Crash diets can help you lose some weight quickly. These types of diets are as hated as they are loved. They are not very healthy since they are based on a very low-calorie intake but they are, precisely for that reason, very fast diets to lose weight.
Every single person who wants to lose weight wants to find that single diet that will make their dreams come true. Those dreams include a slim and svelte body, great health benefits and an ongoing enjoyment of that body that is going to look good at a dinner party or on the beach. Crash diets promise that.
However, the truth might be slightly different.
Are Crash Diets The Solution?
There are a number of ‘crash diets’ out there – and most of the meal plans are now available on the Internet. But what makes their claims of weight loss – and keeping that weight off any more credible than any of the other diet plans that are available for free download?The answer is more complicated than you might think – and at the same time more straightforward. If this sounds confusing let’s take a look at what crash diets promise.
Many of these diets claim that they can provide a program that will allow you to lose up to 10 pounds in three days, some promise more and many promise less. But there is one common thread – these are diets that will allow you to lose a lot of weight really quickly and with a minimum of disruption to your life.Is it really possible to lose that amount of weight in such a short time?
The answer is yes – it is certainly possible. By following a calorie restricted diet such as that recommended by many of these diets you can lose that amount of weight. The question is – will that weight stay off, or is this simply a short-term solution that will get you in shape for that dinner party at the office or that day at the beach where you want to look your best?
Scientific examination of these types of diets indicates that any weight loss that you enjoy is not going to be long-lasting. In fact, most of the weight loss that you enjoy is not going to shedding fat – it is simply going to be from your body shedding water.
The key to these sorts of diets – and any diet that promises these types of weight loss rewards is a severely calorie controlled diet. In other words, the diets rely on our bodies using more energy – or calories than we are consuming.
It seems that these crash diets all have one thing in common – they all rely on the fact that you will be taking in calories at a lower rate than you use them. It simply does not matter whether they claim the healing properties of certain classes of food or a ‘scientifically proven’ fat burning formula – at their root, they are simply calorie controlled diets.
Different Types Of Crash Diets
There are a number of these diet regimens that have been doing the rounds on the Internet. Possibly the most famous of these is the ‘British Heart Foundation’ diet. It sounds like a wonderful diet to be on. You can have peanut butter, Grapefruit, ice cream, tuna and beetroot and eggs. The issue here is whether this is a well thought out and healthy plan.
It certainly has nothing to do with the British Heart Foundation and at its core is simply another calorie restricted diet. The only thing that you will be losing over the three days that you are on the diet will be the fluid that your body is storing. Once you stop the diet and go back to your normal eating routine that weight will be back in probably the same time that you spent on the diet.
Some years ago there was the Cabbage Soup Diet which touted itself as not only the solution for those who wanted to lose weight but also those who wanted an easy way to ‘detox’ their bodies. Once again it claimed to be a diet that ‘burned fat.’ in actual thing there are very few scientific studies that show that any diet can actually ‘burn fat.’ It is simply another diet that relies on reduced calorie intake for its effectiveness. The email that was doing the rounds claimed that it was backed up by studies at the reputable ‘Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital’ in the United States – no such institution exists.
In short, the answer is simple. Crash dieting will work – if you want to lose weight in a very short period of time. But the gains (or losses) will be short term. None of these diets will provide the sustained weight loss that is required to lead a normal and healthy life.
In fact, many scientific studies show that these diet programs may be simply lying to consumers. In the age of the Internet, those websites hosting meal plans are simply using the diets as a method to ‘reel in’ people who may be interested in losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle. Visitors to those sites are often offered additional products that – as the sites will claim ‘enhance their ability to live a healthy lifestyle and keep that weight off.’
It’s telling to note that many sites which will sell guides to these crash diet courses will also have a proviso stating that prolonged use of these diets may cause health complications. These are not diets that are designed to be used for weight loss and health maintenance in any way shape or form.
Crash Diets Side Effects
We must not lose sight of the fact that diets to lose weight quickly will decrease kilos and sizes, mainly due to the loss of fluids and glycogen (sugar that is stored in muscle and liver), as well as a little fat. However, what we consider “gained” will be lost in health, as some of the risks of crash diets include:
Tiredness, headache, insomnia, brittle hair, weak nails, dull skin, nervousness and bad mood, among other symptoms, in a few days of following them. Premature aging, anemia, hormonal imbalances, malfunction of the kidneys, digestion disorders (constipation or diarrhea), slow metabolism (biochemical process in which nutrients are transformed into energy), among others if it lasts longer than stipulated
As if the above were not enough, the lost kilos are recovered quickly, since when returning to the habitual diet our body quickly assimilates everything of which it has been deprived (sugars, fats, carbohydrates, etc.). Although there is little to eat, there will be a rebound effect, since the slowdown of metabolism will cause anything that is swallowed to be processed slowly and gain weight, and it is now more difficult to lose it.
The simple fact of the matter is that there are no shortcuts to health and weight loss. For those of us who want to shed the pounds and maintain a healthy lifestyle, there can only be a solution made up of multiple approaches.
For a diet to really work, keep in mind that you must do it to be healthier, not to look better, although obviously, this is a good collateral benefit. Firstly lets a look at what we are eating. Cut out high sugar content and processed foods – enjoy the fresh not fast food.
Keep portions down and eat until you feel full – then stop. Get some exercise, go to the gym or simply go for a walk each day. In the same way, we must be realistic, to avoid disappointments and frustrations in the face of impossible objectives. And don’t believe everything you see on an email or read on the Internet.
