Side effects of dieting. Everyone is talking about weight loss. The dangers of being obese or heading into obesity are obvious because the excessive weight has very many negative implications for your health. However, the solution that is touted as a permanent resolve for weight loss is equally as bad – dieting.
The decision to take charge of your weight is an admirable one, and it sets you up for a healthy body and mind. However, dieting creates a major problem because it shows you have an unhealthy relationship with food – and the truth is, many factors will determine whether you will be slim or not, such as genetics and other factors of your lifestyle.
Aside from diets not working in the long term, here are some side effects of dieting that will discourage you from choosing to diet in off your list of solutions to weight loss.
Side effects of dieting
Increasing moodiness and grumpiness
Part of what regulates the brain’s ability to handle emotional highs and lows is the food you eat – regardless of whether you know it or not. When you are failing to eat sufficient carbohydrates, even without the addition of supplements such as Siberian Chaga, it is equivalent to the feeling of starving for quite some time, and that will cause a major damper on your moods.
Carbs are responsible for supplying energy to the body and your brain, and the brain is the only part of your body that happens to rely on them alone for its nourishment, according to studies done by nutritionists.
The consumption of carbs stimulates the brain’s production of a hormone known as serotonin, which the brain secretes to make your moods positive. Think of it this way – when you consume too little carbs, your brain will make you act and feel at your worst.
The best way to regulate your carb intake is by spreading it throughout your day, instead of just eating a high amount at one time. The digestion process will then release these carbs slowly into the blood, especially if they are made from wholegrain, or contained in vegetables or fruits.
Messes with menstrual periods
One of the side effects of dieting that building blocks of estrogen is dietary fats. Therefore, too little consumption of fat will make the estrogen levels reduce, an ad that will interfere with your periods by eliminating them or delaying them. The conclusion here is simple – your body needs fat to maintain the cycle. The interference with your periods will also lower your chances of getting pregnant or even carrying a baby to full-term. Of course, the amount of fat you require will differ among different women.
Interestingly, contrary to what you may think, fat will help you lose weight. This is because it assists you to stay full and makes your food taste much better. Just stay away from certain fats though – consider consuming the healthy ones that come from nuts, fish and avocadoes, or certain plant oils like olive and sunflower oil.
You constantly feel cold in your feet and hands
The Journal of the AMA (American medical association) revealed that the body temperatures of individuals that reduced their food consumption by 25 percent reduced by a significant margin. If you are looking to shed those annoying pounds that is not a good sign for you.
The development of cold feet and hands is a major sign that the body is conserving calories instead of burning them to give you energy and warmth. The more it tries to conserve this energy, the colder you will feel – even on a hot day.
Make sure to keep warm by consuming at least 5000kJ a day (almost two snacks and three meals daily). If you feel very cold, you can sue the option of warm socks and gloves – but do not allow your body to go or stay cold.
Your breath stinks
Carbohydrates are not just vital for energy production and release, but also play a role in your oral hygiene, just like water.
When the body fails to get enough carbs to maintain basic functions, it will produce fatty acids, which are known as ketones. These will be metabolized and be the fuel that keeps you going, but it comes at a cost.
Among the reasons why diets such as the Atkins diet is such a pain is because of this. This process of burning ketones is known as ketosis, and it produces very bad breath. If you would like to imagine what ketones smell like, imagine the smell of nail polish remover, which is made up of acetone (another ketone). This can make your breath smell like sweaty socks after running from a marathon or the gym – and you do not want to chase people away because of that.
Aim to consume at least 50 grams of carbs daily – that is equivalent to whole wheat toast bread and a full apple.
More fatigue more often
The lack of energy from the lack of carbohydrates is not surprising that it tires you out faster. For instance, if you weight 65 kg, you need a minimum of 5850kJ to maintain your RMR (resting metabolic rate). This means that if you were to spend the whole day in your bed or sofa watching a series or movies, you need this amount of energy to maintain all your basic body functions like breathing and brain function.
If you are getting less than the required amounts, do not be surprised when you feel yourself becoming more fatigued as the day goes by, even earlier than usual. This is because the body begins to conserve the kilojoules than it already has, because you are not taking in more, making them burn less slowly.
Also, the lack of iron is another major culprit of fatigue, since it is essential in helping your body deliver oxygen to cells and remove carbon dioxide. Too little amounts will make you sleepy, so aim to get at least 18mg daily (supplement, wholegrain, leafy greens or dried fruits), and at least 5000kJ of carbs a day, and more if you are actively exercising.
Final thoughts
Based on all this information, it is clear that dieting is a very bad idea. Not only does it risk harming your health, but it also brings other risks to your body that you are better off avoiding.