Many people are drawn to drastic fad diets because they usually promise extreme weight loss in a short time frame. However, according to the Fit Map website, men need around 2,550 calories per day, and on average, women should eat approximately 1,940 calories daily. The problem with drastic diets is they usually involve eating fewer calories than the recommended daily minimum and do not meet daily requirements for the three most essential nutrients: fat, carbohydrates and protein.
Calories
If you follow a drastic, very-low-calorie diet, or a VLCD, you will likely be ingesting around 400 to 800 calories daily. Occasionally, a doctor will recommend a VLCD for a patient who needs to drop weight for surgery or another medical procedure. If you follow a VLCD without medical supervision, you are likely to experience fatigue, dizziness and, due to inadequate fiber intake, may also become constipated. A study performed at the Tel-Aviv University Medical Center also found that a VLCD may also induce insulin resistance, or diabetes.
Fats
Around 25 to 35 percent of your total daily calories should come from dietary fats. When a person eats a healthy 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, that would equal around 55 to 65 g of fat per day. Fat is an essential nutrient, and according to certified nutritionist Dr. Bruce Fife, eating too little fat can be extremely dangerous. Dietary fat is essential for the adsorption of vital nutrients and vitamins A, D, E and K. Calcium is a nutrient that needs fats to be absorbed; if you are following a drastic diet and do not obtain enough calcium from your diet, you are at risk of osteoporosis, or bone deterioration.
Protein
To maintain proper health, a person consuming 2,000 calories per day would need to derive around 10 to 35 percent of total calories from protein sources. This is approximately 60 g per day. If you follow drastic diets, your protein intake is likely to be insufficient, which can lead to fluid retention, fatigue and decreased muscle mass, which is detrimental to weight loss.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates should make up around 45 to 65 percent of your total calories. Carbs are used by the body as the principal energy source. Low-carb diets or other drastic diets that do not allow for adequate carb intake may at first induce weight loss, but much of this will be due to loss of water weight, according to the Mayo clinic website. Ketosis is a condition suffered by people who do not eat enough carbs, a result of the incomplete breakdown of fats. Ketosis symptoms include weakness, dehydration and nausea.
References
- PubMed.gov: Starvation Diet and Very-Low-Calorie Diets May Induce Insulin Resistance
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss--Choosing a Diet That's Right for You
- JC Tonic: Do You Eat Enough Fat?
- Net Wellness: Protein Deficiency Symptoms
- MayoClinic.com: Low Carb Diet
- Fort Valley State University: Dangers of Fad Diets
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