DOES A CRASH DIET WORK?

Crash diets promise quick and efficient weight loss, but the real question isDoes a Crash Diet Work.

Crash diets are diet plans that severely reduce calories, are nutritionally restrictive, and are supposed to promote quick weight loss. Often these diets focus on one or two food groups and are not intended for long-term lifestyle changes. Most Crash Diets have a calorie count of less than a 1,000 calories a day. Long-term, this can be dangerous and create issues throughout the body.

Does a Crash Diet Work? Crash diets can be temporarily effective for people who have no personal control and are easily tempted by food (underscore “temporary”).  Temporary means no more than one week. Crash Diets, when set up properly are not really crash diets at all, they are shred diets. Meaning you will shred and drop some weight quickly because it shocks the body. Again this should be very temporary just to get the weight loss process going, to curb cravings, and begin the process of seeing portions for what they should be. This type of plan should not be maintained beyond 7 days.

DOES A CRASH DIET WORK?

Crash diets can have many risks due to their nutrient deficiencies. These diets make it difficult to get a sufficient amount of calcium, vitamin D, or iron and other important nutrients. If this type of plan is followed long-term it can cause permanent damage to the organs by not providing them with their required fuel. If there is too much fluid loss, you can damage your electrolyte level, and become easily dehydrated, and when this happens you may experience cramping, fainting, and even heart failure.

Another issue with a Crash Diet is the slowing of the metabolism. Our bodies are extremely efficient machines and will slow down and lower its resting metabolic rate in order to survive longer if the calories or nutrients are too low. When this happens for long periods of time our bodies begin to cannibalize its own lean muscle tissue for nutrients to maintain itself. Slow metabolism will create a decrease in energy and you will feel sluggish, have ashy skin, and other issues. This will have a negative effect on your home and work life, and your ability to workout will be non-existent.

Another negative factor of a Crash Diet is its effect on your emotional and mental state. When on a crash diet, irritability, depression, and lack of patience begin to set in. Sleep patterns are disrupted and in severe cases it can cause full blown insomnia. Again this will affect your workouts, because it is during rest that the muscles recover.

Does a Crash Diet Work? The answer really is NO. When you return to a rational eating plan, your body will store everything you eat, as it thinks it has been starving for the last few weeks, and as a result support rapid weight gain.

The answer is, as it has been for centuries, a decision to change has to be greater than to stay the same. To lose weight you must make a lifestyle change. You have to have motivation and discipline to stick to a well-rounded clean eating plan. Though you can kick off with a 7-day shred plan that is a well-balanced 900-1200 calories, you must bump that up to me 1,400 to 3,000 calories depending on your needs for long-term success at weight loss, muscle building, or other goals. These calories should be split up over 5 to 6 meals a day and have a proper balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats.

DOES A CRASH DIET WORK?

If you combine this with 30-45 minutes of intense exercise you will be speeding up your metabolism.

Does a Crash Diet Work? Not if you want your New Year’s resolutions to come to fruition. Stay off the crash diet / fad diet merry-go-round. Commit to choosing your health and making a lifestyle change.