She Lost 19 Pounds in 15 Days With the Help of Salt. But Nutritionists Warn About Dangers of Fasting.
TikTok is a wealth of information regarding diet and fitness hacks – some weight loss methods are a little more controversial than others. In a viral video, one influencer and fasting fanatic (@hackerbeauty) claims she lost much weight in just over two weeks by drinking Celtic sea salt. "So how did I lose 19 pounds in 15 days?" she asks at the start of the video, revealing her secret. We asked The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, if the salt-based weight loss method is actually effective and safe.
She Eased Into Fasting
@hackerbeauty How i lost 19 pounds in 15 days! Things used: water!! Electrolytes and celtic sea salt! #fastingtips #fastingtiktok #fastingforweighloss ♬ Makeba – Jain
She explains that she did a "prolonged fast" after previously doing intermittent fasting. "So I wasn't new to it and I felt ready." She added that she was originally going to do a 30 day fast, but cut it to 15 days.
And Did a Water Fast
She explains that during the fasting period, "I would just drink water seriously" only adding electrolytes and Celtic sea salt. "That's all. All you need. That's all you need."
Related: How to Lose Weight Fast for a Special Occasion, According to an Expert
She Tries Various Hacks
Shen added that "little hacks that I'm implementing" are helping to "maximize" the results. "And so you'll be seeing my results and see if I lose more weight or less weight with the hacks that I'm implementing this time."
She Drinks Up to a Gallon of Water
In the comment section one of her followers asked how much water she drinks while fasting. "2 liters to a gallon," she responds. She also adds to "make sure the electrolytes don't have sugars."
Then, You Ease Into Eating
After you are done with the fast, you ease back into eating, she says. "You want to start of with a small serving of something like fruit. Then wait and see how your body reacts. Ease into it for sure!" she recommends in another video about water fasting.
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Don't Try This, an RDN Says
"If you only drink water (without or without electrolytes/sodium) you will lose weight," says Collingwood. "It is not the electrolytes or sea salt that are causing weight loss…it is the lack of calories." She adds that "going even one day without any food (unless you are sick and physically unable to eat) is dangerous." While drinking lots of water will help to keep you hydrated, "your body needs calories from carbs, protein, fat, and of course all of the vitamins and minerals to be healthy on a daily basis." She adds that there are plenty of better ways to lose weight than to starve yourself with no food. "Often you will lose a large proportion of the weight as muscle and you will reduce your metabolism so that when you do eat again you will regain the weight again quickly."
💪🔥Body Booster: Most health experts do not recommend water fasting. While you might lose weight fast, you are more likely to lose muscle as well if you are not feeding your body with the nutrients it needs.
