Hi Jess, I have an upcoming trip with friends at the end of this month, and I've been trying to shed some pounds on-and-off for it. However, it feels like it’s come up unexpectedly fast. Would a short term crash diet work?
I wish I could just say no, you don’t need to apply this pressure on yourself, and leave it there.
Saying that, I understand why this narrative comes up when a quick Google search flags multiple alarming headlines within seconds:
‘Emergency one week bikini diet- Lose 5lb but it'll look like a STONE in time for your holiday’
‘Left it too late to slim down for your holiday? Melt away fat in TWO WEEKS with new diet’
Unfortunately, in our Instagram-led world, the message that a ‘thigh gap’ equals happiness is hard to avoid. In truth, the drastic results aren’t quite as simple to achieve as the headlines imply (read our article on whether crash diets are a good idea for a more in-depth look at the topic).
With such an emphasis on restrictive dieting, research has shown that diets are not the answer with up to two-thirds of dieters regaining more weight than they lost on their diets after a couple of years, while another study found more than half of the lost weight of individuals was regained within two years.
My advice would be to shift the attention towards embracing positive lifestyle changes in the long term rather than fixating on the term 'crash diet.'
Of course, if you’d like to lose a small amount of weight before your trip, this is entirely your choice. Here are some tips to do so in a safe and sustainable way:
Try to remove the focus from dieting for the holiday, and think more about long term, positive lifestyle changes that will actually last. Just focus on soaking up the sunshine and enjoy your holiday.
Jessica Stansfield, RNutr
Junior Nutrition Manager
To share with your friends, log in is required so that we can verify your identity and reward you for successful referrals.
Log in to your account If you don't have a store account, you can create on hereUse #huel in your Huel photos for the chance to feature on our Instagram
Never miss out on new products, exclusive offers, and more when you join the Huel mailing list.