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Why Crash Diets don’t work….

Crash Diets are a disaster for your body and can have damaging effects

Crash and yo-yo diets are a disaster for your body and most of the time don’t deliver the results that you want.

This is the scene, an occasion is on the horizon maybe it’s a wedding, holiday, Christmas, New Year anything that is your trigger and it has been on the horizon for a few months, you have known it was coming and you have known that you wanted to be in a better shape, slimmer, fitter for that occasion.

It seems so far away that it’s okay to not address that weight/shape/fitness issue because there’s loads of time.

But we all know that time always without fail passes and often without us realising it and then before we know it is a month away and PANIC sets in.

So rather than saying okay this is me, I love me, we give ourselves a hard time and decide that any weight gone is good enough and start a crash diet and cut calories drastically.
When we cut calories drastically there are several things happening

  • We are hungry all the time
  • We upset the hormone patterns in our digestive system
  • We leave out essential foods and roughage
  • We get confused about what we can eat
  • We lose regard for food and it becomes the enemy
  • We punish ourselves
  • Our metabolism slows as there is not enough food to metabolise
  • We can’t wait for the day that we can eat ‘normally’ again

Whilst there will be a change on the scales when we weigh ourselves we haven’t got to the source of any behaviour change that would support the weight that you’d like to be.

Once you’ve hit that date or achieved your goal by this method and you go back to your normal, your behaviours before your crash diet.  But what happens is…

  • You can the weight back and it comes quickly
  • You gain more weight than you had before
  • You haven’t gained any knowledge about food and what works best for you
  • You still punish yourself and talk badly to yourself
  • Your metabolism shifts again but it is not as efficiently
  • Your digestive hormone patterns are not working their best. If your production and sensitivity to insulin are comprised, then you are on the road to type 2 diabetes.

And the more you follow this pattern the less weight loss and more weight gain will happen in the cycle. It is a never-ending cycle and it will only end in you feeling worse about yourself again and again.

But what’s the answer?  I would suggest starting with one thing and build on that. Small behaviour changes have bigger results when you do them consistently, so the key is to start now and keep doing it.

Here’s 5 to start with, pick one and then add another in a couple of weeks

  1. Sleep – get to bed earlier.  I call sleep our secret weapon because it is, and it doesn’t cost you anything.
  2. Remove the sugary drinks including those mocha wocha choca latte, replace them with water or caffeine free tea and coffee, no sugar obviously
  3. Add more roughage to your diet such as carrots, or most other vegetables
  4. Add 30 minutes of walking into your day.  Anywhere, before work, after work or lunchtime. Lunchtime is good if there is some stress kicking around the office
  5. Be kind to yourself.  Would you really speak to anyone you loved the same way you speak to yourself?  No, so come on be nice and be supportive.

Remember not every day may be perfect, but every day is a chance to practice it again.  One broken nail doesn’t ruin your hands, it’s easily fixed. So, one bad choice in a moment doesn’t ruin the hour, day, week, month or year.

Let me know how you get on, I want you to succeed

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