Weight loss is a long-term pursuit that requires equal measures of patience and dedication. Short-term gains are also possible, however.
Cutting out sugar is widely touted in the diet industry as one of the most potent measures for short-term results.
TikTok content creator named Nakita (@nakitalea) recently highlighted the dietary hack in a clip showing off her 10-day body transformation.
Her before-and-after pictures went viral after demonstrating what a difference abstinence from sugar, dairy and gluten can make in the space of just 10 days.
Nakita abstained from three ingredients to tone up her body
|TIKTOK / @NAKITALEA
The clip, captioned ‘Small progress is still progress,’ shows the dieter reveal a noticeably toned physique at the end of the diet.
Excess sugar’s impact on cardiovascular health is well documented, but it can also greatly influence the appearance.
Put simply, the excess consumption of sugar affects body weight by impairing the appetite control system.
This is particularly true for sugar-laden beverages because liquid calories don’t promote satiety to the same extent that solid calories do.
People who habitually consume sugar-rich drinks may therefore inadvertently consume more calories, leading to weight gain.
Harvard Health advises checking food labels to monitor intake of added sugar in the diet.
The health body explains on its website: “Look for the following names for added sugar and try to either avoid, or cut back on the amount or frequency of the foods where they are found.”
While cutting out dairy can lead to changes in appearance for anyone, they tend to be more pronounced in intolerant individuals.
The British Nutrition Foundation estimates that five in 100 people in the UK are lactose intolerant.
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The content creator revealed her results after five days
|GETTY
The same applies to gluten, which has deleterious effects on people with coeliac disease or intolerance.
However, many dieters without an intolerance to the protein vouch for the slimming effects of a gluten-free diet.
This isn’t because it causes weight gain, but rather because people end up reducing their intake of high-calorie foods containing gluten.
This shift alone can encourage a greater intake of other foods like vegetables and fruits, which contribute to a leaner appearance.