Why You Definitely Shouldnt Try Emilia Clarkes Crazy Diet

In the new issue of InStyle U.K., Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke opens up about her strict diet and workout regimen in preparation for her role in this summer's Terminator: Genesis. "I've been spending all day, every day, in weapons training," she told the magazine, according to a report from E! Online. "I've been shooting guns, weightlifting, kickboxing, and generally kicking a lot of ass." Sounds pretty badass so far.

The actress continued: "On top of that, I have not been allowed to eat anything that might taste good at all." Emilia wasn't bluffing, either: Later in the interview, a food spread was brought out, and she confessed to the reporter, "Everything on these plates looks amazing, but heartbreakingly, I'm not allowed to eat any of it. ... Not one thing on this table. Except a cup of tea. One cup of tea. No sugar. No cream." Wait, depriving yourself of everything that makes your taste buds happy—while you're basically in boot camp?! Yeah, about that...

Keri Glassman, R.D., a member of Women's Health's advisory board and author of The New You and Improved Diet, says Emilia's tactics sound not only bland—but dangerous.

"It can be really disruptive to four things: your metabolism, your overall health, your workout, and your emotional relationship with food," says Glassman. First of all, when you cut back your food intake that drastically, your metabolic rate automatically slows down in order to hold on to existing energy. Additionally, eliminating certain foods from your diet simply because they taste good can cause you to eventually binge and gain back all the weight you lost (and then some), says Glassman. Meanwhile, intense workouts like Emilia's demand that you load up on foods high in calories and protein so that you have energy to do them. Finally, just like with crash dieting, training your brain to think this way ("foods that taste good are automatically bad, whereas the foods I hate are what I have to stick to") will only lead to a dysfunctional relationship with food.

Need some help balancing a healthy relationship with food and exercise? Read more:

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