It's not easy to transform your body from one that looks passable in sweat pants to one that looks great in a swimsuit. No wonder crash diets never seem to lose their allure. Whether it's subsisting on cabbage soup, trying a new pill or even semistarvation, it might seem worth it to drop a lot of weight quickly. But crash diets aren't a long-term solution if you want to take pounds off and keep them off. Some of them might even be hazardous to your health.
Your Weight-Loss Goal
If you're overweight or obese, looking into weight-loss plans definitely is a step in the right direction. Even modest loss --- 5 to 10 percent --- may well improve your blood pressure, bring your cholesterol to a more healthy level and lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. A 5 percent reduction if you weigh 200 pounds, for instance, is only 10 pounds. And it's healthier to lose the weight gradually, rather than at the rapid rates promised by crash diets.
Crash Diet Limitations
The American Dietetic Association and the National Institutes of Health explain some of the problems with crash diets. Though you might lose weight quickly at first on a monotonous diet emphasizing a single food, such as cabbage, grapefruit or celery, you'll soon grow bored with it and gain the pounds back just as quickly. Skipping meals rarely works, since you'll just be more hungry later. There's no magical food combination that makes you lose weight or burn fat, and while pills or drinks with caffeine may rev up your metabolism briefly, they don't burn fat either.
Health Hazards
Losing weight is a matter of math: For every 3,500 calories you eliminate through diet or exercise, you can shed 1 lb. So while cutting calories on any diet helps you lose weight, doing so rapidly may entail risk. Rather than losing fat, you may miss needed nutrients and lose not only water but bone and muscle you need for strength and energy. Losing more than 3 pounds a week make result in painful gallstones. Severely limiting calories may cause an abnormal heartbeat. And slashing carbohydrates may lead to gout or kidney stones.
Sensible Alternatives
The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests that you avoid crash dieting, aiming instead to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week. Plan three daily meals with 1 to 2 oz. of low-fat protein, 1 to 2 cups of fruits and vegetables and 2 to 3 oz. of whole grains. Or, try five or six smaller meals, which may help you avoid hunger. Swear off empty calories that don't provide much nutrition --- for example, sugar-sweetened fruit and energy drinks, regular soda and coffee drinks made with flavored syrups. And exercising for at least 30 minutes most days will burn calories, speed weight loss and move you toward your goal of a slimmer, healthier body.
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