The Dangers of Crash Dieting!

What is Crash Dieting?

Crash dieting involves aggressively cutting calories by placing severe restrictions on eating. Often, a crash diet will require you to reduce your calorie intake below your BMR, or basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories required to keep your body functioning as normal.

While crash dieting is sometimes advertised as a quick route to weight loss, it also comes with damaging side effects. This makes it an unhealthy and unsustainable alternative to proper dieting techniques.

We get it: with all the pressures of dieting, the possibility of rapid weight loss can be incredibly tempting.

But while most crash diets come with huge promises, the reality is that they offer little more than short-term gains. The lack of nutritional balance will severely impact on your physical and mental health, and any gains you do make are likely to be temporary.

Here are 9 reasons why you should ignore the false promises in favour of a proper long-term fix.

Why Crash Dieting Doesn’t Work

1. It delivers only short-term results

Placing severe limits on your calories comes with an increased risk of cravings, rebounds and binges. It’s extremely common for crash dieting to result in a yo-yo effect, with significant weight gain coming hot on the heels of any losses. In any case, alternating between rapid losses and gains is an unhealthy approach that can have long-term effects on your wellbeing.

2. It can reduce your metabolism

Everybody’s metabolic rate varies, which means that some people find it easier than others to shed weight. However, while a high metabolism is typically an advantage when it comes to weight loss, the danger of crash dieting is that it can decrease your metabolic rate, causing your body to burn calories more slowly than normal.

The science behind this is simple. Given the lower calorie intake of a crash diet, your body resorts to breaking down muscle for energy, rather than food. As your muscle mass decreases, so does your metabolism. Because of this, crash dieting can cause an unwanted long-term change to your metabolism that will make it more difficult to lose weight in the future.

3. You can lose muscle tissue as well as body fat

To build on our previous point: when your body can’t get the sustenance it needs from food, it is forced to break down muscle. This means that crash dieting won’t just burn off unwanted body fat; it will also cause you to lose valuable muscle tissue, which is key to healthy posture, joints, mobility, and more.

4. It can affect your immune system

Crash dieting comes with an increased risk of illness. This is due to a shortage of minerals, vitamins, and nutrients, all of which support the proper functioning of your immune system. Most notably, these issues can include a lack of iron, which reduces your red blood cell count, a lack of protein, and deficiencies of vitamins such as A, C, D, E, and K. Without the right level of sustenance, your body will struggle to repel bacteria and viruses.

5. It can prevent your heart from functioning properly

Crash dieting places additional strain on your heart and can cause a temporary deterioration in heart function. This makes crash dieting particularly risky for anyone with heart issues. If this applies to you, always check with your doctor before making sudden changes to your diet.

Despite these risks, there is some evidence that in certain circumstances, crash dieting has the potential to improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart health, but only once the body adapts to an initial decline in heart function. These results have only been achieved under strict medical supervision, however, so it’s imperative that anyone with heart issues speaks to a professional about how best to manage their diet.

6. It can damage your hair and skin

The effects of vitamin deficiency aren’t just felt internally; they’ll also extend to your appearance by way of your skin and hair. Dry skin and acne are the most obvious skin problems that accompany crash dieting, but a tendency to bruise easily, eye puffiness, and slower healing of wounds are also potential factors.

When you’re low on nutrients, your body will always direct them towards the organs that need them the most. Unfortunately, hair will be low on your body’s priority list. Consequently, crash dieting can result in your hair losing its natural shine, looking limp, and even falling out. If you’re already suffering from premature hair loss, the risks are even greater. Aim for proper dieting techniques that will improve your wellbeing outside and in.

7. It can cause irregular bowel movements

An upset stomach is par for the course for crash dieters. If you’re making sudden dietary changes, your gut will always find it difficult to catch up. The problem is compounded by a lack of proper nutrients, which often results in irregular or inconsistent bowel movements. This is unpleasant at the best of times, and a significant health risk if it continues over a prolonged period.

8. It can cause dehydration

The short-term results of crash dieting are often due to a loss of water rather than a reduction in body fat. This is because crash dieting causes your body to burn through glycogen, a carbohydrate found in the liver and muscles that binds itself to water. It’s estimated that each gram of glycogen results in your body retaining two to three grams of water.

Needless to say, losing water is not an effective or sustainable route to long-term weight loss. In the short term, it will cause dehydration, which comes with symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and muscle cramps. Aim for an approach that helps you shed excess fat rather than depleting your body’s vital water supplies.

9. It can affect your mood, concentration, and energy levels

Some of the most common side effects of crash dieting are lethargy, irritability, and poor concentration. There are a variety of reasons for this, but it’s usually a combination of the factors outlined above: dehydration, an impacted metabolism, low blood sugar, and a compromised immune system. All of these can all lead to low mood and fatigue.

Simply put, you’ll never be at your best while crash dieting. Even without the other side effects, this is a compelling reason to pursue a healthier and more sustainable approach.

What are the Alternatives to Crash Dieting?

While there are some circumstances in which crash dieting can be medically necessary, this is unlikely in the vast majority of cases and should only ever take place under close medical supervision.

As with any new approach to food, fitness, or lifestyle, the most important thing is finding something that you can commit to long term and make central to your daily routine.