Weight loss has really gained popularity in Los Angeles. Due to the GLP-1 medication, aggressive fasting, and crash dieting, many from Westwood to Beverly Hills are losing weight faster than ever. Excess weight put patients at higher risk for heart disease, and as a cardiac surgeon at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, Dr. Maria Tehrani, supports patients who achieve weight loss goals. However, she also wants Los Angeles residents to understand something that is not as well known. Unfortunately, losing weight at a rapid rate means you lose more than just fat. You lose muscle. Parts of this muscle include your heart.

Losing Weight in Unhealthy Ways

When it comes to weight loss, many picture fat melting away. In reality, losing weight very rapidly causes Lean tissue to be lost in conjunction with fat. The fastest weight loss is seen when new weight loss medications are used to lose weight. In losing weight the healthy way, fat is lost, and muscle is preserved, but fast and very extreme weight loss, and crash diets in general, cause the loss of more lean mass.

This is important because losing muscle means losing metabolic muscle, and losing muscle impacts your long-term independence and strength as you age. If you lose muscle, you might end up weighing less and losing muscle too. Most people don’t realize losing muscle comes with a trade-off.

Your Heart is a Muscle, Too

Patients are most shocked to learn that the heart is also a muscle and actually does not escape extreme weight loss. Intense, quick weight loss and crash dieting/enduring eating changes can cause loss of heart muscle mass and structural, heart rhythm issues. In the worst cases, the heart can become smaller and disturb electrical signals.

Unstable weight loss causes electrolyte changes too. Electrolytes are the minerals that help balance and regulate your heartbeat. As the electrolytes lose balance, abnormal heart rhythms become more common. This is just one of the many reasons why medically supervised weight loss means monitoring weight loss as opposed to cutting calories in a shorter amount of time.

Losing Weight the LA Way

Living in a city obsessed with results can make the need to conform to their pressure overwhelming. However, the fastest way to lose weight is never the healthiest. While diet culture will want you to restrict calories and shy away from lifting and protein, this can have negative impacts on your health that completely undermine your weight loss goals. A lower number on the scale shouldn’t just be the goal. You should want a healthier heart and a cardiovascular system you can rely on for the rest of your life.

Losing Weight With a Healthier Heart

The positive side to the gradual, continuous weight loss is that your heart and muscles will be preserved and protected. Dramatically dropping numbers on the scale can be damaging to your health. Protein should be the foundation of your diet to help keep your mass. You can also add resistance and strength training into your schedule. Protecting your heart and muscles from loss stay connected to the mass you’re building. Drink enough water, pay attention to your nutrition, and set your goals without the emphasis on caloric restriction. Lastly, if you’re considering weight loss medication, see a doctor to manage its effects on your health.

People Who Should Proceed with Caution

Several Los Angeles residents should proceed with caution concerning rapid weight loss. First, individuals with arrhythmias and various heart diseases should be extra cautious along with those who have past and present eating disorders. Rapid resistant weight loss causes severe and permanent muscle loss and frailty in the aging population. Heavily weight loss also impacts the level to which heart and blood pressure medications are prescribed. Restructuring heart medications is a weight loss risk. If you have a heart disorder and wish to lose weight, please do so with your healthcare team. Self-made weight loss plans are very dangerous.

People Who Should Consider a Cardiac Referral

If quick and/or rapid weight loss is your primary goal, and you have a past or present heart disorder, elevated blood pressure, or heart disease in your family, a cardiac referral is a very reasonable step. This is also the case if you’ve previously experienced dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, or have had rapid heart beats when attempting to lose weight. A cardiac evaluation will help focus your goals of weight loss to be less stressful on your heart. This will also provide the safest and most effective recommendations when losing weight.

Cardiac evaluation and care by Dr. Maria Tehrani is available to your greater Los Angeles community. Consult by calling 818-350-9899, emailing welcome@mariatehranimd.com, or simply dropping by the office at 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095 during office hours Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5PM. Dr. Tehrani is eager to meet patients from Westwood, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Century City, Bel Air, Pacific Palisades, Marina del Rey, and Culver City.