Does throwing up make you lose weight? Understanding real health risks

Throwing up might be one of the best-known unhealthy weight loss tactics. It has been popularized in the media and pop culture for years.

The most common arguments for this method include:

• Throwing up helps remove all eaten calories.
• It helps prevent weight gain.
• It’s possible to sustain a new weight after episodic vomiting.

However, each of these is just a myth. Studies and experts confirm that vomiting doesn’t magically remove all the calories or prevent weight gain. On the contrary, it only removes a fraction of calories and often leads to overeating. Furthermore, during abstinence from binging and throwing up (even for a short amount of time), many women show decreased metabolic rate, which makes it hard to sustain the result.

Most importantly, throwing up can’t be referred to as a stable and healthy weight loss approach. It’s associated with many health risks, such as:

• Damaged dental and oral health.
• Digestive system damage.
• Ruptures and bleeding in the oesophagus.
• Dehydration and electrolyte deficiency.
• Impaired senses of hunger and fullness.
• Burns on fingers and knuckles.
• Swelling of parotid (salivary) glands.

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The weight loss problem has been acute for decades. A fast pace of life and the rise of a sedentary lifestyle have led to an increasing number of people with excessive weight. The World Health Organization reports that global obesity rates among adults have more than doubled since 1990. And, of course, many people who are gaining excess weight are actively looking for ways to lose it.

Although the majority of people looking to lose weight know how the process works, many still get trapped by unhealthy methods that promise fast results. That’s one of the main reasons why people are still wondering: Does throwing up make you lose weight?

In this article, we’ll discuss why weight loss is such a major challenge and why people consider extreme methods like throwing up as a solution. We’ll also debunk the existing myths and delve into the real health consequences of this method.

Why Is Weight Loss Such a Major Challenge?

Weight loss has always been a real struggle for many. A study by Nutrisystem and OnePol reveals that 95% of Americans have attempted to lose weight in the last 5 years. Yet, 44% have struggled in the process so much that they ended up gaining weight instead of losing it. The biggest weight loss challenges reported by participants included:

• Insufficient willpower
• Lack of motivation
• Difficulty eating healthy foods
• Difficulty managing appetite and hunger

And there are many other challenges too. A busy schedule, sedentary lifestyle, and specific medical conditions, such as PCOS or diabetes, only complicate the problem.

Trying to battle these issues and attain their body goals, people resort to diets, calorie counting, cardio workouts, and other popular weight loss methods. However, even after making some progress, many get caught in a vicious circle of losing and adding gain. And multiple failures often lead to a feeling of hopelessness.

Why Do People Ask “Does Throwing Up Make You Lose Weight?”

Feeling ashamed and hopeless after not being able to lose weight often causes people to seek alternative, “magic” methods that work. Moreover, they might feel so desperate that they want to get instant results at all costs. That’s when extreme recommendations can work on the vulnerable audience.

Vomiting has been one of the most prominent unhealthy trends for years. We bet that you’ve seen or heard people throwing up on purpose to lose weight in the media. Many popular movies like Mean Girls, celebrities, and influencers have been demonstrating this method, popularizing it across the masses. That’s why, when facing challenges with weight loss, many people start asking: “Does throwing up make you skinnier?” And often they don’t realize the real implications of trying this method.

Can Throwing Up Make You Lose Weight?

Technically, throwing up after eating can have a temporary weight loss effect. This is because vomiting removes some of the eaten calories, possibly leading to a calorie deficit, which stimulates weight loss. This, as well as small, temporary weight drops that some may notice after vomiting, often make this method seem like a shortcut that works. However, this is never an effective or healthy method.

Let’s debunk the three primary myths surrounding this topic to understand what really happens when you throw up for weight loss purposes:

Myth #1: Throwing Up Can Remove All of the Eaten Calories

One of the biggest reasons why people consider throwing up for weight loss is that it’s believed to remove all the calories they consume. This creates false expectations: I can eat whatever I want, in any quantities, and still lose weight. However, this is just a myth.

In reality, throwing up only removes a fraction of the calories you eat. Studies show that people who binge and throw up retain about the same amount of calories.

Then how many calories does throwing up expel? According to experts, it can only remove up to half of the calories, whereas the rest is absorbed in your body. This happens because food absorption begins in the mouth. So even full stomach emptying won't make all the calories disappear.

Myth #2: Throwing Up Prevents Gaining Weight

There is another popular myth that vomiting keeps you in a safe place, preventing weight gain from eating unhealthy foods or binging. After all, it removes some of the consumed calories. But this is also false.

In reality, this approach gives you a false sense of security. Thinking that you can magically remove calorie excess often makes you eat more, binge more frequently, and make unhealthy food choices. As a result, it’s possible that you won’t lose weight but gain it because you still retain most of the calories.

Myth #3: You Can Sustain Your Weight After Episodic Vomiting

Finally, there is one more myth related to the possibility of maintaining a new weight after engaging in vomiting.

When people resort to such extreme methods, they don’t always realize the deep health impact it has. You may think that you can try throwing up a few times, drop a few pounds, and stop. But it often works the other way around. Studies on bulimic women show significant metabolic changes during abstinence. Participants were binge eating and throwing up for just one week, followed by 7 weeks of abstinence without weight loss. The results showed a significantly lower metabolic rate and reduced levels of essential thyroid hormones T3 and T4. This study confirms that maintaining weight after throwing up is actually harder because of the damage done to the body’s metabolic function.

Does Throwing Up Make You Skinnier? No, It Just Gives Health Risks

Regular or even occasional vomiting for weight control purposes is associated with a wealth of health risks:

• Damaged dental and oral health due to gastric acid entering the mouth.
• Significant damage to the digestive system.
• Ruptures and bleeding in the oesophagus.
• Dehydration and electrolyte deficiency.
• Impaired senses of hunger and fullness.
• Burns on fingers and knuckles from gastric acid.
• Swelling of parotid (salivary) glands, which can make your cheeks look puffy.

On top of these physiological risks, there is also a significant mental impact of vomiting. Often, people feel shame, guilt, and anxiety when throwing up to lose weight. This can lead to depressive episodes and worsen binge episodes. Shame can also result in hiding your vomiting from people you know. This can lead to social isolation, lying, and otherwise impact your daily life.

Most importantly, throwing up for weight management can develop into bulimia. This is a serious eating disorder with consequent episodes of bingeing and throwing up, which can have a devastating impact on one’s quality of life.

Important: Given the ineffectiveness of the method and the associated health risks, it’s important that you don’t consider throwing up for weight loss at all. And if you are already doing it occasionally, it’s important to analyze your condition and recognize the signs when it becomes a pattern. Don’t feel afraid or ashamed to ask for support and seek professional help if necessary.

FAQ

Does vomiting make you lose weight?

Sometimes, it may seem to help lose weight. Technically, removing some of the consumed calories can create a calorie deficit and result in small weight drops. However, this effect is always temporary and unstable. Most importantly, this is not a healthy weight loss approach as it can lead to a huge number of negative consequences.

If I throw up does the calories count?

Yes, they do. Despite a common myth, throwing up doesn’t magically remove all the calories you’ve eaten. In reality, it can only expel up to half of the calories, even if most of the stomach’s content comes out. This is because the absorption of calories begins in the mouth.

Why may the scale show a lower weight after throwing up?

When you vomit, your body loses a lot of fluid. This is what may cause the scale to go down. However, it’s important to remember that fluid loss and fat loss are not the same. That is, a lower number on the scale after vomiting is not temporary.

Conclusion

Throwing up might seem a shortcut to weight loss that doesn’t require quite as much willpower as training and eating healthily. However, it’s never an approach worth relying on.

As you now know, vomiting doesn’t help remove all the eaten calories or prevent weight gain. It may cause the scale to go down for a short period. However, this is mainly due to fluid loss. And even though it may technically help create a calorie deficit, it can also cause you to overeat and result in a range of health issues.

So does throwing up make you lose weight? The answer is certainly “no.” This method is never healthy or reliable. On the contrary, it can be incredibly dangerous.

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