13 Oct Why Does a Crash Diet Fail Every Time?

If you’ve ever gone down the crash diet rabbit hole, then you’re probably aware of the fact that they don’t really work.

In fact, 65% of people who use a crash diet method regain the weight they lost.

But why? Here’s a look at five reasons they’re not effective at helping you keep the weight off, and how you can make smart and healthy decisions to change your weight loss journey for the better.

1. You’re Losing Water Weight

In terms of seeing results, crash diets may appear to be working when you step on the scale, but the reality of this is that you’re probably losing water weight and not fat.

With every gram of carbohydrates you eat, your body retains about 4 grams of water with it.

Because of this, when you go on a diet that cuts out all or most of your carb consumption, you’ll lose the water your body is retaining which creates the illusion of weight loss.

2. You Start Storing More Fat

When you’re so heavily restricting your food consumption, the tendency for binge eating becomes a lot higher.

During a crash diet, you are essentially starving your body, which can lead to severe drops in blood sugar.

When your blood sugar drops, you are more likely to binge on carbohydrate-heavy foods.

Then, after binging on these carbs, your body will overproduce insulin.

As insulin is one of the hormones that trigger fat storage, the end of this binge will result in your body hanging onto every last bit of fat it can.

3. Short-Term Changes Don’t Equal Long-Term Results

One of the biggest problems with trying to use a crash diet to lose weight is the fact that you’re making changes that will only be temporary.

These diets focus on immediate results, but to see long-lasting effects, you’ll need to steadily change your eating and exercise habits as a whole.

Attempting to make huge changes all at once is not conducive to creating healthy habits that stick.

Instead of worrying about counting calories, try focusing on the nutrient density of the food you’re eating.

Remember, it’s not so much about how much you eat, but about what you eat.

4. You Could Damage Your Body

Another unfortunate reality of crash dieting is that on top of the fact that they don’t actually work, you could also be doing permanent damage to your health.

The act of losing and gaining weight rapidly can take a toll on your heart and cardiovascular health.

Crash dieting is also taxing on your mental health as super restrictive eating can, in a way, take over your life and lead to unhappiness and feelings of frustration.

Skip the Crash Diet and Focus on Healthy Change

Rather than putting your efforts into a quick-change diet, make adjustments that will be permanent instead.

If traditional eating and exercise habit changes haven’t worked for you, there are options like mini gastric bypass surgery that could be the answer to your weight loss struggles.

This is a simple procedure that helps to aid in weight loss alongside the habit changes you’ve already put in place.

Contact us to learn more and make strides toward a happier and healthier life.