You only have to flick through the pages of a celebrity gossip magazine to know crash dieting is a hot trend.
Whether due to appetite suppression or calorie restriction, lots of people are losing weight FAST.
But what’s rarely mentioned in the glowing articles on “how great they look” is that rapid weight loss also means losing muscles and bone mass, along with nausea and digestive problems.
What’s also rarely mentioned is the impact of crash dieting on your SKIN.
The truth is that crash diets can make your wrinkles, sagging skin and other signs of aging WORSE.
This is because your body needs calories to make energy.
But when you suddenly shut off those calories, your body has to find that energy elsewhere.
And that “elsewhere” is often collagen.
That’s right!
The #1 protein responsible for keeping your skin firm and tight.
When you drain your stores of this key protein, your skin starts to look saggier, more wrinkled, and OLD.
Even worse, crash diets deprive your skin of other essential nutrients, like vitamins A, C, and E... which are all skin superfoods!
So while crash diets might seem like a quick fix, they're not worth the damage they do to your skin or body in the long run.
That being said, you don't have to give up on your dreams of having tight, smooth skin AND a slimmer body.
Here are a few things you can do to lose weight without sabotaging your appearance:
#1. Eat a balanced diet. Losing weight can be as simple as throwing out the processed garbage and eating a balanced diet of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats.
#2. Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated helps flush out all the toxins and keeps your skin plump. Aim to drink a glass of water every hour.
#3. Exercise. Building lean muscle through daily exercise, such as yoga or 30 minute brisk walks, can help decrease the appearance of loose skin.
#4. Get your beauty sleep. Sleep is where your body heals, repairs, and regenerates. If you're not getting 7-8 hrs each night, you deprive your body of essential rest and recovery.
#5. Take the right supplements. Supplements are a powerful tool for giving your body the extra nutrients it’s hard to get from diet alone. Specially formulated supplements for weight loss can also activate key biological mechanisms that help turn sugars and carbs into fuel, rather than fat.
Now I know those aren't groundbreaking suggestions.
You've likely heard them all before.
But they deserve repeating because they work!
Bottom line, if you want to lose weight and enjoy youthful looking skin… rather than aggressive appetite suppression...
Focus on eating a balanced diet, stay hydrated, sleep, exercise and take the right supplements.
Do these things and you can sustain tight, smooth skin while slimming down to your dream weight.