Rhiannon Lambert, a nutritionist, states that crash dieting is unsustainable, not effective, and can be dangerous too
Lambert warned diet enthusiasts that crash dieting may lead to fast weight loss results but is not a sustainable method to maintain a healthy weight and can have highly dangerous side effects.
Diets that promise significant, quick weight loss results with minimal efforts or an extremely limited diet (no fats, protein, carbohydrates, etc.) should come with a disclaimer: you may lose weight, but you won’t keep it off.
A healthy weight loss plan is aiming 1-2 pounds a week, with more weight than that per week being unsustainable in the long term.
Lambert states that rapid weight loss is a near guarantee with crash dieting, and it is definitely possible to lose over two pounds a week – but the weight loss will consist primarily of water weight due to glycogen being burnt by the body for energy.
The body burns glycogen because crash diets – which usually tend to be very restrictive – do not allow the consumption of foods that bring energy into the body, so it must burn through its stores.
Once the crash diet has ended (whether an actual diet plan or just an attempt by an individual to eat as little as possible), it is a certainty that the weight will pile back on as soon as normal eating is resumed.
Rapid loss of weight can impact health negatively
Among the side effects of fast, unhealthy weight loss include loss of muscle mass, a slowed down metabolism and nutritional deficiencies.
Lambert and other experts emphasize there is no such thing as a fast, easy weight loss solution: a healthy diet must be sustainable, contain all essential nutrients, and suit the individual’s needs and ability to exercise.