Quick Diets (Express) – Myths and Truths

Introduction

“Express diet: Lose 5 kg in 3 days”

“How to lose 3 kg in 1 week?”

“What is the fastest diet for obesity?”

“Follow the 15-day express diet and lose weight fast”

The above are some of the most common and enticing titles of texts or articles on the internet, which suggest quick diets for weight loss and promise rapid loss of many kilos and spectacular results in a short period of time. But what are express diets really?

What are quick diets – express?

Express diets are usually exhausting, very restrictive and unbalanced and should be avoided.

Among other things, they suggest consuming specific foods, beverages, juices or specific food combinations, always of course without any scientific basis. One of the most popular ways of express dieting is product promotion, such as products, preparations or drinks that activate or boost metabolism (!), such as detox juices, fat-burning tea, various herbs that activate metabolism or burn local fat. Even a detox regimen with juices, lemon, tea, herbs or a lot of water per day can be characterized as an express diet.

Express diets have in common the false promise of simple and quick weight loss in a short period of time. Other claims they make are that they will boost your self-confidence, endurance and efficiency, make your body look more beautiful, desirable and healthy, improve your skin health and eliminate local fat. They can even promise to reduce bloating, achieve a flat stomach, muscle definition or anything else you can imagine!

In short, they promise spectacular results without much effort and in a short period of time – which of course is not true – while cultivating a disturbed relationship with food and weight. They are usually created or promoted by non-experts who have no relevant certification to make easy and quick money by exploiting people’s need to lose weight easily.

In reality, however, these diets for easy and quick weight loss have no scientific basis, do not help in long-term weight loss and pose many health risks. They are characterized by unrealistic and ineffective nutrition programs, which among other things are also deficient in essential nutrients.

Why do express diets exist?

Express diets exploit our need and desire for quick and easy weight loss, especially when many unsuccessful attempts to lose weight have preceded. However, just as we don’t look for medical treatment on the internet, we shouldn’t search for and choose diets from the internet either. Our nutrition plays a crucial role in our health, and we should never leave it to chance or, even worse, in the hands of non-experts who can harm us.

Only your dietitian – nutritionist can know what’s best for you and your body and help you achieve your goal without putting your health at risk!

There are many reasons why we may resort to weight loss attempts. From the unrealistic and unhealthy ideal body standards promoted by the media to overweight and obesity which are one of the most serious health problems of our time.

The standards of the ideal body change from era to era, and along with them change the exhausting diets that are advertised and promise easy and quick weight loss. However, the diets that exist on the internet and promise quick results are not made for you, and you may not actually need to diet at all! For weight loss to be successful and long-lasting, it depends exclusively on the diet and diet plan that is followed, which should be completely personalized and only done by a clinical dietitian – nutritionist.

In some cases, of course, losing excess weight and achieving a healthy weight becomes necessary and essential.

But when is weight loss necessary?

When our weight is greater than what is considered healthy. Increased body weight is associated with many negative health consequences, and increases, among other things, the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, some forms of cancer, as well as disorders of the reproductive system function and psychology. Specifically, being overweight and obese is one of the most serious health problems of our time, especially if we consider that 1 in 3 adults worldwide is overweight or obese (1).

A person is considered overweight when their Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2 and obese when their BMI is greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2. You can calculate your BMI using our application for body mass index calculation.

In conclusion, express diets are appearing more and more frequently as increased weight concerns more and more people, both adults and children. However, don’t forget that quick diets are more harmful to health than beneficial. In reality, all they achieve is to offer a temporary solution to the problem of increased weight and ultimately disorient you from your real goal, which is changing your eating habits and your mindset towards food.

What are the most popular express diets and how do we recognize them?

To suspect that the diet you’re following is a quick one, check for phrases like:

• “burn fat easily and effectively”
• “eliminate cellulite”
• “you will deflate”
• “quick results in 1 week”
• “promises 10 kilos in 10 days”
• “detox with water and juices”
• ‘follow this diet plan for quick results’
• “the diet of a specific singer or actress” and other similar ones.

Generally, the more spectacular, short, and simple the promise, the more likely it is to be an express diet that is not suitable for you!

There are many quick diets to lose a few or many kilos. For example, the most well-known are detox diets. Detox diets can last from 1 day to 1 month and include various weight loss practices such as fasting, exclusive consumption of fruits, vegetables or juices, avoidance of wheat and its products, etc.

You may also hear detox diets referred to as chemical diets or fat-dissolving diets.

The rationale behind “detox” diets is that excluding food groups from the diet and consuming specific foods and drinks help eliminate toxins from the body. However, the theory behind these diets has no scientific basis, as detoxification is a normal process of the body that occurs daily to eliminate non-useful substances from the organism.

Among quick diets, you will also encounter diets such as intermittent fasting or ketogenic diet. Although these dietary patterns may lead to rapid weight loss, they cannot be considered express diets. This is because, unlike other express diets (e.g., detox diets), these diets are based on specific protocols and have also been scientifically studied for their effectiveness in weight loss and various health indicators.

For example, intermittent fasting emphasizes the hours when food or drinks are consumed, while the ketogenic diet promotes very low carbohydrate intake and very high fat intake to create a metabolic state called ketosis.

Of course, the fact that these diets have been studied more does not mean that you should consider them safer and healthier than other express diets, and in no case should you apply them for a long period of time and without the supervision of a specialist.

You can read about the most popular diets that lead to rapid weight loss in our related article.

10 Truths About Express Diets

1. They Are Supported by Non-Experts

Express diets are designed and promoted by non-experts, i.e., individuals who are not health scientists and do not have the appropriate knowledge about nutrition and health. Only a dietitian – nutritionist can guide you. Most of the time, they are advertising tricks to attract viewers – consumers or to sell specific products.

2. They Have No Scientific Basis

They are not based on scientific data nor supported by international recommendations or organizations. They are also promoted by unqualified individuals who can misinform you and put your health at risk.

3. They Are Not Healthy and Balanced

Express diets are neither healthy nor balanced. They drastically reduce total daily calories and exclude or limit food consumption, resulting in nutrient deficiencies which have a negative impact on metabolism and the body. Also, they don’t help you learn how to eat properly.

4. You Lose Water, Not Fat

If you follow an express diet, you indeed will see the change in the number on the scale and the rapid weight loss they promise. However, you should know that the weight you will lose will be mainly water and not fat, which may be one of your main goals.

5. They Are Not Suitable for Everyone

Express diets are not suitable for all population groups, such as children, adolescents, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or individuals with medical conditions like type 2 diabetes.

6. Not All Express Diets Are the Same

There are quick weight loss diets, such as intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet, which, although they lead to rapid weight loss, do not belong to the express diet category, as they have been scientifically studied and appear to potentially offer some benefits under expert guidance.

7. The Feeling of Satisfaction Is Temporary

The rapid weight loss achieved through express diets provides a sense of euphoria and satisfaction, increasing one’s self-confidence and self-esteem. However, these positive emotions are temporary – just like the weight loss!

8. They Cause Various Negative Symptoms

The implementation of express diets, due to the drastic reduction in calories, can cause fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating.

In addition to the inability to cope with the intense rhythms of daily life, express diets can also cause various gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation. This can happen because express diets often exclude foods that are rich in fiber and help with proper intestinal function.

9. They Enhance the Feeling of Hunger

If you follow an express diet, you will constantly feel hungry due to the low calorie intake. This increased feeling of hunger can make you more vulnerable to snacking or even eating uncontrollably large amounts of food in a short period of time (binge eating).

10. Weight Loss Is Temporary

The weight loss you might achieve, which mainly concerns loss of fluids, is temporary. As soon as you return to your previous eating habits and start eating normally, the weight will come back.

10 Myths About Express Diets

1. Weight Is Lost Effectively and Quickly

The common characteristic of all express diets is that they promise quick and drastic weight loss in the first few days or weeks of implementation.

However, this is perhaps the biggest trap hidden in these diets, as any quick weight loss is due to the sudden depletion of glycogen stores – that is, stored carbohydrates in the body – and consequently the sudden loss of fluids from the body.

This sudden fluid loss occurs because glycogen storage requires about 3-4 times its weight in water, which means that when it’s depleted, the water used for its storage is also eliminated. Therefore, if you do manage to lose some weight, this loss is illusory, as you’re essentially not losing fat. The goal of weight reduction is to lose fat, not fluids or muscle mass, as usually happens in these cases!

2. Weight Loss Is Long-Lasting

If you lose weight with an express diet, you will certainly regain it. Because express diets are not balanced and are not tailored to your own needs and preferences, it’s certain that you will regain any weight you lost, and quite quickly. Since the weight you lose is mainly water, when you return to your old eating habits, it’s completely normal to see the number on the scale change and regain the weight you lost, most likely even more than before due to the deprivations you’ve undergone.

In fact, the failure to implement and maintain unrealistic and exhausting weight loss diets, such as express diets, can lead you in the long term to a vicious cycle of weight loss and gain (yo-yo effect), a condition which is particularly dangerous for your health.

3. They Detoxify the Body

Most express diets promote the concept of detoxification through restricting or excluding specific foods from the diet or through the consumption of specific foods, drinks, or supplements.

However, this is not true, as detoxification is a normal process of the body, which is performed daily by the kidneys, liver, and gastrointestinal system to eliminate metabolic by-products and other substances that are useless to it from the body.

The body’s ability to detoxify depends, among other things, on many parameters such as diet, lifestyle, health condition, as well as various genetic and environmental factors. There are no diets that detoxify the body!

4. There Are “Magic” Food Combinations

There is no scientific evidence behind the theory that specific food combinations will help you lose excess weight, detoxify, or burn fat.

For example, there are no fat-dissolving food combinations or better food combinations for weight loss, to “lose the love handles” and fat. On the contrary, consuming ‘wrong’ food combinations such as combining meat (protein) with rice or potato (carbohydrates) will not lead to their sudden conversion into fat or the creation of toxins by the gastrointestinal system as such diets might claim.

5. There Are Superfoods and “Magic” Dietary Supplements and Drinks That Accelerate Weight Loss and Burn Fat

The consumption of specific foods, dietary supplements, or drinks and juices recommended by many express diets for losing excess weight is not based on any scientific evidence. There are no tricks or gimmicks to burn fat!

Especially regarding supplements, their intake is necessary when the diet does not fully meet the body’s needs for essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. And only experts are in a position to judge this!

6. There are foods that “block” weight loss or fat “burning”

Just as there are no superfoods, ultra foods, or magical foods that help with weight loss and fat “burning”, there are also no foods that block or prevent weight loss. Another common feature of express diets is that they blame specific foods, which should be limited or excluded from the diet. They therefore put you in a process of feeling guilty when you eat certain foods like bread, potato, rice (carbohydrates) because these make you fat, which is not actually true.

7. Exercise is not necessary

Exercise offers many health benefits and particularly helps with weight loss and maintaining muscle mass. Express diets do not promote the value of exercise, overlooking the importance of physical activity in losing excess weight and achieving and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

8. The only thing that matters is the number on the scale

Express diets exploit the strong desire for quick and easy weight loss and essentially disorient you from the main goal in a weight loss effort, which is your nutritional education and the overall change in your eating habits that will last. The solution to weight loss is based on your relationship with food and the incorrect perceptions and eating habits you may have, not on a simple number on the scale! The change in diet should be correct and balanced and accompany you for life. It cannot be fragmentary, exhausting, and unbalanced!

9. They boost self-esteem

While express diets promise spectacular results that will boost your confidence and self-esteem, in reality what they achieve is to create a disturbed relationship with food (e.g., obsession with calorie counting), especially when you have tried to lose weight many times without success. Consequently, an express diet creates many more problems regarding your self-esteem both in the present and in the future. Don’t forget that most of these programs are particularly depriving and exhausting, resulting in you more easily choosing what you were deprived of once you stop your effort!

10. Exhaustion and deprivation are necessary elements for losing weight

To achieve weight loss, it is not necessary to exhaust yourself, deprive yourself, eat strictly specific foods at specific times during the day, or have long fasting periods where you only drink water and lemon. Exhausting and depriving diets are not suitable for you and hide many dangers. In any case, you should always listen to the hunger and satiety signals your body sends so that you can give it energy when it really needs it. If you want to lose weight and fat, only experts are in a position to guide you correctly and healthily.

You can read more about the most common mistakes made in dieting in our related article.

What is ultimately the “magical” recipe for a successful diet?

Unfortunately, there is no “magical” recipe for a successful diet, however, there are some basic rules that can help you achieve the desired loss of excess weight and fat. One of the most basic rules is personalization.

There is no one diet that suits everyone!

On the internet, there are many popular easy and quick weight loss diets, which, because they are not absolutely designed for you, only offer a temporary solution to the problem of excess weight.

For a successful and effective weight loss, the diet plan that is followed must be completely personalized and based on your nutritional needs, lifestyle, and preferences. To help you, we have summarized in our related article the most essential tips for effectively losing excess weight.

Another important rule is motivation. Specifically, because the diet plan for weight loss requires changing your lifestyle holistically, it should respond to your nutritional goals and motivations, so that the result is long-lasting and accompanies you throughout your life.

Certainly, the effort to lose excess weight requires time, persistence, and patience. The rapid weight loss and “magical” results promised by express diets are quite tempting, however, they do not last over time and also hide many dangers for your health.

Measurable, gradual, and achievable goals will help you in gradual but significant weight loss, in greater motivation to achieve them, and ultimately in better long-term weight maintenance.

Therefore, through the continuous nutritional support and help we provide you, we can create the best diet plan for you, which will meet your goals and help you lose weight quickly but also healthily. Through our collaboration at the model dietetic center Food for Health, you will be able to easily and quickly change your dietary habits to be healthier, lose excess weight, but most importantly, maintain the weight you lost in the long term and improve your overall quality of life and health.

Bibliography

1. World Health Organization. Obesity and Overweight. Fact Sheet Number 311 2021. Accessed November 23, 2021.
2. Khawandanah J, Tewfik I. Fad Diets: Lifestyle Promises and Health Challenges. Journal of Food Research 2016 5(6):80-94.