Fast Crash Diets
Why calorie restrictive diets are dead wrong!
Fast crash diets, also known as calorie restrictive diets, are often successful at helping people lose weight fast, However these crash diets present a number of inherent problems. The
Lemon Detox Diet
is a good example.
Incidentally, the number of calorie restrictive diets on the market has increased dramatically in response to the worsening global obesity epidemic.
Unfortunately though, the approach almost all of the 'Fast Crash Diets' use means that people who follow them are doomed to failure right from the start. In fact, these diets may even contribute to the obesity problem rather than help overcome it!
The approach most of them use is to severely restrict food (calorie) intake; they use Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD). This results in
hunger pain.
It may involves having 2 meal replacement shakes and only 1 whole-food meal each day!
Whilst they are often successful at getting the weight off fast, these 'Fast Crash Diets' present a number of inherent problems to people who follow them.
Sustainability
Any diet plan (nutritional plan) that is designed to achieve a specific goal needs to be followed long term if users want to maintain the results; including a weight-loss diet plan (nutritional plan).
Unfortunately though, 'Fast Crash Diets' are virtually impossible to stick to long term because of their severely restrictive nature. Trying to starve the weight off your body simply doesn’t work. It may be effective in the short term but is certainly not a sustainable option. Your body has too many contingency plans in place!
Nutrient Deficiency
Since the overall food intake with 'Fast Crash Diets' is so low, it is highly likely that your body will become deficient in a whole range of essential nutrients. This nutrient deficiency may lead to uncontrollable cravings, a weakened immune system, low energy and a general decreased efficiency of body functioning.
Rebound Weight Gain
Whilst the diets are effective in getting the weight off in the short term, there is an inevitable weight gain that follows once normally eating returns. It is not unusual for people to put on up to 10 kilograms in a few days after returning to normal eating habits!
The body is a powerful adaptive mechanism and it will adapt to any stress placed upon it. No matter whether it is a physical stress from exercise or from restrictive dieting, the body will always find a way to overcome it.
After following a diet, as soon as you go back to normal eating your body soaks up everything. It is just like a dry sponge being thrown into a bucket of water!
Metabolism Depression
Whenever a 'Fast Crash Diet' is followed the body automatically invokes its ‘Anti-Starvation Response’. Since the human body hasn’t changed much over the last 100,000 years it still responds to a reduction in food intake the same way.
The two main cause of death during those ancient times were infection and starvation so the body adapted to being able to survive a famine. As a result, whenever the brain detected a substantial drop in the blood glucose level, the ‘Anti-Starvation Response’ would kick in.
One of the things that occurs is that the body reduces its production of
thyroid hormones.
Since they increase the
metabolism
of all body cells a reduction in their output results in a reduced metabolic rate.
Also, the body increases its production of another hormone called,
cortisol.
Cortisol is the most catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. Of course, if you lose muscle your metabolism slows down even further.
Lack of Energy
A severe reduction in your food intake means that your body will be supplied with less fuel than it needs to function each day resulting in very low energy levels. This will affect your ability to properly perform everyday activities and will definitely limit your ability to perform any
exercise.
Hunger
Hunger results from a severe reduction in food or calorie intake. Fast Crash diets do exactly that! People who follow them often report that they have hunger pangs virtually all day long and that they constantly think about food as well. If you want to lose weight and keep it off long term it is imperative that you never feel hungry.
Irritability
Hunger is often associated with irritability. Since Diets lead to uncontrollable bouts of hunger, feelings of irritability may also arise. Unfortunately, these feelings of irritability can have a seriously negative impact on our relationships with other people.
Fat-storing Enzyme Production
One of the adaptive mechanisms that the body makes to Diets is to increase its production of the fat-storing enzyme, Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS). As a result, when normal eating resumes, the body will be more likely to store food as body fat. The body does this so that if it is ever starved again it will have extra stores of fuel (fat) from which to draw.
The Solution…
The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to employ strategies that have been proven to work. Following a Very Low Calorie Diet is certainly NOT one of them.
Whilst reducing food intake is effective at getting weight off, a mild calorie deficit is a much better approach for keeping the weight off long term and avoiding the problems associated with fast crash diets.
If you combine a mild calorie restriction (instead of one of the fast crash diet or calorie restrictive diets) with an enjoyable, regular exercise program and an effective
supplementation program,
not only can you easily lose weight and keep it off but you can also improve your body’s functioning and improve your quality of life.
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