Fast Crash Diets: Miracle or Menace?

Studies have shown time and again that the majority of people who manage to keep weight off long-term are the ones who took the time to learn new eating and exercise behaviors and lost the weight over an extended period of time. There simply is no magic bullet, no miracle pill or diet plan that will allow you to drop 10 or 15 pounds a week in a healthy way.

The truth is, many crash diets will help you lose weight, but only for the short term. Sure, if you start eating half the calories you normally do and up your exercise by two hours daily, you'll see some effects. But a minimal weight loss won't be the only change you see. You could also see some negative effects that will last a lot longer than the smaller size you've reached.

What kind of negative effects? Here are just two:

Your metabolism will slow down. The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to actually increase your metabolism. Most crash diets rely on extremely few calories or even periods of fasting, which will send your body into energy management mode. Your body is a smart machine; if it realizes that the caloric intake has just been decreased down to practically nil, it will slow way down to hold on to every bit of energy it can so it doesn't drop before the next meal. This is no way to lose weight or maintain any kind of loss.

You won't make lasting changes to your diet. A crash diet is not really ever meant to be a long-term solution. Whether it's a three-day or a three-week program, eventually it will end and you'll need to begin eating healthily to maintain the weight loss. Crash diets don't teach you good eating habits; they usually teach you about fasting and willpower and quickie solutions that don't last.

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