THE DANGERS OF “CRASH DIETS”

As much as we might like for there to be, there is unfortunately no such thing as “losing weight while you sleep” or any of the other dramatic promises commonly made by less-than-honest diet plans.

While “crash diets” can make you “lose weight,” the weight you lose tends to be lean muscle and water. Once you stop, the water weight will go right back on and the lost muscle will depress your metabolism, making your body store more calories as fat. People who are constantly going on and off the latest fad diets are not only wasting time and money, but also putting their health in danger, since many of these diets include no real nutrition.

Once you begin eating normally after a “crash diet,” your body is so starved for nutrients, and your metabolism is so deeply entrenched in “starvation mode,” that it will hang on to every last bit of body fat it can conserve in preparation for the next time you starve yourself.

The end result is that you are likely to actually gain weight over the long term, rather than lose it, and your self-esteem will take a beating along with your waistline. This works well for companies that are happy to sell you on the next fad diet plan, but it will not work very well for you if you are concerned with actually losing weight and keeping it off.

For actual weight loss, you need a realistic meal plan, not a fad diet. While a meal plan will not deliver results overnight, you will lose more weight (and keep it off) in a given period of time than any two crash dieters put together, and you will not be forced to starve yourself or risk your health in the process.

If you are unsure about how to put a healthy meal plan together, consult a nutritionist who can help put together a custom plan that will meet your needs. Otherwise, there are many books available on the subject that can help. Above all, you should try to eat frequent sall meals and drink plenty of water, while eating more fiber. Even if you only followed those simple recommendations, without learning anything more, you would be ahead of the 60% of American adults who are estimated to be chronically overweight or obese.