The wedding season is a time of joy, love, and celebration. As the big day approaches, many brides and grooms-to-be often feel the pressure to look their best. Even those attending weddings tend to stick to these. This desire to achieve a perfect wedding day look has led to a growing trend of crash dieting, which involves extreme calorie restriction and rapid weight loss. Crash dieting might seem like a quick solution to shed those extra kilos, but it’s a strategy riddled with more harm than good for your health, experts urge. There are several reasons why we should avoid crash diets.
Nutrition deprivation: Crash diets often severely restrict calorie intake, leaving your body starved of essential nutrients. This can lead to weakness, fatigue, and even illness, apprised Amreen Shaikh, head-dietitian, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central.
Muscle loss: Rapid weight loss from crash dieting often results in muscle loss, making you feel weaker and less toned.
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Metabolic damage: Extreme calorie restriction can slow down your metabolism, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight in the future.
Hair and skin problems: Crash diets can lead to hair loss, brittle nails, and skin issues due to nutrient deficiencies.
Mood swings: Drastic changes in food intake can affect your mood, leading to irritability, anxiety, and even depression.
Social isolation: Strict dieting can make social occasions, like pre-wedding gatherings, less enjoyable as you may feel limited in your food choices,” said Amreen. Agreed Dr Hansaji Yogendra, director, The Yoga Institute, and said that planning a wedding is already a stressful endeavour, and crash dieting can add to the anxiety. “The pressure to lose weight quickly can take a toll on your mental health, potentially leading to feelings of inadequacy and body image issues,” said Dr Hansaji.
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Don’t devoid yourself of your favourite dessert too (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
Temporary results: Crash diets provide rapid weight loss, but the results are typically short-lived. “Once you return to your regular eating habits, the lost weight tends to come back quickly. Such type of dieting can be emotionally and mentally draining,” said Dr Hansaji.
1. Balanced diet: Focus on a balanced and sustainable diet that includes a variety of nutrients. Weight loss expert Simran Valecha too shared that even if you don’t eliminate sugar entirely before the wedding season, you’ll notice positive changes in your skin and energy levels. “Gradually reduce sugar intake such that if you’re currently having 2 tablespoons of sugar, consider decreasing it to 1.75 tablespoons for the next 10 days, then 1.5 tablespoons for the subsequent 10 days, and so on,” said Valecha in a post on Instagram.
2. Regular exercise: Incorporate regular physical activity into your routine to boost your metabolism and help with weight loss Especially fat loss.
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3. Hydration: Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, which can also help control appetite and aid fat loss.
4. Portion control: Pay attention to portion sizes to avoid overeating, without resorting to extreme calorie restriction.
5. Mindful eating: Practice mindful eating by savouring your meals and paying attention to hunger and fullness cues.
6. Plan: Plan your meals and snacks to avoid impulsive, unhealthy choices.
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7. Include proteins: Including protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, dairy products, lentils, soy, etc helps in gaining muscles and losing those unwanted fats.
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“Ultimately, the goal is to feel your best, not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well. Healthy, sustainable habits will help you achieve this, without the risks and discomfort associated with crash dieting,” said Amreen.
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