The Dangers of Starvation Diets
Starvation diets are awful. And depressing. Most of us know this, but I want you to know WHY you should not participate in them.
Starvation diets, also known as very low-calorie diets (VLCDs) or extreme low-calorie diets (LCDs), involve severely restricting caloric intake to promote rapid weight loss (because, eh hem, you're probably impatient).
While they may yield short-term weight loss results, they can pose significant dangers and risks to your health like:
Nutrient deficiencies : Severely restricting caloric intake means consuming inadequate amounts of essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients that your body needs. This can lead to deficiencies in key nutrients like iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and others, which will in-turn result in various health problems. And no, you can't just pop pills and make this okay.
Muscle loss: Starvation diets often cause the body to break down muscle tissue to meet its energy needs. This can result in muscle loss, which leads to decreased strength, metabolism, and overall physical performance.
Slowed metabolism: When you significantly reduce your caloric intake, your body responds by slowing down your metabolism to conserve energy. This adaptive response will make it more difficult to lose weight and maintain weight loss in the long term.
Nutritional imbalances: Starvation diets typically lack the proper balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats). Inadequate carbohydrate intake can lead to low energy levels, poor concentration, and difficulty with physical activity. Insufficient protein intake can impair muscle repair and immune function, while inadequate fat intake can impact hormone production and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Gallstone formation: Rapid weight loss associated with starvation diets increases the risk of gallstone formation which is PAINFUL.
Electrolyte imbalances: Inadequate intake of essential minerals, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, can disrupt the balance of electrolytes in the body. It can make you feel symptoms like weakness, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, and in severe cases, can be life-threatening.
Psychological effects: These diets can have a negative impact on mental health, leading to feelings of deprivation, obsession with food, and unhealthy relationships with eating. They can also contribute to the development or exacerbation of eating disorders, such as anorexia, nervosa or bulimia. We probably all know someone who has dealt with this.
Long-term weight gain: While starvation diets may result in initial weight loss, the extreme nature of these diets makes them unsustainable. Once a person resumes normal eating patterns, the body tends to regain weight quickly. This cycle of weight loss and regain, known as yo-yo dieting, can be detrimental to overall health and metabolism.
The GOOD NEWS is that there are better ways than starving yourself.
A much healthier way of losing weight is by creating a mild caloric deficit instead. This is much gentler on the body and still allows you to incorporate your favorite foods into your diet. The slow gradual process of losing weight (AND building muscle at the same time) is more effective in the long term than any kind of starvation diet.
Remember: whatever you do to get the weight off is what you need to do to keep it off. If you can't imagine still using a weight management strategy in 30 years, you shouldn't be doing it now. And no diet should ever risk your long-term health.
Need help getting STARTED? Want someone to guide, help, and support you so that you can actually do it this time – for real? Give me your hand and let's get some good habits started.
