Apple Crash Diet

An apple is a nutritious, vitamin-packed fruit, and including it in a nutritious, varied diet may help you lose weight as long as apples aren't all you're eating. Some diet programs involve eating apples for every meal, and these diets are considered crash diets, because they involve eating the same low-calorie foods over and over. Talk to your doctor before making any changes in your eating plan, especially if you're thinking of trying a crash diet.

Nutrition Facts

Apples are low in calories and fat, and high in fiber and water, so they'll help you feel full and satisfied on relatively few calories. One apple contains 65 calories, no fat, 1 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrates and 3 g protein. An apple is a nutritious, low-calorie choice for a snack or as part of a meal, whether you're trying to lose weight or not. When you eat an excess of apples every day, you're limiting the essential vitamins and nutrients that you get from eating other healthy foods, like lean protein, whole grains, veggies, and other types of fruit.

Apple Diet

The "3-Apple-a-Day Plan" is a book and diet program created by Tammi Flynn, MS, RD. The diet involves eating one apple before every meal in order to curb the appetite and reduce cravings for sweets. Dieters are advised to eat four to five small, nutritious meals and three apples every day. Although the 3-Apple-a-Day Plan was created by a dietitian and does involve a nutritious balance of healthy foods, it may not be sustainable in the long run -- eating so many apples every day may become monotonous and boring. Any diet that involves eating the same food in excess is considered a crash diet, and the 3-Apple-a-Day Plan is no exception.

Results

Whether you're eating only apples for every meal, or you're eating three apples a day in conjunction with other healthy foods, these diets may cause weight loss. Any time you consume fewer calories than you burn through physical activity and exercise, weight loss may occur. Unless you're willing to eat mostly apples every day for the rest of your life, the diet will not provide sustainable weight loss. When you return to your normal eating habits, the weight will return.

Healthier Alternatives

Eating an apple a few times a week, or even once a day, may curb your appetite and help you lose weight, especially if you're substituting it for other high-calorie snacks, like cheese and crackers or chips. To avoid the monotony of an apple crash diet, include other nutritious fruits and vegetables like carrots, celery, pears, berries, broccoli and grapes to keep you full and satisfied without packing too many calories into your eating plan. Combine your new diet with regular exercise. Your doctor may recommend a healthy weight loss plan that is catered to your specific dietary needs.