Planning a Crash Diet? Here’s What You Can Expect
It’s that time of year when many people think about weight loss and dieting. The weather is warming up, end of year festivities are planned and the gym is bustling as the summer vibe is in the air.
But alas, you’ve noticed some weight gain from winter hibernation. Maybe you’re thinking of reducing the carbs, increasing your exercise or eating fewer calories. Better yet, why don’t you try a crash diet that claims you’ll be looking fabulous in your new swimwear in as little as 6 weeks?
Well, there is a good reason you should definitely reconsider jumping on a drastic crash diet plan. While you might see some weight loss initially, more often than not, it will result in weight gain long-term and lead you with poor metabolic health. These extreme low-calorie diets can also have a detrimental impact on your mental wellbeing.
Here are just some of the things you can expect when undergoing a “lose weight fast” crash diet:
1. Your body burns glycogen
In the first day or two of a crash diet, your body enters starvation mode and begins to utilise the stored glycogen for energy. Glycogen is a form of carbohydrate that’s stored in your muscles and liver.
When you reduce your calorie intake, you start to burn the glycogen for energy, not body fat. As water is attached to the glycogen molecules, you also start to lose water weight giving you the false impression your crash diet is resulting in immediate fat loss.
2. Your cortisol levels may rise
Your cortisol levels rise due to the stress you are inflicting on your body. The hormone corticosterone is released which may result in you feeling irritability and agitated. It’s not uncommon during this time to experience symptoms of depression, disturbed sleep and poor concentration. These symptoms may be exacerbated by blood sugar dysregulation, particularly if you’re following a very low-carb or low-calorie eating plan.
3. Your metabolic rate will slow
In as little as 48 hours of starting a crash diet, your body’s metabolic rate can slow in order to conserve your energy. The reduced number of calories means the body’s energy stores are virtually depleted and it adapts to this starvation environment.
The lowered metabolic rate can cause you to feel tired and unmotivated. While this survival instinct can come in handy when food is scarce, it can actually cause the body to store fat and increase in body weight long term.
4. Your muscle mass will reduce
When your metabolism slows, your body burns fewer calories and its choosing to store body fat as this offers more sustained energy. One of the side effects of extreme dieting is that you’ll experience lean muscle breakdown. This might look like you’ve achieved substantial weight loss through burning fat but you’ll be losing valuable muscle. Less muscle causes your metabolic rate to slow further.
5. You may feel fatigued
The reduction in nutrients of your crash diet meal plan will end up making you feel fatigued. Extreme dieting can also affect your thyroid function making you feel lethargic and the reduction in your glycogen stores and water also impacts your energy.
6. Your bowel habits may become irregular
A poorly balanced diet can lead to changes in your bowel habits. This may not seem like a problem in the short-term, but long-term irregular or inconsistent bowel movements can play havoc with your overall health including disrupting your gut microbiome and the reabsorption of toxins.
7. Your skin and hair quality can be damaged
If you’re opting for rapid weight loss to help improve your physical appearance, you may want to keep in mind the effect crash dieting has on your skin and hair. The lack of vitamins and minerals, restriction on healthy fats and limited variety across all food groups compromise the natural lustre of your hair and the quality of your skin. Breakouts are common and dryness can occur leaving you looking unrefreshed and unhealthy.
8. You may experience dehydration
Feeling dizzy? Have a headache? Rapid weight loss is often associated with dehydration causing unpleasant side effects like these. Unfortunately, when you lose weight quickly on a fad diet such as a juice cleanse, you’re really losing water weight. This increases the risk of dehydration and while that can be fixed by increasing your water intake, when you start eating solid foods or a balanced diet the weight gain tends to follow.
What’s better than crash diets? Getting a diet plan through a dietitian or nutritionist that can help you achieve your personal goals. That might be the keto diet, low-carb or even intermittent fasting. Whatever it is, the diet plan will be tailored to your our body type and lifestyle, helping you to reach your goal weight sustainably.
After Liposuction – 20 Common Complaints From Around The Web
If you are considering liposuction, you should approach it with as much information and knowledge as possible. If you’ve invested your time in researching the best clinic and surgeon, it’s now time to gen-up on some of the common post-lipo problems.
Which Diet Will Help You Lose Weight and Keep It Off?
If you’ve tried to lose weight at some point in your life, you’re likely to have tried one of the many diets proclaiming they’re the answer to your weight struggles.
6 Facts About Dermal Fillers You Should Know
What’s all the buzz about dermal fillers? Well, for a start, the popularity of dermal fillers in Gold Coast is on the rise. And is it any wonder that fending off wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin and lost volume in the face is popular?
What VASER Liposuction can do for You: Spotlight on our Adelaide Clinic
The sentence, “You’ve changed my life” is something that Cosmos Clinic practitioner Dr Erfan Rahbar, medical director Cosmos Clinic Adelaide regularly hears from his patients. VASER liposuction is a liposuction technique that uses ultrasound technology to break down and remove fat from the body, and it’s the preferred fat-removal technique of Dr Rahbar.
Liposuction & the Gold Coast Lifestyle: Body Sculpting Insights from Gold Coast
Living in a popular summer holiday destination has its perks; year-round warm weather, swimming pools and you’re never that far from a beach. Gold Coasters, in general, have healthy lifestyles, are generally early risers who enjoy being active. Dr Mitchell Kim, medical director at Cosmos Clinic Gold Coast located at 220 Ashmore Road, Benowa, has found that many patients find liposuction surgery has helped them to get the most out of life in beautiful Gold Coast.
3 Unexpected Reasons to Consider Anti-Wrinkle Injections
Do you know that feeling of horror when you notice a line on your face that you’re sure wasn’t there the last time you looked? Anti-wrinkle injections are a great way to revitalise your complexion and smooth out lines, but they can do a lot more than just that.
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Breast Reduction Surgery – When is Lipo the Answer?
Excessively large breasts often come with a myriad of problems and discomforts. If your bust is on the extra-large end of the scale, you will be familiar with the struggle to find comfortable bras that fit and to find clothing that fits properly. Large breasts can affect self-confidence, even standing up straight causes self-consciousness and discomfort for some women. Large breasts often make exercising difficult and cause poor posture and back, neck and shoulder pain. Women with large breast are also predisposed to yeast infections beneath and between the breasts.
The Quest for a Slimmer Physique: What’s Australia’s Most Popular Type of Liposuction?
Cosmetic surgery is on the rise in Australia, with more and more Australians seeking cosmetic treatments to achieve their desired appearance. According to Harpers Bazaar Liposuction was the second most enquired about procedure in Australia in 2017.
A study by realself.com, the world’s largest online community for sharing information about cosmetic surgery, found that Sydney is the Australian city most interested in liposuction, then Brisbane, followed by Melbourne and Perth. Cosmos Clinic Doctor Dr Joseph Ajaka has noticed that “the tummy and love handles is the most popular area to get liposuction amongst men and women”, and the second most popular area is “man boobs in men and legs in women”.
Interestingly, Dr Ajaka reveals, “50% of our clients are men. Men tell their friends. In fact, men are more willing to come on tv with me to tell their story than women”.
So why is Liposuction so popular? A healthy diet and regular exercise are important for staying in shape, but some people are genetically predisposed to hold more fat cells in certain areas so in this case diet and exercise will not get rid of this stubborn fat.
So even if you’re doing everything to stay in good shape, you can still be stuck with fat in certain areas. Liposuction is a popular body contouring treatment that decreases fat tissue in these problem areas.
There are 7 main types of Liposuction, here’s a quick overview:
1. Suction Assisted Liposuction (SAL)
SAL is the standard liposuction technique. Basically, a surgical procedure by which a small, tube called a cannula is inserted into the problem area, the fat is carefully pushed and pulled through the lump of fat, helping to break up the fat tissue as it sucks the fat cells out of the body.
2. Laser-Assisted Liposuction
Laser liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat energy from fibre-optic lasers to help break down or “liquefy” fat cells making it easier to suction the fat tissue from the treatment area.
3. Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction or VASER
VASER Liposuction is also minimally invasive and uses ultrasonic energy to break down the fatty tissue. Many cosmetic practitioners find ultrasonic assisted liposuction to be more effective in separating fat cells because heat is omitted from the length of the probe and the tip, whereas with laser liposuction heat is only delivered from the laser at the tip of the probe.
Learn more about VASER liposuction
Check out this video of VASER liposuction performed on the arms:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfj9h57lO8j/?hl=en&taken-by=cosmosclinic
4. High Definition Liposuction (HDL)
High Definition Liposuction, is another form of VASER ultrasound-assisted liposuction the difference is that it’s designed to produce ultra-defined results. Unlike other forms of liposuction designed to remove larger volumes of fat, Vaser Hi-Def removes a superficial layer of fat from around the muscle groups which increases their visibility, giving a more defined, athletic look.
More commonly performed around the upper body/abdominal area, VASER Hi-Def has a very quick recovery time. Find out more about High Definition Liposuction.
5. Vibration Assisted Liposuction
Liposuction technology known as The Micoaire uses air pressure to activate vibration of the tip of the cannula, which helps to break up the fatty tissue before it is sucked out.
6. Radio Frequency Assisted Liposuction
This method uses radiofrequency assisted liposuction (RFAL), which releases heat energy into the fat tissue through the cannula inserted into the skin to an electrode positioned outside the skin. This focuses heat energy in the treatment area helping to liquefy the fat cells. Dr Ajaka notes that this method is “more painful than VASER”.
7. Water Assisted Liposuction
Using a system known as Bodyjet, water-jet assisted liposuction (WAL) a flat, fan-shaped water-jet is used to gently separate the fat from the tissue structure while it’s simultaneously sucked out.
So, which is the most popular type of lipo in Australia?
Well, that really depends on the cosmetic practitioner and which type they feel they get the best results with. Among Cosmos Clinic surgeons VASER liposuction is the most popular. Dr Ajaka explains that at Cosmos Clinic they have all the machines, but they choose VASER because “it gives the best results with the least downtime”.
There are many points in favour of VASER liposuction. For example, compared with Laser Liposuction it’s generally more efficient at separating fat cells. The ultrasound probe is capable of breaking down denser fat tissue due to the vibration it creates. While the intense heat at the tip of the laser probe means that the results have the potential to be less even than results from VASER liposuction.
Dr Ajaka also explains that “Vaser liposuction is superior to other forms of liposuction because it melts the fat like butter before being suctioned out so that you get more fat cells out and a smoother finish”. He uses the analogy that “traditional liposuction is like trying to suck a brick out through a straw, so you often leave fragments of fat inside, and the results can be lumpy”.
Another benefit of VASER pointed out by Dr Ajaka is that “Vaser liposuction also helps tighten the skin via the stimulation of collagen fibres from heat emitted by the Vaser probe”.
Also, with VASER liposuction the fat cells are mostly left undamaged which means they are suitable for fat transfer procedures like the Brazilian Butt Lift, a procedure that is becoming increasingly popular among Australians.
Find out more about Liposuction at Cosmos Clinic and be sure to check out some more before and after photos. The video below talks about a liposuction trend that might surprise you.
Life After Lipo: Top 5 Tips for Maintaining Vaser Liposuction Results
If you’ve seen the before and after photos, you’ll know that Vaser Liposuction can give you some incredible results. But, how do you maintain your fantastic new figure?
The good news is that the amount of fat cells in the body stays relatively stable after the age of 18, which means that your body can’t replace the fat cells after they have been removed.
However, you can still gain weight in other areas. Obviously, following the advice of your cosmetic practitioner post-procedure is essential to maximising outcomes, but here are some top tips for maintaining better results long term.
Also read: Is bruising normal after Vaser liposuction?
1. Eat a Healthy Diet & Don’t Skip Meals
Eat four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits daily; replace refined grains with whole grains; eat lean protein, such as poultry, fish, tofu and legumes, and eat healthy fats, like olive oil, avocados, and nuts. Avoid sugar, processed foods and fried foods.
Skipping meals will lead to weight gain, not weight loss. It is important to think of your metabolism as a furnace, without feeding it your body will slow the metabolism try to hold onto fat cells resulting in weight gain. Dr Joseph Ajaka of Cosmos Clinic explains that after Vaser liposuction often people lose their appetite post-lipo, which can be a good thing. It’s better to eat smaller meals but continue to eat regularly.
Also, see our post on the 4 foods you need to avoid to prevent scarring from surgery
2. Drink Water
Drinking two litres of water a day supports weight loss. Drinking water increases the number of calories you burn even when you are not doing exercise (known as resting energy expenditure). Drinking water helps maintain a healthy metabolism and aids your digestion. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, sometimes when you feel hungry, you’re actually just thirsty, and water has no calories, so it’s the best way to stay hydrated.
3. Keep Moving
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZj89hslTMs/?hl=en&taken-by=cosmosclinic
Talk with your cosmetic practitioner about what exercises are safe to do as you ease your way into your exercise routine after your recovery time.
Regular Exercise
Super important, find something you enjoy and figure out how to fit it into your week as many times as possible. Finding time for fitness can be hard when life is busy, but keep in mind that just a few minutes of exercise each day is better for you in the long term than longer sessions just a couple of times a week.
Don’t Be Sedentary
It’s one thing to do regular exercise, but nowadays it’s so easy to spend too much time sitting the rest of the time. Increasing your overall physical activity helps to keep your body in optimum physical condition. Here are some ideas to help you shake off the sedentary lifestyle:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Take a short, brisk walk on your lunch break
- Stand up or walk around while during phone calls
- Get a standing desk
- Park your car further away and walk the extra distance
- Walk or cycle to work
- Have walking catch-ups with friends (rather than meeting a friend at a café, go for a walk together instead)
4. Stress less
Stress is a top cause of weight gain. Stress hormones affect your metabolism, studies have found that stress creates cravings for junk food, and increases fat storage due to increased cortisol levels.
Here are some ways to reduce stress:
- Spend time outdoors
- Meditation; try guided meditations or just take some quiet time and focus on your breath
- Practice positivity; focus on the positive and be grateful for all the good things in your life
- Get Plenty of Sleep
- Spend time with friends and family
- Have more fun; laughter is a great antidote for stress
5. Create Healthy Habits
Kick any unhealthy habits before your procedure, and it will be easier to maintain good habits post-procedure. We’re talking no smoking, keeping alcohol to a minimum and giving up other addictions like sugar. For example, as Dr Ajaka advises “Smoking can hinder the formation of new collagen fibres”. It’s all about allowing your body to adjust to your new habits; it usually takes 3 weeks for your body to get used to a change, after that the cravings will subside, and you’ll feel comfortable in your new way of life.
Having a cosmetic procedure is an investment in yourself. Naturally, you’ll want to protect your investment through a healthy lifestyle. For some more tips for staying healthy and in good shape check out this video of Dr Joseph Ajaka of Cosmos Clinic talking to Dr Oz about diet and exercise
Related: See our Liposuction Procedures