Is going on a diet bad for your body?

Sixofspades

I think yoyo dieting and nutritional deficiencies are potential problems when it comes to weight loss, but so long as you're losing the weight in a sustained way while getting all your necessary nutrients and hydration, I don't think it's a problem.

I'm not sure I agree with the 3lb-a-week thing. Depending on how overweight you are, you could probably lose a lot more than that on any given week if you had a strict regimen you were sticking to, and be healthier for it.

Voxx976

Three pounds a week is too extreme.
Even under a doctor's care 2 pounds is a lot (that's a 7000 calorie restriction ever week) unless you are very heavy.

Go for a pound a week, 500 fewer calories per day, and is more likely sustainable...the body resists starvation.

Remember a pound a week is 52 pounds by next year.

JohnR41

If a diet called for the elimination of highly-processed non-nutritional foods like soda, beer, ice cream, white bread, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, chips 'n' dips, candy, and other such foods, I don't think any harm would come from such a diet. This type of diet would represent a loss of calories rather than a loss of nutrition.

This assumes the dieter will get a reasonable number of calories from healthful foods.

movielover40

You need to maintain at least 1,000 calories a day.

Weight should come off slowly. You don't want your body to go into starvation mode.