You may be tempted to try a drastic diet because you are lured by their promises. Diets like these usually tout fast and substantial weight loss. Additionally, they are sometimes simple, relying on a "simple trick" that may be easier to navigate than creating a healthy menu every day. However, any diet plan that is drastic or results in fast weight is not healthy. Your approach to weight loss should be a long-term healthy lifestyle change. If you are interested in trying a drastic weight loss plan, consult with a doctor, nutritionist or dietitian who can help you formulate a realistic and healthy diet that will promote sustainable weight loss.
Fad Diets
Fad diets come and go, and experience resurgences in popularity now and then, especially when they are promoted by a celebrity. They commonly advertise a simple routine to follow, knowing that many people who have hectic lifestyles will be drawn to them. For example, the Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemonade Diet, involves drinking only a simple lemonade concoction and nothing else. Additionally, many of these diets discourage exercise while following them, which attracts people who want to lose weight without exercise because of a lack of time, because they are out of shape, or because they simply don't enjoy exercising.
Weight Loss
Drastic diets almost certainly result in weight loss, usually because of an extremely low calorie intake. However, much of the weight you lose on these diets is water weight. These diets can promote water weight loss either through an increased liquid intake or through cutting sodium or carbohydrate intake, which cause water weight loss. Increasing your liquid intake can make you lose water weight because your body can hold onto water when you are dehydrated. The water weight you lose is only temporary, and will return as soon as the you return to regular meals. Drastic diets can also result in weight loss through the lower calorie intake, which can result in muscle loss. According to the University of Iowa Health Center, when the body does not receive enough calories, it starts to use lean muscle tissue for energy instead. This can result in rapid weight loss, but this weight often returns because your metabolism slows down with less muscle mass. This makes it harder to maintain the weight loss and also to lose more weight.
Risks
MayoClinic.com warns that you should only do an extreme diet under medical supervision and only under a few conditions. Some of the side effects of fast weight loss because of a low calorie intake include sensitivity to cold, brittle nails, fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, diarrhea, constipation and heart problems. The lack of only one essential vitamin can cause malnutrition, which can result in permanent damage to your body. Drastic diets, without exception, are not nutritionally complete and will lead to malnutrition if you follow them for too long.
Alternatives
Instead of a drastic diet plan, try to overhaul your life so your habits change. This will take time. A healthy weight loss rate to aim for is no more than 1 to 2 lbs. per week. If you have a lot of weight to lose, this means you will be dieting for a long time, so the diet plan you choose to follow should be reasonable and sustainable, otherwise your health may suffer and you may quit. To lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week, figure out the total number of calories you need to maintain your weight, using an online BMR calculator and then subtract 500 to 1000 calories per day.
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