Kim Kardashian said she lost 16lbs in three weeks in the lead-up to the Met Gala in order to fit into her showstopping dress, previously worn by Marilyn Monroe.
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Kim told Vogue that she went on an extreme diet to fit into the dress after it didn't fit her three weeks before the event. "I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein. I didn't starve myself, but I was so strict," she said.
Kim Kardashian shares her post-Met Gala meal plan
Kim said it was "such a challenge," to fit into the dress, then post-event, the star took to Instagram Stories to say she was "starving" and showed that she had mini donuts and dozens of pizzas delivered to her hotel room.
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"I haven’t had carbs or sugar in almost a month. Definitely three weeks. I'm so excited!" The Kardashians star said.
While Kim's extreme diet caused her to lose 16 lbs, how healthy was the regime? We spoke to two top nutritionists for their verdict on Kim's Met Gala diet.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKim Kardashian rocked a dress previously worn by Marilyn Monroe
How healthy was Kim Kardashian's Met Gala weight loss?
"Kim's aim was to get into Marilyn's dress, and to do it quickly. It's not a set of normal circumstances, so it called for an extreme approach to lose 16lbs in a very short space of time. Did it work? Yes. Is it healthy? Not really, as extreme behaviour with food can be a super negative force," says registered nutritionist Hannah Alderson, who specialises in menopause and PCOS.
Fellow registered nutritionist Charlotte Faure Green, who helps stressed bodies and minds regain balance, explains that extreme weight loss is classified as the loss of more than one kg a week for a sustained period. "Kim's diet resulted in the loss of double that per week, over the course of a month," Charlotte says. "This kind of weight loss is unsustainable and will invariably end up with a binge cycle, following the period of restriction.
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"Cutting out entire food groups is incredibly stressful to the body," Charlotte adds. "The reason Kim found it 'such a challenge' is because she was going against the needs of her body and silencing its cues for nourishment.
"To lose such a large amount of weight in such a short space of time is not a healthy practice and can have huge repercussions on every system in the body: immune function, hormones, mental health, digestive, muscular, skin and nails and skeletal," Charlotte continues.
Kim's weight loss regime divided opinions on Twitter
There are some positives to be taken from Kim's approach, just not in the extreme way she chose, as Hannah explains: "Reducing sugar and refined carbohydrate intake can be a positive thing in the long run for health, when it is done right," Hannah says.
"I'd need to know more about the foods that she was eating to give you my full opinion but if she was having lots of vegetables with good quality protein, that's better than an ultra-processed diet shake approach or a fat loss medical procedure," Hannah adds.
"Kim would have been better off following a less extreme diet to balance blood sugar and up her intake of gorgeous colourful vegetables for a longer stretch of time to lose the 16lbs," Hannah concludes.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKim Kardashian's Met Gala weight loss was a hot topic on social media after the event
As for Kim's use of a sauna, Charlotte has some extremely interesting insight. "I am a huge fan of therapeutic sauna use as the benefits are vast, and I use it often as a tool in my clinic," she says.
"It works on the basis of hormesis, essentially inducing a mild and short stressor to the body (increasing cortisol) in order to grow physical, mental and emotional resilience. The sweet spot is in the recovery period, and whilst Kim doesn't say how long she was in her sauna suit for, twice per day seems excessive."
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She explains that two or three short sauna sessions per week are enough. "It is likely Kim was after the exercise mimicry (raised core temperature, heart rate and excessive sweating), but the outcome is likely to be mostly water loss (as opposed to fat loss) and result in electrolyte imbalance if not replenishing post sauna with lost nutrients, and perhaps an unhealthy adrenal response," Charlotte shares.
What about Kim's decision to treat herself to pizza and donuts right after the Met Gala?
We've long known that crash dieting isn’t a healthy approach to weight loss, and Kim losing weight so quickly and then tucking into tasty pizza and donuts could also be an issue, as Hannah explains.
"This can be stressful and confusing for the body and in particular the gut. If the body has been tricked into thinking it is in a state of famine, there can be consequences when there is a sudden windfall of processed energy-dense food."
Charlotte explains that Kim's cravings for pizza and donuts were a result of depriving her body of them.
"The reason Kim went all out on donuts and pizza following the Met is because she finally listened to the call of her body telling her what it needed: energy and sugar to function properly," Charlotte says. "The weight will return, and possibly to more than the starting point. Establishing a healthy metabolism for weight loss takes time, proper nourishment, consistency and patience."
Hannah also points out that Kim's post Met Gala meal will likely have resulted in bloating today. "My biggest concern would be that Kim's regime glamorises fad diet culture and the 'cheat day', as that really is not a vibe."
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