Four Keys That Can Make Crash Dieting Work

You’ve probably heard of the “quick diet” plans. There is the grapefruit diet, the cabbage diet and of course Slim Fast to name a few.

The problem: Statistically, crash dieting with these methods have a low long-term success rate. You can lose 5-10 pounds right off the bat, but the weight comes back – sometimes resulting in more weight.

Long term weight loss requires a long term commitment. Some dieticians recommend never adopting a diet you aren’t willing to do the rest of your life. And I agree. Switching from a daily bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle to a bowl of high-grain cereal for the rest of your life? That is something you can do. Switching from the McGriddle to a bowl of cabbage soup? I won’t give you a week before you’re sick of it.

That’s the way to think of any diet. Consider it a lifestyle change.

But if you insist on taking the slim-fast shortcut, then here are four keys that can help you get the most out of your crash diet.

Use self-psychology to your advantage – These crash diets are exciting in the beginning and boring after a few days. You get hungry. You can get constipated and irritable. Hey, you were warned!

To get the most out of this speed diet, I recommend you go deep psychologically. Find joy in the hunger. It may sound ridiculous, but it can be done.

Let the hunger and pain remind you of what it was like when you were younger and food didn’t matter as much as other things. When you were a kid, did your mother ever have to call you more than one time for dinner? What were you doing at the time?

Food wasn’t all that important back then was it? See if you can mentally return to that place.

Pump yourself up mentally – this may be more of a man thing. But women can give it a try. The old SNL bodybuilding sketch comes to mind “we’re going to Pump – YOU -up!” Ok, not that obnoxious.

But mentally feel the burn, guys. Picture the seargent from Full Metal Jacket. Pump up your attitude soldier! Does the baby need a cookie? No Sir! Does Gomer need a jelly donut? No sir!

Let your mental fortitude get you through the tough times. It’s not going to last forever.

Make your crash diet a leaping off point for a diet lifestyle change – This is the most important part. A crash diet is temporary. Whether you want it to be forever or not, it will still be temporary. That’s why I recommend you set a goal to do your crash diet for one week and then blaze into your lifestyle change.

If you’ve been starving yourself for a week, then a move to solid foods is probably a welcome change. Replace your chocolate covered pizzas with your new lifestyle foods. I’ve already told you about how to add more fruits and veggies to your diet. Use those tips to replace unhealthy snacks.

Leverage the memories of “hunger week” to keep you on track – If you mess up, guess what? You get two days of cabbage soup or grapefruit! Ask a respected friend or family member to keep you accountable. Busibody mother-in-laws and office gossips are good for this. Might as well use their inherent skills to your advantage.

Overall, the most successful diets are those that become a permanent part of your life. So shoot for the long term solution, not the short term loss.