Four Dangerous Side Effects of a Restrictive Diet or Fasting You Didn’t Know About
Different forms of dietary restraint exist, ranging from flexible strategies like intermittent fasting, mindful eating, and smaller portion sizes to more rigid approaches such as calorie counting.
A recent study investigated the impact of both types of restraint and discovered that a restrictive diet might potentially improve BMI in individuals genetically predisposed to obesity.
However, it’s important to distinguish between a restrictive diet and a fad diet. A restrictive diet is one that tempts individuals into unhealthy habits with the hope of achieving rapid weight loss. Despite appearing as a quick solution, experts caution that it often does more harm than good.
Engaging in extreme measures such as starving oneself, reducing food intake, or not consuming an adequate amount of calories can lead to unforeseen negative side effects.
It is crucial to understand the potential consequences of restricting one’s diet. According to Laura Burak, MS, RD, founder of GetNaked® Nutrition and author of Slimdown with Smoothies, chronic restrictive dieting can detrimentally impact both mental and physical health.
Burak suggests that consuming too few calories slows down metabolism and results in muscle loss. Initially, this may cause a rapid decrease in weight on the scale, but your body then clings to every calorie consumed as a protective mechanism.
“Once you can’t maintain this unrealistic diet and start eating more again, or usually binging on all the things you weren’t allowed to eat, you typically gain weight and more than when you started, which makes you feel even worse,” the expert adds.
Furthermore, restrictive diets often lead to nutrient deprivation. By reducing overall food intake, individuals fail to obtain the necessary nutrients and vitamins found in a balanced diet.
“Calories are energy from food, aka they keep you alive, so consuming an inadequate amount of calories and nutrients deprives your body and mind of essential nourishment and can put a strain on vital organs like your heart,” points out Burak.
One’s social life may also suffer due to constant monitoring of food intake. Those who focus on restricting their food intake often refrain from dining out or attending social gatherings where food is involved.
“Restricting tends to affect your social life and is very isolating,” according to Burak. “You are unable to eat in a flexible fun manner with friends and may even avoid social situations.”
Self-confidence can be severely affected by restrictive diets. Burak shares that restrictive eating exacerbates existing struggles with dieting and self-esteem. The belief that a restrictive diet will finally bring about rapid weight loss is misguided, as the body is intelligent and protective, leading to even quicker weight regain.
“Your mind and body will do everything in its power to entice you to protect you. This is not a lack of willpower like you may believe, rather it’s just your body doing its job. ‘Emergency! Sue is starving, we need her to find food ASAP!'” explains Burak.
Furthermore, Burak emphasizes that restrictive dieting merely masks underlying issues such as a lack of nutrition education, disordered eating, or a diet mentality.
Instead of adopting a restrictive diet, Burak suggests a different approach: focus on adding and enhancing aspects of your diet and life to achieve balance and satisfaction.
She believes that healthy weight loss is attainable through a holistic view of life and by appreciating the remarkable, resilient body you possess.
“There’s a happy medium everywhere, and I do believe that there is such a thing as healthy weight loss,” she adds. “There’s nothing wrong with you wanting to get healthier and feel better.”
Burak’s encouraging words remind individuals to continually work on themselves, aiming to become healthier. This involves gradually adjusting habits while adequately nourishing the body, resulting in a sustainable and healthy weight.
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