With the zero diet, the name says it all. There is really zero to eat. Quite similarly as with chamfering cures one does without solid food completely. With it one is to decrease particularly fast. But is that a good idea? We have made ourselves clever!
Lose weight quickly and easily, that is of course what we all want. Best of all, the kilos fall off all by themselves without having to do any sports.
This is exactly what the zero diet promises.
Just don't eat anything and you'll be slim.
But is that really a good idea? Can it work?
And what do doctors and nutrition experts actually say about it?
Table of contents
Man was always on a diet. At that time mostly unintentionally. Thus, in the past, there were always periods of hunger that our ancestors had to survive. In the 70s, physicians developed the zero diet on this basis.
What is the zero diet?
Zero diet is a radical diet, which is carried out for a long period of time. In the past, the zero diet was a procedure used for very overweight people for whom no other method helped. The diet was carried out on an inpatient basis.
The goal was to lose a lot of fat quickly and with as little exercise as possible.
However, this form of diet was quickly discontinued. The relapse rates were too high. Many people on zero diet fell into a kind of gluttony after which they later weighed even more than before.
The calorie intake per day loves in the zero diet actually at 0 calories. That is: Complete renunciation of solid food.
Only calorie-free drinks such as water or teas are allowed.
Wow! Balanced nutrition is that simple!
There are some people who voluntarily use this form of diet. And this is during the fasting period. But you can not quite compare.
Because fasting and zero diet have different goals. Zero diet is about the fact that you want to lose weight quickly.
Fasting focuses on physical regeneration. Mostly with a religious or spiritual background.
During the period of total fasting, you actually lose weight quickly. However, it is mostly water and muscle mass. The body only tackles the fat reserves later.
Healthy people should be able to survive going without food for a month.
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How the zero diet works
Say goodbye to solid food during the diet. High-calorie drinks such as juices or smoothies are also out.
Instead, drink 3 liters of tap water, mineral water or herbal teas per day. Very important: You should resort to food supplements during this time. Your body needs vitamins and minerals to function. Water and teas contain neither one nor the other.
If you've done this before, you might know that the first three days are the worst. After that, it gets a little easier. The metabolism adjusts. It forms substances from the fat reserves that suppress hunger and cravings.
16 hours fasting is really that healthy!
The duration of the zero diet is determined by the doctor. There are concepts where fasting is done for up to 100 days. The first attempts of zero diet were 8 weeks long. Today, total diets last from 7 to 14 days.
What happens in the body during the radical diet
If you don't take in food, your body is not used to it at first. It knows that it gets something edible on a regular basis. Not this time.
The zero diet proceeds in these phases
After 12 to 36 hours
After a short time you get very hungry. Now your body switches to protein and fat burning. In order to have enough energy for everyday life, the body starts to break down protein, which is easier than breaking down fat.
So muscle loss is the result. He takes everything he can get. Only when only a few muscles are left, the fat burning starts.
After 2 - 3 days
Our body's energy stores are now completely depleted. The glucose and protein stores are emptied. The mineral supplies are also running low.
You get typical diet and malnutrition symptoms like fatigue, headaches, cravings, trouble concentrating, and you feel cold all the time.
From day 4
This is the end of pleasure. The body shuts down the metabolism to a minimum in order to be able to keep us alive. The starvation metabolism occurs.
Now you only need 800 to 1000 calories a day.
Body functions that are not absolutely essential for survival are suppressed. These include thinking, gastrointestinal activities and, for us women, the menstrual cycle.
No. You must expect severe physical and mental limitations. You can concentrate poorly on the zero diet, get ravenous hunger and can even become quite aggressive due to hypoglycemia.
Wow! It's so easy to change your diet!
So going about your normal work will be quite difficult.
If you really want to do the zero diet, then you should talk to a doctor about it. If the diet is a possibility, you should do it as an inpatient in a hospital or a clinic.
Doctors and nutrition experts advise against complete abstinence from food and crash diets!
What are the advantages of the zero diet
The zero diet brings a great weight loss. A study with 500 subjects was put on a diet. They lost about 463 grams of body weight per day.
The implementation is quite simple and inexpensive. You do not need to buy expensive equipment or weight loss powder.
Risks of the zero diet
As you can imagine, the zero diet is very hard. The hunger is great. Important vitamins and minerals are completely missing.
Your body shuts down the metabolism to a minimum. This also reduces your basal metabolic rate and thus the yo-yo effect is guaranteed.
In the first days you fight against hunger. This is very often accompanied by stomach upsets.
Do you know the tricks with which you can avoid the yoyo effect?
You quickly get problems with concentration. Some also experience cardiovascular problems. Your body simply lacks energy. You will notice this in physical and mental symptoms.
If the metabolism has changed and fats begin to melt, this can lead to hyperacidity of the blood. This puts a strain on our kidneys.
In summary
- Physical deficiency symptoms
- Headaches and concentration problems
- Cardiovascular problems
- Can lead to death in the worst case
- Doctors completely advise against it
Is the zero diet worth it?
No. You should keep your hands off radical crash diets. They are very unhealthy and harm your body!
All you really lose on the zero diet is a lot of water and muscle. Fat is broken down relatively little. But you get headaches, concentration problems and cardiovascular problems. And on top of that also the yoyo effect.
If you want to lose weight, you have to change your diet in the long term. This way, you won't lose weight as quickly, but you will lose it healthily and permanently.
The main thing is to avoid fast food, convenience foods and sugar. As soon as you start to eat consciously and cook for yourself, losing weight will be easier. Eliminate soft drinks and the like from your diet and get as much exercise as possible.
Even a short walk around the block is better than not moving at all. Ideally, you should get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
Our conclusion
Doctors and nutrition experts advise against the zero diet. And for good reason. Abnehm experiments in which you do without food completely, are life-threatening!
You can reach your goal much healthier with a long-term change of diet. It actually helps you lose fat and does not harm your body!
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