Could The 3 Day 10 lb Diet be a Serious Health Threat?

Is the 3 day 10 lb diet extremely unhealthy? Why do so many people follow it? Naturally people want a quick fix to weight loss. The truth of the matter is weight loss is not something that happens overnight. Because we are a society that demands instant gratification, dieters are subject to diet scams, especially on the internet. Why do I call the 3 day 10 lb diet a scam? The reason I call it a scam is because you cannot lose 10 pounds in 3 days – at least not 10 pounds of fat. Let’s take a look at what this diet entails.

Lets See A Sample Menu of 3 Day 10 lb Diet

I was curious to see what the diet would entail. I was thinking it would consist strictly of water – and perhaps a dash of lemon. On the contrary, the first diet listed in my Google search allowed consumption of vanilla ice cream! But I took a closer look and the menu was as I suspected – scant. This menu was far too restrictive calorically. Breakfast consisted of half a grapefruit and a slice of toast with peanut butter. Lunch consisted of half cup of tuna and a slice of toast. Dinner consisted of three ounces of lean meat, one cup of green beans, 1 cup of carrots and one cup of vanilla ice cream and one apple. Hmm… dinner sounded decent. Still, calorically, it comes to 800 calories. The menu is pretty much the same for the next two days. Needless to say, this kind of calorie restriction is completely unhealthy. Why?

Long Term Health Risks

While it’s tempting to go on very low calorie diets because of the immediate rapid weight loss, this kind of dieting has long term serious health risks. For starters, being on low calorie diets upset the minerals and electrolytes in your system. The minerals and electrolytes in your body govern the balance of fluids in your body, which in turn, govern how will your nervous system and muscles function.

Osteoporosis – Because many dieters on low calorie diets tend to mistakenly cut out dairy products due to the high fat content, they often deprive themselves of calcium, which is necessary to build and maintain your bones. A lack of calcium in the diet results in brittle bones, or osteoporosis. When you get osteoporosis, you are more susceptible to breaking your bones.

Hair Loss – Essential vitamins are often almost non-existent in calorically restrictive diets, resulting in hair loss and brittle nails. Vitamin A is necessary for the production of healthy sebum in the scalp. Vitamins C and E produce healthy scalp circulation. Vitamin B (Inositol) keeps hair follicles healthy. Cereals high in fiber, nuts, fruit and vegetables are great sources of Vitamin B. However, most of these foods are taken out of a very low calorie diet.

If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, there’s no quick fix. You must eat at least 3 well-balanced low fat, lean protein, high fiber meals a day with at least 2 snacks (fruit).