I’ll be honest: I’m not one to go on the latest “crash diet” that promises a huge amount of weight loss in a short amount of time.

Thousands of these diets come and go year after year, yet there are still people looking for that “quick cure for everything” solution to help them shed their excess weight with as little effort as possible.

Unfortunately, chasing that magical dream is more than likely the reason you’re still where you are today.

Stop the madness before it stops you

Jumping from diet to diet is nothing more than sheer madness! It’s like running like a headless chicken. You don’t know where you’re going, but you keep walking until you drop dead to keep going, until the “next big thing” shows up and grabs your attention.

“Now, wait a second,” you say. “Crash diets have helped me lose weight here and there, so what’s wrong with that?”

And, that is where the problem lies. Is “here and there” something you are satisfied with? Of course it isn’t, or else you wouldn’t be looking for the next solution.

The strict diet is not healthy

No matter how you look at it, going on a diet that slashes your calories into a significant deficit is not good for your body. Cutting calories to an extreme level can have a number of adverse side effects, including:

– Exhausted

– Nutrient deficiencies and digestive problems

– Decreased lean muscle mass (due to the body feeding on muscle for energy from low calorie intake)

– Decreased total calories burned (due to the body going into “starvation mode”, so it conserves more calories and spends less to maintain its energy level)

Ladies and gentlemen, they call it a crash diet for a reason. It’s easy to see that everything comes to an end dash below!

Results are hard to track

Are you someone who tends to jump from one quick weight loss diet to the next without a second thought? It’s a common theme for many, yet it’s one of the biggest mistakes you could make (besides going on a fad or crash diet, to begin with).

Think about it for a second. If you’re jumping from one diet to the next, how the hell can you expect to track results? You won’t even know what works and what doesn’t. That’s why it’s essential to stick to a long-term healthy eating plan. Simply adjust and modify your eating plan as your training program and intensity change.

Crash diets make it easier to return to old habits

Have you ever tried a diet that left you hungry, cranky, and always thinking about food? Most crash diets severely limit your daily calorie intake limits or restrict the types of foods you can have. Because of this, many people immediately go back to their old eating habits, either before or immediately after completing their diet.

What’s the point of going through all that agony, only to give up and go back to your old ways? There isn’t one! However, don’t beat yourself up about it. Once you realize the pounds will come off much faster when you reduce your daily caloric intake to a reasonable level and accompany it with a solid exercise routine. It makes the transition to your new lifestyle easier and helps keep you on the right track!

How to change things now

If you want to lose weight in the healthiest and most proven way, you need to stick to the basics:

– Start by reducing your daily calorie intake by 15-20%. For example, if you were eating 2,800 calories per day, you would now consume between 2,240 and 2,380 calories per day.

– Divide your calories into 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day.

– Incorporate 30 to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise or strength training 4 to 5 days a week.

– Aim for a weight loss goal of no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Again, these are very basic principles of healthy weight loss, but they are proven.

Remember: Weight loss takes time, commitment, and dedication. It took time for you to gain the weight, so you can’t expect it to come off in a matter of days. Once you have a firm grasp of that, you’ll have the right focus and mindset needed to stick with your new lifestyle and weight loss goals.