We often say we don’t like extreme diets. We prefer the “slow and steady wins the race” model. Crash diets tend to get short results and can have long-term negative impacts on your body.
Crash diets can lead to the most obvious result of rebound weight gain. They are usually too restrictive to get the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients our bodies need. You usually lose muscle instead of fat when you lose weight quickly. In some cases, rapid weight loss can lead to the formation of gallstones.
A man recently made headlines after experiencing gruesome side effects of the carnivore diet. The carnivore diet is high in animal proteins and fats and low in practically everything else. It’s highly restrictive.
The man followed the diet for eight months, living off butter, cheese and hamburgers. He grew large, yellow lumps on his hands, feet and elbows and went to the doctor’s three weeks after they first appeared. Tests showed the cholesterol in his blood was more than 1,000 milligrams per deciliter. Before the diet, his levels had been between 210 and 300 milligrams per deciliter.
If you want to see pictures of his hands and the lumps, they are here.
The yellow bumps on his skin were deposits of cholesterol. The condition is called xanthelasma. It is harmless but is an indicator that someone is at risk for a stroke, heart attack or other problem where high cholesterol plays a role. When people have xanthelasma, doctors recommend eating less fat and possibly prescribe statins.
While statins and eating less fat can prevent the new formation of bumps, it doesn’t make the old ones vanish. They can be removed surgically or frozen off with liquid nitrogen.
The man ate six to nine pounds of cheese, sticks of butter and burgers daily. He was following the diet to help his health. He said he lost weight, had more energy and had better cognition. However, extreme diets can come with a high price tag.
Extreme diets can be appealing. If you aren’t a big vegetable fan and can live without bread, we completely understand why the carnivore diet sounds great. A diet where you eat cheese, butter, eggs and beef to your heart’s content and still lose weight? Sounds like a dream. But there’s a big catch.
While it’s less alluring to follow a moderate diet and eat healthy food while paying attention to portion sizes, it’s a good approach for long-term results. You won’t always be able to indulge in the foods you want in large quantities, but you can still treat yourself now and then. While results are slower, they are more lasting. The process is gentler on your body and easier to maintain and stick with.
