I cringe every time I hear an ad talking about losing 20 pounds in two weeks. This is partly because I tried them and ended up with a couple of the problems I'll be discussing and partly because I know how lucky I am that things weren't as bad as they could have been.
A crash diet is one that severely restricts the number of calories you take in, and usually also involves extremes in the exercise department. The good news is that you can lose a lot of weight in the first few weeks of such a diet. The bad news is you will find yourself gaining weight even if you continue such a diet. The worst news is that it could end up killing you.
Your body will eventually notice the reduction and in turn reduce the amount of calories it burns. It lowers your metabolism, thinking that a famine is taking place. In famine mode, your body will try to put weight back on in case things get worse.
Crash Diets and Mental Health: There are several reasons extreme diets can affect your mental health. Food cravings are bad enough, but depression is also likely. These diets mess with serotonin levels, which in turn causes mood changes and increased irritability. Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders can develop as well.
Nutrition Deficiencies: When calorie counts are low, the amount of nutrients ingested are also low. Vitamins, particularly B12 will develop. Believe it or not, but sodium is also likely to be deficient. Iron, potassium and other vital elements to a healthy diet disappear. Anemia, increased bleeding and decreased immunity are some of the results.
Organ Damage: Your body wants to make sure your brain can function adequately, so it will look for any source to prevent damage. If you don't eat enough carbohydrates, your body will turn to muscles, including your heart and the muscles that help the other organs function. Liver failure, kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes are all possible.
Osteoporosis: Lack of calcium can lead to bone loss, which is called osteoporosis. Broken bones and a lot of pain can result. The hip and wrist bones are particularly vulnerable.
Cholesterol Problems: Believe it or not, a crash diet can lower good cholesterol. This is because many foods that increase HDL cholesterol won't be eaten.
Is there a way around these problems and still lose weight? Yes, but it won't be fast. It took a while to put the weight on and it will take a while to take it off. Take your goal weight (and make sure it's a healthy weight for you), multiply it by ten and eat *at least* that many calories daily. You may want to take a nutritional supplement, in order to make sure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need to function in a healthy way.
When looking into an exercise routine, consult your doctor. The doctor knows your medical history and can help you choose activities that won't cause injuries or aggravate medical conditions. Extreme exercise is not a good idea, especially without talking to a medical professional.
For information about home remedies, you can visit my site: healing-home-remedies.com healing-home-remedies.com/. There are blogs and articles about many herbs and the conditions they may help. Subjects include stress, back pain, the flu, gout and cholesterol. You can also download my free report, the Top Ten Herbs. The report discusses the uses, side effects, precautions and interactions of popular herbs. My eBooks, also found on the site, contain information about foods and herbs that can help you deal with the problems life throws our way. A chapter in the book is dedicated to weight loss. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at:
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