The start of the year tends to be a time where we set exciting new goals and intentions for the year ahead. For a number of people (48%), New Year resolutions and goals often involve diets.
Since it’s that time of year where there is a huge emphasis on dieting and it’s a topical conversation I’m pretty passionate about, I think now is a good time to discuss why crashing dieting is detrimental to the body.
Crash dieting involves restricting your calorie intake to below the number of calories your body needs to function properly, circa 1000 – 1200 p.d for women and ~1800 – 2000 for men. It’s often used as a method to lose weight at a faster rate.
While this might appear to be a short term quick fix, the implications of crash dieting can be incredibly detrimental to your health and body which may end up leaving you no better off than before you started! In my research I came across a staggering statistic that 95% of people who crash diet regain the lost weight within a matter of weeks and end up heavier than before they started the diet. 95%!!! That figure blew my mind.
Having been placed on numerous diets myself following ongoing digestive issues, I’ve experienced single handily the implications of restrictive diets and the unpleasant effect it can have physically and mentally.
While this might appear to be a short term quick fix, the implications of crash dieting can be incredibly detrimental to your health and body which may end up leaving you no better off than before you started! In my research I came across a staggering statistic that 95% of people who crash diet regain the lost weight within a matter of weeks and end up heavier than before they started the diet. 95%!!! That figure blew my mind.
Having been placed on numerous diets myself following ongoing digestive issues, I’ve experienced single handily the implications of restrictive diets and the unpleasant effect it can have physically and mentally.
So, what actually happens to your body when you embark on one these unsustainable, unattainable diets?
You will miss out on all the important nutrients your body needs
Crash dieting is not sustainable or maintainable which is why anyone that starts dieting doesn’t usually end up sticking to it for a very long period of time. You can only live on those zero calorie cabbage soups for so long until your body starts sending signals to your brain that it’s missing out on important nutrients.
Cutting back drastically on calories limits the amount of nutrients entering the body which is essential for your body and organs to function properly. The process of crash diets creates a shortage in important vitamins and minerals, including but not limited to; potassium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc which are all needed to keep the immune system strong and our digestive system functioning properly.
Approximately 80% of your immune system lies within the digestive system so the gut is the biggest contributor to your overall well-being. The gut is filled with a number of microbes that control the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses. When these microbes are fed correctly, they thrive and fight off unwanted invaders in your gut which ultimately keeps your digestive system functioning properly. When we don’t eat enough food, or the right nutrients, we are effectively starving these microbes and preventing them from fighting these harmful viruses, which can later lead to long term illnesses and diseases.
Tip: Adding live cultures into your diet such as probiotics and prebiotics help feed the gut with good bacteria and maintain a healthy digestive system. Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha and natural yogurt are all rich probiotic foods that will benefit your gut.
You can read more about how to maintain a healthy gut in my previous post here.
Your body will start to store fat rather than burn it
The aim of your body is to keep everything functioning properly to keep you alive, so when it is starved of the energy it needs, the body is pushed into survival mode.
During this process your body will start storing calories instead of burning them to avoid starvation. Therefore any calories you eat will go straight into fat storage (also known as lipolysis) because your body has no idea when it will receive its next source of fuel.
The word starvation might sound a bit extreme to you but your body is none the wiser. If you drastically cut back on calories, your body doesn’t know when it’s next source of fuel is going to come in again so it will store fat as an energy reserve to prevent starvation from happening.
In addition to calorie storage, your body will also start to break down protein reserve as another source of energy which usually stems from muscle. Muscle mass and muscle tissue burn more calories at a faster rate (even when at rest), so when the body starts breaking down muscle reserve as an energy source your body will start to burn calories at a much slower rate.
During this process your body will start storing calories instead of burning them to avoid starvation. Therefore any calories you eat will go straight into fat storage (also known as lipolysis) because your body has no idea when it will receive its next source of fuel.
The word starvation might sound a bit extreme to you but your body is none the wiser. If you drastically cut back on calories, your body doesn’t know when it’s next source of fuel is going to come in again so it will store fat as an energy reserve to prevent starvation from happening.
In addition to calorie storage, your body will also start to break down protein reserve as another source of energy which usually stems from muscle. Muscle mass and muscle tissue burn more calories at a faster rate (even when at rest), so when the body starts breaking down muscle reserve as an energy source your body will start to burn calories at a much slower rate.
I discovered that not only does the body start to store fat but these fat cells can then multiply! So where you initially had one fat cell to start with, this can multiply into two separate cells creating more of them than you had before and thus more fat to burn. It’s quite remarkable really that your body will work to these extremes in order to protect you but nevertheless it’s not ideal if weight loss is your main aim.
Your metabolism will slow down
The process of crash dieting can really mess with your metabolic rate. In essence the higher your metabolic rate, the faster you will burn fat and lose weight. Since the source of energy is low on crash diets, your metabolic rate will slow right down because the body's adaptive response is to start trying to conserve energy by reducing the number of calories you burn.
According to Moodi Dennaoui (also known as 'The Diet Doctor') in a Huffington Post article "the most common reason for metabolic issues [are] due to yo-yo diets, starvation diets, fad diets, followed by long periods of over-eating and then under-eating again".
These issues usually occur when our calorie deficit is too large (that is, the energy going in is less than energy going out), which essentially tells our bodies to slow down metabolism in order to preserve energy. The good news is that metabolism is adaptable. When the source of energy into the body is frequent, your metabolism rate will increase and assist with weight loss.
These issues usually occur when our calorie deficit is too large (that is, the energy going in is less than energy going out), which essentially tells our bodies to slow down metabolism in order to preserve energy. The good news is that metabolism is adaptable. When the source of energy into the body is frequent, your metabolism rate will increase and assist with weight loss.
Tip: To kick start the metabolism each day take a shot of apple cider vinegar or drink fresh lemon juice in hot water each morning.
It can create unhealthy mental battles
Despite crash dieting creating long term physical effects on the body, it can develop some pretty deep routed mental issues too. The process of deprivation and restriction creates unhealthy obsessions and attachments with food. The unattainable limitations you subject yourself to on a crash diet can result in binges, guilt and a constant feeling of failure every time you eat something outside of your teeny, tiny limited selection of food that you’ve allowed yourself.
Diets also create an illusion that food is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. By creating such labels we start associating ourselves as being 'good' or 'bad' every time we make a food choice. When we tell ourselves we've eaten a 'bad' food, we often feel a sense of failure and disappointment with ourselves which does not contribute towards a healthy mindset and can eventually result in developing a very unhealthy relationship with food.
Diets also create an illusion that food is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. By creating such labels we start associating ourselves as being 'good' or 'bad' every time we make a food choice. When we tell ourselves we've eaten a 'bad' food, we often feel a sense of failure and disappointment with ourselves which does not contribute towards a healthy mindset and can eventually result in developing a very unhealthy relationship with food.
Common mistakes when crash dieting
Eliminating carbs
The first thing that usually gets removed when dieting is carbs and to be honest, it wasn’t all that long ago that I used to view carbs as the absolute enemy. Like many, the thought of eating carbs (due to all the sugars) scared me so I stuck to a low carb diet for a long time.
Restricting carbs from my diet definitely had a negative effect on my health and body. I often felt fatigue, had the most intense cravings 24/7 which resulted in constantly thinking about food and then either bingeing or overeating. Feeding time became super stressful, especially when I was eating out and I noticed a big shift in my mood by becoming very irritable and snappy.
I later discovered that carbs in fact produce serotonin, often referred to as the 'happy hormone’. By removing carbs you are essentially reducing serotonin production which can ultimately have a negative effect on mood and leave you feeling low.
That’s not to say some people feel benefits from low carb diets, the Ketogenic diet being particularly popular at the moment (high fat, medium protein, low / no carb diet) but since every individual is biochemically different, it’s important to tune into your body to figure out what works best for you.
I later discovered that carbs in fact produce serotonin, often referred to as the 'happy hormone’. By removing carbs you are essentially reducing serotonin production which can ultimately have a negative effect on mood and leave you feeling low.
That’s not to say some people feel benefits from low carb diets, the Ketogenic diet being particularly popular at the moment (high fat, medium protein, low / no carb diet) but since every individual is biochemically different, it’s important to tune into your body to figure out what works best for you.
Another issue with eliminating carbs is the reduction in fibre. Fibre is absolutely essential to keep your bowels moving frequently and maintaining a healthy digestive system. Studies have shown that increasing fibre into your diet can help aid weight loss, even if you don’t make any other dietary changes. If weight loss is your main aim, you need to up your fibre intake rather than reduce it, therefore always be mindful when eliminating carbs from your diet.
Rather than eliminating carbs altogether, try switching white refined carbs (white sugar, white bread, white rice) for wholegrains. Wholegrains such as sourdough, dark rye bread, brown pasta, brown rice etc all have high fibre content, therefore the rate of digestion and rise in blood sugar levels are far slower and gradual than white carbs which get digested very quickly, causing a high blood sugar level spikes. Wholegrains are also more dense which is likely to keep you feeling fuller for longer and thus avoiding unnecessary snacking.
Eliminating healthy fats:
Fat is another food group that often gets a bad rep. Many people looking to lose weight revert to a low fat diet and start filling their cupboards with low fat products. The problem with many low fat products on the market is they’re usually high in sugar and pumped with weird ingredients to substitute the taste of fat that's been removed.
It’s important to be mindful of the different types of fat. In short, we have the bad fat (trans fats) that you find in processed food, fried food and takeaways which can clog arteries and raise LDL “bad” cholesterol levels and the good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) that you find in nuts, seeds, avocados, oily fish, unrefined oils etc. Cutting out bad fats i.e. takeaways, deep fried and processed food will absolutely benefit you and your weight. But people often get confused and assume all fat is bad and that it will make you gain weight, which isn’t necessarily true.
Your body absolutely needs good fats to provide energy, absorb nutrients and to produce important hormones. Including enough healthy fats into your diet can contribute to healthier hair, skin and nails as well as reducing inflammation and strengthening the immune system.
Fats provide a sense of fullness and satisfaction after meals and when eaten in the right amount, can actually contribute to weight loss rather than weight gain. I’ve been eating a diet full of avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil for a while now and have felt so many benefits doing so.
Your body absolutely needs good fats to provide energy, absorb nutrients and to produce important hormones. Including enough healthy fats into your diet can contribute to healthier hair, skin and nails as well as reducing inflammation and strengthening the immune system.
Fats provide a sense of fullness and satisfaction after meals and when eaten in the right amount, can actually contribute to weight loss rather than weight gain. I’ve been eating a diet full of avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil for a while now and have felt so many benefits doing so.
Tips for weight loss:
Control portion size at meal times
Don’t allow yourself to get so hungry that you make bad choices at meals times and overeat
Keep portioned healthy snacks on hand
Limit sugary, high processed food
Try and avoid boredom eating (well all do it)
Try and avoid boredom eating (well all do it)
Get cooking! Making your own meals at home allows you to monitor exactly what goes into your meals.
Stay balanced
Rather than solely focusing on weight, I think it's important to focus on maintaining a healthy enjoyable lifestyle that makes you feel good inside and the rest will fall into place naturally.
Life is there to be enjoyed. Adopting a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you can’t indulge, eat cake and drink wine. I absolutely think that is necessary as part of a healthy life! Health is so much more than what we put on our plate. Of course, nutritious food provides the right nutrients for our body but health also involves a maintainable and sustainable lifestyle that brings joy.
In my opinion, it comes from a combination of elements such as sufficient movement each day, quality sleep each night, stress management / reduction, socialising, mental wellness and filling the soul with the things you love. For me, health is not about being perfect, but being balanced because when I’m balanced – I’m happy.
In my opinion, it comes from a combination of elements such as sufficient movement each day, quality sleep each night, stress management / reduction, socialising, mental wellness and filling the soul with the things you love. For me, health is not about being perfect, but being balanced because when I’m balanced – I’m happy.
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