydration. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll need more hydration than when you go to sleep at night. So, if you’re not sure what fluids your body needs, drink more at night and less in the morning. This will help you reach your dehydrated level and begin the process of rehydrating. Remember: you can always drink more water than you need. So, if you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already there! Your best option is to drink a fresh fruit-flavored drink or eat a piece of fruit to help restore your fluids. Not only will this quench your thirst, but it will also supply your body with necessary nutrients.
Risks
As previously stated, there are definite risks associated with ‘throwing up’. These include dehydration, malnutrition, and stomach discomfort. Let’s take a look at each of these risks in more detail.
Dehydration
Being dehydrated is dangerous, especially if you’re not drinking sufficient amounts of water. Even mild dehydration can make you feel sluggish and can cause you to lose a lot of your weight. Itching and irritation in your mouth can also occur, making it harder for you to drink. Ultimately, this can lead to serious dehydration and, as a consequence, weight loss. If you’re not drinking enough fluids, it’s important that you replace them as soon as possible. This is especially important if you’re cutting corners by drinking unbottled water or fruit juices. It’s best to drink plain water, and only if you’re really thirsty, to drink a juice or a smoothie.