{"id":875,"date":"2022-10-10T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-10T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-09-05T00:13:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T16:13:57","slug":"extreme-diets-heres-why-you-should-never-try-one-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/extreme-diets-heres-why-you-should-never-try-one-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Extreme Diets: Here&#8217;s Why You Should Never Try One"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Trying one of those extreme diets you see advertised online can be very tempting when you want to lose weight quickly. If you\u2019re unhappy with extra weight you\u2019ve gained over time, sometimes you want to do anything and everything you can to lose it quickly. We understand; and most of us have been there before. And we know that <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/circledna.com\/blog\/should-you-shift-from-body-positivity-to-body-neutrality\/\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">body positivity isn\u2019t always easy to achieve<\/a>, because body image issues take time to heal. The thing is, extreme diets aren\u2019t all they\u2019re cracked up to be, and you really should not try an extreme diet.<\/p>\n<p>Some of these extreme diets out there can be pretty dangerous, and rapid weight loss can have a negative effect on your health as well as your metabolism. Check out this article on the <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/circledna.com\/blog\/the-consequences-of-losing-weight-too-quickly\/\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">drawbacks of losing weight quickly<\/a>. Slow and steady really does win the race, even with dieting, and while it can feel a little demoralizing that it takes time, your body will thank you for it. <\/p>\n<p>Let us take you through what extreme dieting is, and we\u2019ll discuss the risks associated with it so that you can make an informed decision about your nutrition.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"what-are-extreme-diets\">What are Extreme Diets?<\/h3>\n<p>Extreme diets are also commonly referred to as crash diets, and they involve severe food restriction and calorie intake restrictions so that you lose weight very quickly. Generally speaking, it involves removing most (or all) of the major food groups from your diet. <\/p>\n<p>Some of the most well-known extreme diets are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Juice diet<\/li>\n<li>Egg diet<\/li>\n<li>Cabbage Soup diet<\/li>\n<li>Maple Syrup diet <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The reason these extreme diets are so popular is because it\u2019s so much easier to get caught up in the fast results from these diets than to take the time to think about the long-term implications of extreme dieting on our health. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not a sustainable form of dieting, and most people can\u2019t lose a lot of weight without gaining it back very quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.pennmedicine.org\/updates\/blogs\/health-and-wellness\/2018\/june\/crash-diets-and-weight-loss\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">medical professionals<\/a> have found that there is an increased risk of developing long-term eating disorders when you try following extreme diets, because of the unrealistic results caused by this type of dieting.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/circledna.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/content_images_2022_10_body-on-extreme-diet-2-1.jpg\"><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"what-happens-to-your-body-during-an-extreme-diet\">What Happens to Your Body During an Extreme Diet?<\/h3>\n<p>When you dramatically restrict the number of calories your body is getting, it goes into<a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.obesityaction.org\/resources\/the-risks-of-the-crash-diet\/\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\"> survival mode<\/a> because it believes that there is not enough food and so it will need to conserve energy. <\/p>\n<p>As a result, during an extreme diet, your body will burn through less fat because this is what the body feeds on when it is no longer getting the regular nutrition it needs and thinks you\u2019re starving yourself. <\/p>\n<p>This is why crash diets tend to lead to the loss of lean body mass, such as muscle and fat. The loss of this mass is what can cause fragility in later life, and the loss of muscle is harmful to both the metabolism and your overall strength. <\/p>\n<p>So, while the initial weight loss from your crash diet seems exceptional, the truth is that you aren\u2019t shedding any fat &#8211; you\u2019re losing your muscle instead. <\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, extreme diets can result in <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk\/memberarticles\/extreme-diets-that-dont-work\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">low blood sugar<\/a> levels, which leaves us feeling lethargic, and much hungrier than normal. <\/p>\n<p>Low blood sugar tends to cause brain fog, dizziness, lightheadedness, and it can easily trigger a dangerous cycle of binging and starving &#8211; reinforcing the potential to form eating disorders as a result of strict dieting.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"what-are-other-risks-of-an-extreme-diet\">What are Other Risks of an Extreme Diet?<\/h3>\n<p>There are further risks associated with taking part in an extreme diet, and some of the side effects include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Abnormal heart rate<\/li>\n<li>Dehydration<\/li>\n<li>Dizziness<\/li>\n<li>Electrolyte imbalances<\/li>\n<li>Gout<\/li>\n<li>Irritability<\/li>\n<li>Headaches<\/li>\n<li>Hair Loss <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, in addition to strong <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.obesityaction.org\/resources\/the-risks-of-the-crash-diet\/\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">research<\/a> for the above, there have also been <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.netdoctor.co.uk\/healthy-eating\/a25288668\/are-crash-diets-bad-for-you\/\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">studies<\/a> and observations by medical experts for the below additional risks of extreme dieting:<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"gallstones-and-gallbladder-attacks\">Gallstones and Gallbladder Attacks<\/h3>\n<p>Rapid weight loss can significantly increase your chances of forming gallstones, which can be very small or the size of golf balls. Gallstones cause exceptionally painful <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/circledna.com\/blog\/gallbladder-attack-symptoms-and-treatment\/\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">gallbladder attacks<\/a>, and can make you quite sick. The high probability of suffering from them is likely due to the extreme changes in fat metabolism when you lose weight rapidly.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"malnutrition\">Malnutrition<\/h3>\n<p>Since crash diets involve the severe restriction of nutrients, often leaving out whole food groups, it can lead to malnourishment and illness if you maintain this cycle of regular eating and crash dieting over prolonged periods of time. Most people have good nutritional stores, so deprivation in the short term isn\u2019t going to have any adverse effects. It\u2019s the long-term that\u2019s worrying.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"weakened-immune-system\">Weakened Immune System<\/h3>\n<p>When your body isn\u2019t getting the nutrients it needs in order to function properly; it takes a toll on your immune system. Your body becomes less able to fight off viruses and bacteria because it isn\u2019t strong enough to produce the white blood cells needed. <\/p>\n<p>As a result, you will likely find that you become sick more often, and it might take you longer to recover as a result. Even cuts and scrapes may take longer than usual to heal.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"fatigue\">Fatigue<\/h3>\n<p>Since your body won\u2019t be getting the nourishment it needs or enough calories, you will find that you are more exhausted than usual. Even after a full night of sleep, you will likely feel your energy fading fast throughout the day because you\u2019re burning more energy than you\u2019re producing. A balanced diet that is nutritionally rich will leave you feeling energized.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rebounding-or-yo-yoing\">Rebounding or Yo-Yoing<\/h3>\n<p>Once you have lost all that weight, keeping it off is going to be even harder. This is because of the starvation mode we mentioned earlier. Your body no longer knows when its next full meal is going to be, so your metabolism will slow, and it will store more of the fat ready for the next time you fast. It also means that you\u2019re going to regain the weight you lost much quicker.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"you-don%E2%80%99t-stand-to-benefit-from-extreme-diets\">You Don\u2019t Stand to Benefit from Extreme Diets<\/h3>\n<p>There is very little research to indicate that extreme diets are good for anything except very short-term weight loss results that you can\u2019t sustain, and that you\u2019ve compromised your overall health to achieve. You might feel great that you lost masses of weight in a few weeks, but the long-term effects on your body and the potential risks of illness aren\u2019t worth it.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"find-out-the-healthiest-diet-plan-for-you-by-using-dna-insights\">Find Out the Healthiest Diet Plan For You by Using DNA Insights<\/h3>\n<p>Your DNA can tell you a lot about which diet plans suit you best, such as the mediterranean diet versus a low-carb diet. Depending on your genetic makeup, your body will respond better to certain diets. You can find this out by taking a CircleDNA test and reading your <strong><a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/circledna.com\/premium?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=&amp;utm_format=&amp;utm_creator=&amp;utm_content=extreme-diets-heres-why-you-should-never-try-one\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">genetic diet and nutrition reports.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Extreme diets are just not worth the effort. There are so many potential risks, especially for your long-term health, and all of that to achieve drastic weight loss that will be almost impossible for you to maintain without entering a harmful cycle of indulging and fasting. <\/p>\n<p>The best diets to use are those that shift your habits to healthier eating habits, and are carried out over a long period of time, leading to healthy weight loss without a negative impact on your metabolism or your health. We know that for some people, it\u2019s not always easy following the traditional route of a healthy balanced diet, limiting excess calories in the form of limiting late-night snacking, and exercising regularly. Traditional methods of losing weight work better , they\u2019re just slower, but that\u2019s okay. Slow and steady wins the race.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"resources\">Resources:<\/h3>\n<p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Penn Medicine, Seven Reasons Why Crash Diets Don\u2019t Work: <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.pennmedicine.org\/updates\/blogs\/health-and-wellness\/2018\/june\/crash-diets-and-weight-loss\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.pennmedicine.org\/updates\/blogs\/health-and-wellness\/2018\/june\/crash-diets-and-weight-loss<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Obesity Action, Risks of the Crash Diet: <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.obesityaction.org\/resources\/the-risks-of-the-crash-diet\/\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.obesityaction.org\/resources\/the-risks-of-the-crash-diet\/<\/a><br \/>\nNutritionist Resource, Extreme Diets That Don\u2019t Work: <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk\/memberarticles\/extreme-diets-that-dont-work\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk\/memberarticles\/extreme-diets-that-dont-work<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Net Doctor, Are Crash Diets Ever a Good Idea?: <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.netdoctor.co.uk\/healthy-eating\/a25288668\/are-crash-diets-bad-for-you\/NCBI\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.netdoctor.co.uk\/healthy-eating\/a25288668\/are-crash-diets-bad-for-you\/NCBI<\/a>,<\/li>\n<li>Pros and Cons of Some Popular Weight Loss Diets: <a target=\"_new0.035576185244672175\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6366252\/\&quot;" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6366252\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--kg-card-end: markdown--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trying one of those extreme diets you see advertised online can be very tempting when you want to lose weight quickly. If you\u2019re unhappy with extra weight&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3323,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,3],"tags":[1286,4319,4415,4417,4421,4429,8480,4427,4423,63,4425,317,54,4419,4387,4399,4395,5641],"class_list":["post-875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet","category-wellness","tag-consultation","tag-diet","tag-diet-nutrition","tag-diets","tag-extreme","tag-heres","tag-lose-weight","tag-never","tag-one","tag-pessimism-en","tag-should","tag-skin-aging","tag-skincare-en","tag-try","tag-wellness","tag-why","tag-you","tag-zh-diet"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=875"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5783,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/875\/revisions\/5783"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}