crash diet

[ krash dahy-it ]

noun

1. a severe limitation of food intake or food selection intended to help someone lose a lot of weight very quickly:

   A crash diet that completely eliminates some food groups is likely to do more harm than good—and unlikely to result in realistic weight loss.

verb (used without object)

1. to severely limit one’s food intake or food selection in order to lose a lot of weight very quickly:

   It’s better to lose weight slowly and keep it off than to crash diet and gain it all back.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crash diet¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Gold went on a crash diet in her early 20s, and as the pounds flew off, she all but stopped eating.

From The Daily Beast

The very term “ Crash Diet” makes most doctors bristle, as stories pile up about celebrities verging on starvation.

From The Daily Beast

With a crash diet, you effectively trick yourself into feeling less hungry by eating one or a limited set of healthy items.

From The Daily Beast

The only crash diet that truly works is one that allows you to lose real fat and lose it as fast as sustainably possible.

From The Daily Beast