If you want to drop a few pounds as quickly as possible, you may be tempted to go on a so-called crash diet. Crash or fad diets severely restrict the number of calories you can consume and/or place strict limits on the types of food you are permitted to eat, reports MedlinePlus. Crash diets can be an effective quick fix for shedding those extra pounds, but they often compromise your nutritional needs in the process. When it comes to crash diets, the cons seem to outnumber the pros.
Speedy Results
Crash diets that severely limit calories cause the body to go into a starvation survival mode, which means it excretes water, reports Kidshealth.org. This response may cause a speedy loss of water weight. Keep in mind that you are probably not losing any fat, and once you resume eating normally, your body will quickly replace the lost water and the weight will most likely return.
Short-Term Benefits
Crash diets may be helpful if you desire to shed a few pounds for an upcoming event such as a wedding or a reunion and you don't mind if you regain the weight afterward. Keep in mind, however, that it's next to impossible to drop more than 2 to 3 pounds of fat per week, even on a crash diet, reports Kidshealth.org. Even rapid weight-loss diets should contain no less than 1,200 per day, advises Merck.com.
Nutritionally Deficient
Crash diets can be unhealthy because they tend to overemphasize one particular food or type of food, such as cabbage, grapefruits or vegetables, notes the American Heart Association. No one single food can meet all of your nutritional needs. A healthy diet should include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat dairy products.
Hair Loss
Crash diets that lack sufficient protein can cause a type of temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Telogen effluvium is a stress-related type of hair loss that can cause shedding of the hair.
Psychologically Draining
Crash diets can take a toll on your psychological well-being and possibly make you more at risk for developing eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, reports Epigee.org. People with anorexia shun high-calorie foods and essentially starve themselves, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Severely restricting calories may also lead to frequent food cravings, moodiness and irritability.
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