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Starvation Diet

Definition

A starvation diet involves reducing food intake drastically — often to less than 1,200 calories per day — in an attempt to lose weight quickly.

Analogy

Think about running a marathon without any training or preparation - you wouldn't expect to do very well would you? Similarly, drastically cutting down on food intake without proper planning can lead to serious health issues just like attempting that unprepared marathon could lead to physical injuries.

Related terms

Crash Dieting: This refers to making sudden and drastic changes in eating habits for quick weight loss. Like crashing into a wall during a race because you didn’t pace yourself properly.

Fasting: Fasting means voluntarily going without food for varying lengths of time. It’s akin to taking pit stops during long drives, but in this case, you're giving your digestive system a break.

Yo-yo Dieting: This is the cycle of losing weight and then regaining it, over and over again. It's like being on a yo-yo where you go down (lose weight) and then come right back up (gain weight).