Going on a crash diet to lose a lot of weight quickly may sound like a good idea. However, not only are you likely to quickly regain any weight you lose, this type of diet can have health consequences, as well. Losing weight at a slower rate without overly restricting your calories is healthier and a lot more effective. In any case, a weight loss plan should be determined in conjunction with your doctor.
Crash Diet Features
Crash diets typically involve eating only one food or a very limited number of foods, and may require you to avoid entire food groups. You need to limit your calories excessively to follow the diet guidelines, usually to less than 1,200 calories per day. Many of these diets don't advise you to exercise, which is a part of most healthy weight loss diets. Usually, the diets are so limited, they become boring and you're not likely to follow them for very long.
Crash Diet Risks
Going on a crash diet can slow down your metabolism, making it more likely that you will regain any weight lost. It can also cause heart problems, weaken your immune system, put you more at risk for dehydration and damage your blood vessels, according to "How crash diets harm your health," a 2010 article on CNN.com. These diets may also cause you to become deficient in important nutrients, such as iron, calcium and vitamin D and put you in a crabby mood, notes the 2010 article "Can Crash Diets Be a Good Way to Lose Weight?" on health.usnews.com
Considerations
Because most crash diets are very short-term and do not teach you to change your unhealthy eating habits, they are not effective in the long-term. Most of the weight you lose in the beginning of the diet is water weight, which comes back when you return to eating normally. If the diet has slowed down your metabolism, you may even gain more weight than you lost, once you resume your old eating habits.
Healthy Weight Loss
You should aim to lose one to two pounds per week by eating 500 fewer calories per day, burning 500 calories per day through exercise, or through a combination of eating fewer calories and exercising, recommends the American Dietetic Association. Don't follow an overly restricted diet, but rather a healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and dairy and healthy fats.
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