How Crash Diets Work

With the summer approaching and the beaches calling for us to go and swim. If you feel a little self conscious with your figure you are not alone and you may be tempted to go on a crash diet to lose a couple quick pounds. Before you do anything rash you need to ask yourself a few important questions, firstly how much weight do you want to lose. If you do not have a target how can you measure whether or not you are successful ? After that you need to determine what are you going to do to lose this weight…. Most crash diet involve starving the body of one or many types of food which will have a direct impact on the body.

When you go on a crash diet what you are doing is essentially starving the body. The body reacts by slowing down your metabolic rate which makes it harder for you to burn calories when you do return back to your normal eating. You will return to your normal eating that is why they call it a crash diet because you will crash. This has nothing to do with will power and everything to do with understanding how the body works. When your body is placed under stress like a crash diet it compensates for the lack of food by breaking down muscle tissue for energy. When your body goes through this process water is released which is why you urinate often while on a crash diet. All this water and muscle loss will show up on the scale as weight loss which makes you get you excited.

After a few days or weeks on the crash diet you will go back to your old eating habits and when you do your body will store more of those calories as fat. Remember when you go on a crash diet you lose muscle mass which burns calories and your metabolic rate slowed so you suffer twice. People who go crash diets also tend to binge eat after the ordeal so you are setting yourself up for failure every time you go on a crash diet. The only sure way to lose weight correctly is by a combination of health diet and exercise, A healthy diet includes an array of fruits, vegetables and lean meat. Also regular exercise to build muscle mass and burn calories is the ticket to success, one pound of fat has 3,500 calories so if you want to lose one pound a week which is considered healthy you need to burn an extra 500 calories every day of the week. If you go on a crash diet you are ruining your health over the long term for no real short term gains. Speak with a doctor or other health care professional to find out what weight loss plan would be best for you and your health.

Crash Diets Do’s and Don’ts

It has happened to us all at one time or another, we’ve got some weight to lose and we want an easy solution enter the crash diet. The crash diet has been around as long as people have wanted to lose weight. The issue with weight loss is that we must appreciate the fact we did not gain weight overnight so we won’t lose it all overnight either it takes time to get the results we want.

Most crash diet plans follow a very strict regime that seriously limits the amount of calories you can consume in a day and the types of calories. “remember the grapefruit diet” This puts a huge stress on your body, your brain thinks that food is scarce so it will slow down your metabolism to conserve energy. The feeling of being tired when on a crash diet is your body saying I need calories to work properly. You will feel cranky and very lethargic during the crash diet and the longer you stick on it the worse you will feel. During this phase your brain is telling your body to burn muscle not fat for energy. When your muscles break down it produces water as a byproduct of the chemical reaction, that is why people who are on a crash diet urinate frequently. The problem with the muscle breaking down is that it is hard on your liver and you are slowing down your metabolism even further since muscle burns calories the less you have the less you burn.

The reason that a crash diet does not work is that it is too severe and too soon for your body to adapt to, your body will fight back and you will eventually give in and begin eating again. You will be most likely to overeat or binge to make up for the period of depravity that you had endured, as you overeat and your body has a slower metabolism you end up with more body fat. That is the crash portion of a crash diet and why they are not sustainable.

When you are contemplating going on a crash diet ask yourself what are the reasons you want to do this ? Are you setting a realistic goal that can be reached ? Is this crash diet healthy or unhealthy ? After taking a hard look at these questions you can decide whether or not it works for you. Before you ever go on a crash diet or any diet for that matter you must check with your doctor to make sure your body can handle the rigors of a crash diet. You may have high blood pressure,diabetes or a host of other health conditions that would preclude you from going on a crash diet. If the doctor gives you the go ahead make sure you consider all the risks associated with the diet.

Why do so many people fail at losing weight? Is it because crash diets don’t work? Is it because they are lazy? No. Is it because they are addicted to food? No. Is it because they aren’t good at exercising? No. Failure at weight loss stems from a few main factors:

* People don’t truly understand the risks of being overweight. Why do most want to lose weight? Most would say to look better. Looking better certainly is a benefit of losing weight, but this shouldn’t be the sole reason to lose weight. There is a 1000 pound gorilla in the room and it’s often ignored. Being overweight for a long period of time kills thousands of people each year. Thousands of studies have show and proven without any doubt that losing body fat will improve and lengthen your life. This eBook will give you a picture of the dangers of being overweight. Knowing the dangers of being overweight is a tremendous motivator to not only lose fat, but to keep it off.
* People don’t commit to permanent lifestyle changes. They prefer crash diets, so many people think of a “diet” as something temporary. When they are on a “diet” they restrict themselves so much that they are miserable. Sooner or later failure is inevitable because of the unreasonable demands of most “diets.” Some of these diets force you to only eat certain foods (e.g., no carbs, special soups etc…) You, like myself, have probably tried them before. The key to losing weight long term is to make gradual lifestyle changes you can stick to forever.
* Most individuals are not provided the truthful facts of losing weight and becoming healthier. With the conflicting information in the media, and all of the different lose weight quick fad diets, it’s understandable why so many people really don’t know the truth about losing fat and keeping it off long term. We will go over the no-nonsense truth.
* Most people don’t understand they are constantly either gaining fat, or losing fat. There is no in-between. Some people justify binging or giving up because they hit a small road-block. This isn’t an all or nothing game. For example, when I was overweight, if I ate an unhealthy lunch, I’d go ahead and eat an unhealthy dinner since I already “messed up” the day. Or I’d say, I’ll start eating healthy on Monday since I’ve already eaten poorly this weekend. Every person at times eats too much. The successful people will not let a road bump completely derail their entire lifestyle change. If you are not implementing positive lifestyle changes and losing weight, you are gaining weight. Again, there is no “in-between.”
* Most people don’t realize what they consume each day unless they are on a crash diet. So many overweight people eat thousands of extra calories and fat without realizing it. It’s tough to know if you are gaining weight or losing weight each day unless you are keeping an eye on what you’re consuming. Later in the eBook you will be given an easy way to keep track of your consumption.

Last summer, A lady called me about her frustrating attempts at weight loss. She said she had gone from diet to diet for over 25 years…only to end up fatter and with a slower metabolism after each “diet”.

We talked for a long time, but the gist of it was this; I told her to “dump the diets” and start focusing on pursuing fitness and health. We talked about a few fruits and vegetables she really liked. We talked about all the benefits we get from fruits and vegetables and how we forget how good they really taste…because we’re bombarded with fat-laden foods day after day.

She mentioned that she reeeeeally liked tomatoes… which also happens to be a favorite of mine. I mean I’m a tomato fanatic. I absolutely love them! I grow several varieties in my backyard and several types of cherry tomatoes indoors when it’s too cold outside! So, we had quite a conversation about tomatoes. We talked about her focusing her eating on some fruits and vegetables she really liked and doing some creative things with tomatoes. I also told her to start walking EVERY morning…even if it was only 10 or 15 minutes some mornings, but to try to get 30 to 45 minutes in every day. I also told her to do a basic weight training program at home with dumbells.

Well, I hadn’t heard from her in nine months and she called me last week. She’s lost 48 pounds in nine months. She said she focused on some fruits and vegetables based around vegan diets that she likes, but went crazy with fresh tomatoes. She used over 10 healthy recipes that use lots of tomatoes…she even ate tomato hash browns (without oil) and tomato sandwiches for breakfast sometimes!  She was so excited and said she has never felt so good in her life!

Now, I’m NOT suggesting that you only eat one or two foods, but I am suggesting that you find the delicious fruits and vegetables that you like and a few that you REALLY like… and focus on these wonderful foods that God has given us. These are the REAL, naturally low fat foods that we should be eating! We’ve forgotten how good so many fruits and veggies really taste…yes even without fat-laden sauces, cheeses, butter, etc. I challenge you to re-discover the delicious fruits and vegetables you really like.

Cook a huge pot of several veggies you like…they’ll be available all week, without a lot of preparation time when your hungry. Maybe mix them with some brown rice and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over them… there’s nothing better!

You can do the same with fruits, and other items from vegan diets. Make a big fruit salad with three or four fruits you enjoy. Keep it in the frig for quick access when you’re hungry.

Here are some of my favorites (and some resources)…

1. Lemons are one of my favorites…you can do so much with them. My kids love squeezing them for fresh juice that we use for a variety of things…salads, vegetables, rice, to make salad dressings, lemon aid, etc.

2. Tomatoes are really high on my list…nutritious and great for salads, sandwiches, vegetables, sauces, etc. I put tomatoes on practically everything!

3. Garlic is loaded with health benefits and can aid your weight loss efforts by giving flavor to numerous foods!

Habits, good or bad, are formed by repetition. A fad diet is not. If you are in the habit of snacking when you watch TV, you were reinforcing that habit until finally it became a part of you. Other habits are formed in the same way. Some of these habits are: eating while reading, eating the minute you come in the house, eating when the kids come in from school, eating when you come in from a date, or eating while cooking dinner.

We also find that certain moods and circumstances cause us to eat even if we are not hungry. For example: anger, boredom, fatigue, happiness, loneliness, the kids are finally in bed, our spouse is out for the evening or out of town, nervousness, anxiety, our spouse brings home candy or ice cream, etc… all may trigger an eating response. The list is endless. Habits are hard to break. We must not only break old habits, but we must make our goal to form new ones in the same manner through repetition. Make some daily commitments. Work to meet these commitments each day whether you feel like it or not. Your daily commitments will help you form good habits. Remember: “It is easier to act your way into a new way of feeling than it is to feel your way into a new way of acting.”

Resisting temptation is difficult. However, if you succeed in resisting the first time, it becomes easier to resist the next time. Before long, you will have formed the good habit of resisting temptation every time it confronts you. If you yield to that temptation, you will find it easier to yield the next time.

Because of the human weaknesses mentioned, we must use what has become known among weight control groups as behavior modification. It simply means changing your behavior. These techniques work only if you consistently repeat them, so that they become a part of you, and help you to avoid a fad diet.

NEW HABITS

1 Eat three meals a day. Have two or three planned snacks daily.

2 Prolong your meals by: eating slowly putting down your eating utensil between each bite do not pick up your eating utensil until you have swallowed the bite hesitating between bites, even if you’re eating finger foods

3 Choose a specific place in your home or office to eat all of your meals. This will become your “designated eating place” and should not be changed. Try not to eat at your desk at work. This would make you prone to eat all day long and not just at meal time.

4 Do not do anything except eat when you sit down for a meal. Do not read, watch TV, talk on the phone, work, etc. Make yourself aware of the food you are eating. Focus on the conversation and enjoy your meal.

5 Do not keep food in any room in your house except the kitchen. Do not keep food such as cookies out on the counters. Do not store items in “see-through” containers.

6 Do not buy junk food. Neither your mate nor your children needs it.

7 If possible, serve individual plates from the stove and do not serve family style on the table. If this is not possible, put the serving dishes on the opposite end of the table.

8 Serve yourself on a smaller plate.

9 Develop a habit of leaving at least one bite of each item on your plate. If you can master this, it becomes easier to stop eating when you feel full. You will be used to leaving food on your plate.

All of the above are eating techniques that aid in behavior modification. Other behavior modification techniques not related to eating are to substitute activity for eating, which means exactly what it says– substitute another activity for between meal snacking. If you are in the habit of going straight to the kitchen and eating every time you walk in the house, try to change this habit by going to another room of the house when you come home. Delay going into the kitchen until the desire to eat is gone. When you are tempted to eat, try to use one of the following substitute activities:

Take a walk
Take a long bath
Call a friend
Get out of the house
Write a letter
Read a book

Or busy yourself with a hobby such as:

Cross-stitch
Painting
Floral arranging
Ceramics
Wood working
Gardening
Genealogical research
Sports
Surf the Web
Catch up on your email!!!

The final 25 tips to help you with your calorie counting:

76. Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.

77. Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.

78. Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.

79. Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.

80. On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.

81. Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.

82. Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.

83. Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.

84. Eat 2 Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts.

85. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.

86. Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.

87. Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.

88. Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.

89. At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.

90. Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.

91. At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.

92. Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.

93. Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.

94. Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.

95. Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots.

96. Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.

97. Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.

98. Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell’s wheat crackers.

99. Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.

100. Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.

The third 25 tips to help you with your calorie counting:

51. Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.

52. Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.

53. Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.

54. Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.

55. Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.

56. Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.

57. In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.

58. Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.

59. Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.

60. For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.

61. Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.

62. Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.

63. Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following “tastes” have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.

64. At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.

65. Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.

66. Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.

67. Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.

68. Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.

69. Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.

70. Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.

71. Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You’ll save 100 calories per slice.

72. Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.

73. Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.

74. Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.

75. Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.

The second 25 tips to help you with your calorie counting:

26. Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.

27. Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.

28. Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.

29. Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.

30. Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.

31. Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.

32. Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.

33. At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.

34. Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.

35. Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.

36. Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.

37. Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.

38. Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.

39. Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.

40. Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.

41. Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.

42. Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.

43. Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.

44. Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.

45. Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.

46. Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.

47. Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.

48. Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.

49. Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.

50. Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.

The first 25 tips to help you with your calorie counting:

1. Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.

2. Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.

3. Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.

4. Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.

5. Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.

6. Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.

7. Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.

8. Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

9. On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.

10. Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.

11. Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.

12. Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.

13. For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.

14. Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.

15. Eat a Lender’s egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.

16. Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.

17. Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.

18. When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.

19. Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.

20. Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.

21. Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.

22. Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.

23. Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.

24. Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.

25. Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.

Sometime crash diets are the best way to lose weight. Here are some great tips to take advantage of them. Start your diet with a food diary, record everything you eat, what you were doing at the time, and how you felt. That tells you about yourself, your temptation, the emotional states that encourage you to snack and may help you lose once you see how much you eat.

Instead of eating the forbidden piece of candy, brush your teeth. If you’re about to cheat, allow yourself a treat, then eat only half a bite and throw the other half away. When hunger hits, wait 10 minutes before eating and see if it passes. Set attainable goals. Don’t say, “I want to lose 50 pounds.” Say, “I want to lose 5 pounds a month.” Get enough sleep but not too much. Try to avoid sugar. Highly sweetened foods tend to make you crave more.

Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water itself helps cut down on water retention because it acts as a diuretic. Taken before meals, it dulls the appetite by giving you that “full feeling.” Diet with a buddy. Support groups are important, and caring people can help one another succeed. Start your own, even with just one other person.

During crash diets you also want to substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, go to the “Y” or health club if possible; or dust, or walk around the block. This is especially helpful if you eat out of anger.

If the pie on the counter is just too great a temptation and you don’t want to throw it away, freeze it. If you’re a late-night eater, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings. Keep an orange slice or a glass of water by your bed to quiet the hunger pangs that wake you up.

If you use food as a reward, establish a new reward system. Buy yourself a non-edible reward. Write down everything you eat – - everything – including what you taste when you cook. If you monitor what you eat, you can’t go off your diet.

Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Your weight fluctuates constantly and you can weigh more at night than you did in the morning, a downer if you stuck to your diet all day. Make dining an event. East from your own special plate, on your own special placemat, and borrow the Japanese art of food arranging to make your meal, no matter how meager, look lovely. This is a trick that helps chronic over-eaters and bingers pay attention to their food instead of consuming it unconsciously.

Don’t shop when you’re hungry. You’ll only buy more fattening food. Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts. Avoid consuming large quantities of fattening liquids, which are so easy to overdo. And this includes alcoholic beverages. Keep plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and air-popped fat-free popcorn on hand. They’re high in fiber, satisfying and filling. Leave something on your plate, even if you are a charter member of the Clean The Plate Club. It’s a good sign that you can stop eating when you want to, not just when your plate is empty.

Lose weight for yourself, not to please your husband, your parents or your friends. Make the kitchen off-limits at any time other than mealtime. Always eat at the table, never in front of the TV set or with the radio on. Concentrate on eating every mouthful slowly and savoring each morsel. Chew everything from 10 to 20 times and count! Never skip meals.