Although it is tempting to try to take the easy way out when it comes to weight loss, crash diets will just leave you worse off than before. You might lose up to ten pounds from following quick-fix crash diets, but most of that is water weight. After resuming normal eating habits, your body could compensate for the trauma and pack on even more pounds. Here are three types of crash diets that will not do your body any good in the long run.

Cleanses

With the juicer came an onslaught of dietary cleanses. You might be inspired to drink juices filled with citrus fruits and vegetables to wash out your system. Although it is true that juicing will flush out your colon, the benefits when it comes to weight loss are negligible. You might lose a few pounds of waste, but fat loss will be nearly non-existent. Furthermore, a lack of iron in your diet may leave you flat when it comes to exercise. A well-balance diet with a slight caloric deficit will do so much more for your body.

Single Foods

The single ingredient diet is based on the premise of removing complex processed foods from your daily routine. Although eating whole foods has its benefits, your body cannot sustain itself with just one type of food. You must eat a variety of food types to receive vitamins, minerals, protein, calcium and fiber to support your overall health. Instead of drastically cutting out everything but bananas, consider switching to fresh vegetables and natural cuts of meat for a week. You can slowly add grains and fruits into your diet to find a balance of nutrition and weight loss.

Extreme Calorie Deficits

If fifteen hundred calories causes you to lose one to two pounds a week, five hundred calories will drop even more weight faster, right? Actually, the answer is no. Dropping your calories too far will activate starvation mode, which results in your body firmly holding onto its fat stores and water weight. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to weight loss. Your body’s equilibrium needs to slowly adjust to fat loss, so you can keep the weight off anyway. Cut your calories down by ten to twenty percent of your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE, for the best rate of weight loss. You can find your TDEE by inputting your height, weight and activity levels into this calculator.

Finding Balance

If you are simply trying to fit into a slightly snug dress for one event, a crash diet may help you quickly attain your goal. However, be prepared for the backlash as your body compensates for the lack of calories, nutrition or fiber. You will need to treat your body with loving care to recuperate from your drastic diet measures. For lasting results, consider a well balanced diet that focuses on providing the right amount of calories, vitamins and minerals for your build.