Just because spring break and bikini season are around the corner doesn’t mean you need to cut your diet in half. Instead of fasting, using laxatives or smoking to suppress your apetite, eat a healthy, balanced diet and excercise to attain your ideal beach body. | Wikimedia Commons
Thinking about trimming off those last few pounds before spring break? Well, think again. Depending on how you do it, you could be making a huge mistake.
Let me first start by saying that I am sick and tired of seeing magazines, commercials, blogs and media propaganda encouraging the already super skinny to keep losing weight. If you’re traveling somewhere to get away from people you know to see people you don’t know, then, news flash: it shouldn’t matter how you look because you won’t see those people again anyway.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to seem negative towards last minute fat burners, I just think it’s best to encourage people to eat healthy and exercise at all times, not just for special occasions to impress those whom you’re not even affiliated with. And if you’re trimming extra weight because the people you do know will be offensive towards you, then there’s a good chance that you shouldn’t be traveling with them anyway.
These are simply my opinions, but medically there are also some things I would like to point out about last minute obsessive, “I want a beach body” challenges.
Rapid weight loss can be unhealthy
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, healthy weightloss is a gradual process — shedding one or two pounds per week is okay. “It’s about an ongoing lifestyle that includes long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits,” the website said.
Rapid weight loss crash diets are nothing more than a fad, gimmicks in a magazine model body consumerism market. These rapid weight loss plans can not only cause malnutrition but also gastrointestinal diseases, according to the American Heart Association website.
One way some people lose weight rapidly is by purging themselves. But purging, the act of vomiting food from the stomach directly after eating, can lead to self deprivating disorders that leave the body malnourished. Purging has been proven to also cause ulcers in the stomach and cancer of the esophagus.
Starvation is a no-no
Do not starve yourself. Starvation is not the same thing as fasting, as so many people like to convince themselves of. Controlled fasting lasts for several periods of time and can cleanse and detoxify the body. Starvation, on the other hand, restricts the body of nutrients needed to function. Many studies have revealed that when you starve the body of food you’re also starving it of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, water and other things our bodies need in order to provide energy and strength.
Flushing away that fat
Some people use laxatives to flush away fat. This method is okay if used properly. But improper use of the product can cause long-term and short-term complications. Short-term problems include hemorrhoids and dehydration from lost water weight. Long-term effects include renal failure, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), pancreatitis, softening of the bones, stomach cramps, and the list continues. Overall, this is not the way to lose weight fast. Be careful with these products. If you are going to use laxatives, use small amounts over a long period of time.
Fat up in smoke?
Yes, studies have shown that smoking increases you metabolic rate and suppresses your appetite, but it still has negative effects on your body. Smoking can cause heart and lung damage, and has been proven to have caused 85 percent of lung cancer cases. So don’t try to use smoking as an excuse to lose weight, because it’s still not good for you.
Cut down and work hard
If you really want to lose weight fast, set a goal ahead of time. Crash diets are harmful schemes that burn out your body, and that’s the last thing you want before a long week of drinking, no sleep and active partying. So pace your diet and exercise, exercise, exercise. I cannot stress this enough. Also, by cutting down on fattening foods and eating in moderation, you are taking a natural and effective route towards a slimmer figure.
