Is weight loss with crash diets the same as looking for gold at the end of a rainbow? Wouldn’t be great if we could eat whatever we liked and when we did need to lose weight, we could pick up a miracle diet follow it for a week and get results in our doorstep. Wouldn’t be great if there was a bucket of gold at the end of the rainbow as well? Well for a lot of the available crash diets that’s more or less the case. I am holding my breath for the one diet that I might have missed.

Crash diets explained

There are actually hundreds of different crash diets in the market and it is beyond the scope of this article to look into each and every one of them. Crash diets are usually of restricted calorie intake and aim in achieving radical weight loss in a small period of time. Such diets are usually fasting diets sometimes combined with exercise and are often accompanied by supplements, diet pills or laxatives. It is very common for crash diets to be based on a fruit or vegetable which is meant to have unique weight loss powers. Examples of such diets are the cabbage, grapefruit and the acai berry diets. In general a lot of the crash diets are based in extreme eating habits such as drinking only juice (juice diet), or ingesting a tape worm (the tape worm diet, yes it is real).

Although crash diets are predominately short in duration (usually 3- 10 days) some may advocate that they can be followed for longer or follow a cyclical pattern such as one week on one week off (see also 17 Day diet review). Crash diets have in general been criticised as being unrealistic, unhealthy and that there isn’t such thing as quick weight loss. However, there are testimonies from people who swear they lost the weight and it is the best thing on earth. So what is the truth, and do crash diets actually work?

Crash diets: the theories answered

Each crash diet has its own theory behind it. In this part I will look at some of these theories and provide an answer for each.

Theory 1: In some simple terms one theory is that if you radically reduce calorie intake you will lose weight.

Well that is partly true. By reducing calorie intake the body will mobilise its stores to use for the energy it requires. In order to lose weight there will have to be a negative energy balance, which means that the calorie intake should be less than the calories used by the body. It must be note that in real terms this is a little bit more complicated than that and there are a number of factors that can influence the metabolic processes of the body such as medical conditions, and stress. But we will accept for the purposes of this article that this is in part true for the average healthy person who sleeps well and is stress free.

However, what is important to remember is the process in which the body will start using its energy reserves. Even if complete starvation takes place the first thing the body will start using is its glycogen stores (sugar stores) from the liver and the muscles. It will then start mobilising some fat and protein and within all the process it will lose a lot of water as well. The body does use some fat throughout the day anyway, but to it does need more time to adjust in burning solely fat once glycogen has started finishing. Protein is the most important thing so it will try to save it as much as it can. It will use some protein in the process but it will indeed try to spare it for as long as possible. What does all that mean in terms of weight loss? In the first phase (about 1 week) of fast like dieting what you lose is glycogen loads of water and some fat. In general the amount of fat lost is not measurably significant.

So yes you will lose pounds but is mostly glycogen and water with a small amount of fat. In addition, metabolism will start to slow down quite quickly so by the end of a week you will be burning even less energy.

Theory 2: The fruit/vegetable/supplement has unique properties and causes the body to lose weight very fast.

Whether is acai berry, or cabbage, or grapefruit or a juice from Mars there are not sufficient scientific evidence to show that either of these induces weight loss. Some studies which may be available are of poor quality and results are highly questionable. Some of the fruit may have different nutritional properties such as acai berry is an antioxidant and is no doubt that they may have positive effects in health. However, this is a different matter and not always related to weight loss.

To my knowledge these which have shown results in some scientific studies in aiding weight loss are green tea catechin and dietary calcium on its own or in combination with vitamin D (basically from food and not as a supplement). However, do not expect to drop dress sizes with just drinking loads of green tea. A healthy and appropriate weight loss program will be needed in combination.

Theory 3: The diet plan will change the body’s metabolism achieving weight loss and it will be all from fat.

Well there are ways to alter the metabolic processes and increase the metabolic rate (rate by which we burn calories). However, for any long term adjustments to take place (example retraining your body to burn fat more efficiently) do take around 2 weeks. Each person may react differently and may take slightly longer or slightly quicker in making such biological adaptations but at average 2 weeks is the time required (see also: lose weight in 2 weeks). A 3 day crash diet is unlikely to induce such long term changes.

It is true that your body will start adapting to extreme conditions almost immediately. The word is start and in extreme conditions it will adapt for survival. For instance in starvation or fasting style diets the body will start to make metabolic changes in the 1^st 8 – 10 hours after the last meal. If no food is being ingested as the day goes on changes will continue to be made with survival in mind.

In addition, the body can learn/adapt to burn more fat as fuel however, there is no such thing as burning only fat. We use a combination of fuels all the time. We can use one kind of fuel more or less according to the activities we carry out and our diet among other factors.

Theory 4: Fast weight loss with crash diets is healthier and safe.

There is not a yes or no answer for this. It is true that some studies have shown that obese people who achieve fast weight loss had better long term results in sustaining the weight loss and in terms of health. It is also true that a number of studies suggest that crash diets can lead to weight fluctuations related to yo yo dieting and have been associated with a number of health complaints and risks.

What is important to consider is what kind of diet is used and if someone is obese or not. There are major differences from biological to general health between obese/morbidly obese and just overweight people. It is often the case in obesity that health risks deriving from obesity outweigh the health risks of a fast weight loss. However, in either case I would not recommend to follow a crash diet just because you read somewhere that research says is better. Always consult a medical professional especially if there are any other medical conditions and complaints present. It could well be that the strain put on your body trying to deal with food deprivation is high and risky.

I would definitely argue that a crash diet such as the tape warm diet is not healthy or safe for anybody regardless of body size, age, or any other factor in the world. This is just an example to actually say that some diets are far from healthy or safe. Some very low calorie diets may be recommended for some situations, but it is usually advised to try and include a variety of foods and nutrients.

Also some of these diets are only meant to be followed for a very small period of time. They are not designed for longer as they may not be healthy or safe. If you are not getting results from a 1 week diet does not mean that you need to do it longer but that it is actually not working. Maybe it is true that you will not lose 1 dress size in a week. Moreover, restrictive and very low calorie diets have been associated with musculoskeletal complaints, and can lead to suppression of the immune system leading to high risks of contracting illnesses and infection.     

Theory 5: The diet is cleansing, detoxifying, as nature intended, healing, will aid digestion.

There are not actually sufficient scientific evidence to support that detoxing or cleansing the body has any health benefits. The body has its own mechanisms to filter and remove toxins. In addition, some of the theories in which foods are ‘toxins’ for the body and which are ‘healing’ foods are not based on scientific evidence.

Diets which are very restrictive in what kind of foods they allow such as just juice diets could lead in nutrient deficiencies. Very restrictive diets which are recommended for long periods have been connected with vitamin A, vitamin C and amino acid deficiencies. All nutrients are vital for the body, including fat. Nutrient deficiencies are far from ‘healing’ or ‘healthy’ for the body.

In addition some of these fasting/only liquids diets can lead to gastrointestinal complaints. Suffering from diarrhoea is not a form of detoxifying or aiding digestion or ‘the way nature intended’.

In simple words the benefits gained from a crash diet are not usually sufficient enough. Any weight lost will be mostly water and it will be gained back very quickly. If someone wants to use a crash diet to lose that inch to fit in that dress/trousers etc yes it is possible as long as you are aware that is not actually loads of fat what you are losing.

Article by Hara Hagikalfa.

Ask your weight loss questions and get answers from our experts

When it comes to weight loss and methods that can help you lose weight it is not always that hard to save calories and get rid of the excess pounds. There are a number of things you can do in your daily life, part of your routine that can really make a difference. In this short post we outline 10 quick and easy ways to lose weight. The tips and tricks explained here are not meant to replace your weight loss plans or programs; they can be used as an additional source which can help you understand better how to lose weight quickly.

1. Keep meats that are high in fat (burgers, fried food, junk food) outside your diet. They have nothing to offer to your body and health (other than calories and fat) and there are many better replacements both in terms of calories and healthiness.

2. Did you notice that people who eat spicy food do not have weight problems? This is true and the main reason behind this is that spicy food can accelerate your metabolism and help you burn more calories. So spicy up your food to make it tastier and boost your metabolism at the same time.

3. Salads are delicious, healthy and calorie friendly. Why not try having a salad for lunch instead of a heavy and calorie loaded meal? Salads give you a lot of energy at minimum cost. It goes without saying that you should avoid saucy salad dressings.

4. There is no valid excuse that can keep you away from walking or running for 30 minutes per day. This activity will clean your mind, give you more energy and help you lose weight. If the weather is bad then go to the gym or use the treadmill at home. If you don’t have one, then buy one. Do not expect that you will lose weight magically. You need to take actions and make the effort.

5. The last meal of the day is dinner. You should take your dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime and after that you should not eat anything. Do not make the mistake that many people do. Many people eat their dinner and until they go to bed they eat snacks and sweets (a bite of this and that), capable to blow up their weight loss efforts. A nice way to remind your self that you should not eat anything is to brush your teeth right after dinner.

6. When you need to drink something then this should be fresh water. There are no perfect substitutes of water despite what you want to believe. Better drink fewer juices and no soft drinks and fight your thirst with 6-8 glasses of water per day.

7. Weight lifting can help you lose weight fast. Do not be afraid of strength training and body building. The harder and more effort you put into exercise the more weight you will lose. Weight lifting can help you build muscles utilizing the fat reserves for energy.

8. If you do not have to go to a restaurant (because you are invited for dinner) then try to eat at home. Eating at home is better because you have more control on the size of the food portions and the ingredients used for cooking. Food cooked in restaurants is not really healthy and the more you can avoid it the better.

9. If you really have to eat out then prefer to order your own portion from the menu instead of taking buffet. Buffets are full of temptations and most probably you will not be able to resist and at the end you will feel bad. Also try eating only half of the food portion to make sure that you will not consume more calories than you really need.

10. Last but not least, if you are serious about losing weight quickly then keep a food diary. In the diary you can record everything you eat and drink and also calculate the amount of calories. Watch your diary and make sure that you do not eat more calories (keep your diet around 2000-24000 calories daily) than what you need and also used it as a tool to help you set your weight loss goals.

Weight loss is a big journey and so far in this web site we covered several aspects of it. The purpose of this web site is to provide free information on how to lose weight the healthy way. This means without taking any pills or buying any products but by following healthy guidelines. The guidelines are easy to follow and if you can manage to make them part of your daily habits then weight loss will be an easy game for you. This is very important because you should not think about losing weight only when you have to attend some event or when summer approaching. Maintaining you normal weight is something you should do all year long by following a healthy lifestyle and not rushing every now and then to find out how to lose weight quickly. In this post we outline 20 healthy tips you can adopt that will ensure that you will lose weight and keep it off.

1. A very nice tip that all experts agree about is the role of water in weight loss. Water is among the best weight loss products; has no calories at all and keeps your stomach full for longer time. It is one of the healthiest habits that most people neglect. People tend to look for a glass of water only when they are thirsty. This is not a good practice. Normally you should aim for 8-10 glasses of water per day. A way to increase your appetite for water is to drink a cold glass of water as soon as you wake up and before eating or drinking anything else. People who have tried this have to say that it does feel very good and also it helps you drink more water throughout the day. Other ways to utilize water for weight loss are to drink a glass of water 1 hour before your mail meals and to drink water while you are eating. This way you save many calories because your stomach will get full faster. To summarize, water can help you lose weight quickly if you: drink water first thing in the morning, drink water 1 hours before and during your meals and throughout the day you drink at least 8 glasses of water.

2. Quick weight loss means no soft drinks or sodas. If you are among those people who like to accompany their meals with a soft drink or soda then you have to change this unhealthy habit. Soft drinks contain sugar and lot calories. For quick results you should cut down the amount of sugars you consume. As a replacement of soft drinks you can try diet soft drinks that are very popular in our days. Diet drinks carry only a couple of calories and they taste as good as normal drinks. For even quicker weight loss results you can drink fresh cold water with a couple of lemon slices or why not try green tea. Drink green tea to lose weight because green tea is among the healthiest ways to accelerate your weight loss.

3. Most probably you already know that a healthy diet includes a lot of fruits and vegetables. This is absolutely true. When it comes to weight loss however there are a few tricks about how to utilize fruits in your diet that will bring you quicker and better results. The first tip is to prefer fruits that have high percentage of water, like watermelons, melons, tomatoes and cucumber. These fruits and vegetables are much easier to digest and carry less calories than other fruits and vegetables. Another tip is to prefer eating fruits instead of drinking their juice. This is better from a nutritional point of view because eating the fruits gives you more nutrients and vitamins but also there are advantages as far as weight loss is concerned. First by chewing you spend more energy (calories) than drinking juice and second you consume fewer calories. This is because to make a glass of orange juice you may need to squish 4-5 oranges, but if you eat oranges you probably eat only 1. Finally stay away from canned fruits and vegetables because they may contain sugars and more calories than fresh fruits.

4. So far you know that in order to lose weight quickly you need to drink a lot of water, avoid sugar full soft drinks and eat fruits and vegetables wisely. The next thing to note is when to eat and how much to eat. People who lose weight successfully share one common characteristic. They eat intelligently and carefully. This means that when you are hungry you do not just eat the first thing you see in front of you or the first thing that comes in mind. Before you eat something you have to stop and think if the particular food or drink will assist or destroy your weight loss efforts. Ask you self if the item falls in the category of healthy foods and if the number of calories it contains is accordance with your daily calorie plan. If it is not then skip it and find something else to eat that will help you meet your goals. There are a lot of foods you should avoid when you want to lose weight the healthy way. Another thing to take care off is how many times to eat per day and the size of the food portions. When you want to lose weight quickly you need to forget about the traditional 3 big meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Instead you should eat 6 smaller meals with 2-3 hours interval between them. This will ensure also improve your metabolism and by increasing the metabolism you lose weight faster. In those meals make sure that you eat small portions of low-fat food. For example you can start your day with a fresh glass of water and then you can eat your favorite cereals with low fat milk. At 11:00 you can eat an apple and at 13:00 you can eat a green salad (no dressing) with a piece of chicken breast. At 15:00 you can eat a few carrots (sliced with lemons) and at 18:00 you can have your last meal of the day. This may include salmon and boiled vegetables with rice. Which ever plan you follow make sure that you eat only when you are hungry and that you take your last meal at least 3 hours before going to bed. Take also care of sweets. If you feel that you need to eat something sweet prefer low fat yogurt with a spoon of honey or pieces of fresh fruits.

5. Unfortunately there cannot be quick weight loss with out exercise. Exercise and weight loss go together. We know that a lot of people are not great fans of exercise but the truth is that for fast weight loss results you have to exercise. Exercise can boost your metabolism and greatly assist your body in building more muscles and less fat. If you can manage to include exercise in your daily schedule then the results will not take long to come. Any form of exercise is good. You should choose the type that you like and you can perform. For example walking is easy to do by anyone but weight lifting is not for beginners. If you have not exercise for a long time then you should consult your doctor first. This will ensure that you will start smooth and not create any other problems to your health. Start with easy exercise for a short duration and gradually increase both the intensity and frequency of exercise.

6. When talking about how to lose weight quickly we should also mention a few words about weight loss diets, weight loss pills and other slimming products. In the minds of many people fast weight loss is associated with one of the above because marketers have managed to create the perception that in order to lose weight quickly you have to follow a strict diet or buy a miracle product. What we can say is that there is no miracle pill to lose weight healthy and there is no magic way to lose weight fast. Stay away from miracle weight loss diets and certainly do not take any weight loss pills or other chemical means to help you lose weight. There are some slimming products that can help your weight loss efforts but before buying them you first you have to read user reviews to see what people actually thing about the product and whether the results are good or not. Be careful and always research well before you buy. Even better get the opinion of your doctor or dietitian before attempting to follow any weight loss program or solution.