My Kefir Diet Disaster: A Cautionary Tale of Quick Fixes and Long-Term Consequences

I've been struggling with excess weight for years, and it's been a constant source of frustration. I've been through the wringer: insults from men, comparisons with skinnier friends, and the humiliation of wanting to wear something nice, only to find it doesn't fit on my body...

Those days are few and far between, but I mostly deleted the photos, transforming into a scrawny mess. But in a conversation with a friend, I stumbled upon these old pics... My stomach looked like I was pregnant, no waistline, chubby cheeks, and a double chin.

As for me, I wanted to be more than just okay, to stand out and make people jealous. I wanted to be that 'cover girl'. That's why, about two years ago, I tried the kefir diet.What is the kefir diet:

The kefir diet primarily works by reducing calorie intake. Kefir is the main, and sometimes the only, product with beneficial properties – low calorie count, ability to cleanse the digestive system, suppress fermentation processes, and boost metabolism. It also has a positive impact on the digestive system and the body as a whole.

My experience:

There are plenty of different kefir diet variations online, each with varying lengths and contents. I needed a good result quickly, so I opted for the most restrictive version – a seven-day diet consisting only of kefir and whole-grain, low-calorie bread.

I was thinking big, but boy, was I wrong...I bought Belarusian kefir (Zdorovushka) because, in principle, I trust products from that country more.

I loved that it's made on a cheese factory, not in some unknown basement of Uncle Ashot's in the Moscow region.

So, every day (for seven days), I consumed 4-5 cups of kefir and three thin breadsticks. That's it. No other foods: no meat, no fish, no tea, no coffee. Not even sweets. Nothing. I drank water freely, without limits.Honestly, I didn't crack under the pressure somehow. Although I love kefir, but the meager diet and lack of regular food were morally and physically depressing.My stomach was a mess from the first day to the fourth. It was like my body was fighting and screaming, 'What are you doing to me?!' Then the constant rumbling and unpleasant sensations stopped, but were replaced by dizziness. I was completely weak, had low blood pressure, and my skin was pale. I was barely crawling around the house (thankfully, I was on vacation), mostly lying down, and trying to distract myself with TV shows.I saw my weight dropping in the mirror, but I longed for it to be over as soon as possible. In the second week of my vacation, something important was supposed to happen, which I was dieting for, but even the anticipation of being slim for the celebration wasn't a joy.

These harsh, short-term, and sudden diets are a serious blow to the body. Yes, I lost almost five and a half kilograms as I wanted. My stomach went away, my collarbones appeared, my face became thinner, and my legs became huge.I have to admit, I was pretty reckless when I first started this diet. I'd send my then-boyfriend these provocative photos of my new curves, and it was like I'd won...But things quickly took a turn for the worse. My stomach issues flared up, my skin broke out, and I started experiencing problems down there. To be honest, this crazy diet was the catalyst for all the bad stuff that happened after.And even after I slowly went back to my regular diet, the weight came back on pretty quickly...

And that's the truth:

Now I'm not on any diet, I've just found my weakness (baked goods) and cut it out of my diet. I eat normally, except for bread, and do some light exercise with this app on a regular basis. My figure's back to normal without harming my body.

I've finally stopped torturing myself and I'm really glad about it. I wouldn't recommend this kefir diet in its current form, of course. Unless you're willing to risk your health. Yes, you'll lose weight and see results, but it's not worth it...

Thanks for listening.