Have you ever wanted to lose loads of weight in a short space of time? Perhaps you’ve had a wedding coming up the following week or desperately want to fit into a dress that’s one size too small for you. Crash diets are a popular method of attempting to lose weight quickly, but there are several reasons why they won’t work.
Your metabolism alters
Often called ‘starvation mode’, going on a crash diet and restricting yourself from eating the right amount of calories can cause damage to your body. This is due to the fact that when you suddenly restrict your calorie intake severely, your body believes it is being starved and alters your metabolism accordingly. Rather than working faster to burn more fuel, which is what you need in order to shift the extra pounds, it will slow down to preserve the food it is being given and also any excess fat.
You will lose water weight
People go on crash diets for a week or two and are thrilled to discover they’ve lost 10 pounds by the end of it when they step on the scale. However, 10 pounds doesn’t always mean 10 pounds in fat, and at the end of the day, it’s fat that most of us are trying to lose. When you dramatically diet, your body starts getting rid of protein and water first before tapping into the fat reserves that it’s trying to cling onto.
You will lose muscle
The number on the scale might be lower, but will you actually look or feel any thinner? As well water weight, you could find yourself losing muscle mass, which is something you definitely don’t want to get rid of. Having more muscle enables you to burn more calories while resting, and it also helps your body to look more toned and healthy.
Your body might be deprived of nutrients
You’ll almost certainly become lighter, but you won’t necessarily become healthier. Your body needs a certain amount of calories per day just to survive in a healthy manner, and this amount will depend on your weight, height, gender and level of exercise you do. If you restrict yourself to 500-700 calories per day (which is what most people on crash diets do), you’ll lose out on important vitamins and nutrients found in foods, making you less healthy, weaker and in overall worse condition.
Instead of another crash diet, are you ready to learn how your body really works and discover a permanent weight management solution? Enroll in Onboard 101 today!