They’re everywhere- on a cover of a magazine, online, and in the book stores, fad diets are constantly coming and going. IF they work, at best you can expect to gain back some or all the weight you lost, but most gain even more! Here’s a few tips to keep in mind before you pick up your next diet book.
It promises “quick and easy results”
Unfortunately when it comes to losing weight and being healthy, there is no quick fix. If a diet promises something like 10 lbs. in 10 days, it’s a red flag. A sensible diet plan takes into consideration the time it takes for your body to adjust to a new eating regimen and the amount of weight that is safe to lose in a given amount of time. If you’re slightly overweight .5-1 lb. of weight loss a week is sensible. If you have a lot of weight to lose 1-2 lbs. a week is okay. Of course, it all depends on the amount of exercise you do, your metabolism, and how strictly you follow a meal plan. Losing a large amount of weight in a small period of time is usually a result of losing water weight, not fat, which will be easily regained.
Cuts out too many foods
If a diet cuts out too many foods or a major food group like carbohydrates, protein, or fat, it probably will lead to weight loss, but not because that food is evil. By default, restricting so many foods will reduce calories and lead to weight loss. Cutting out processed foods or fried foods is beneficial and is not the same as cutting out all carbohydrates or certain fruits or vegetables because of some made up reason without scientific evidence to back it up. Restricting too many foods and food groups makes it harder to meet your nutrient needs since we need a variety of foods in our diet. Lastly, a diet that is too restrictive will probably make you less compliant and have you calling it quits by the third day.
No Exercise
As much as we’d all like to wake up magically with a 6-pack, it’s not going to happen without exercise! You can definitely still lose weight if you eat right and don’t exercise, but it’ll be at a much slower rate and it probably won’t all be from loss of fat. Exercise is a great way to build muscle tone, increase metabolism, and improve your physical and emotional well-being! The most successful and lasting weight loss plans are when diet and exercise work together.
It’s Special
There’s nothing fancy about losing weight and it’s certainly not exclusive. If a diet pushes for a “special” food like some rare fruit found in some remote island that is super expensive or a “special” brand of whatever that claims to have magical weight loss powers that you have to eat five times a day, I would be a little skeptical and probably stay away.
Less than 1200 calories
Our bodies require a minimum of 1200 calories a day just for our organs and body to function and any diet that is based on anything less than that is essentially starving the body.
As it goes for anything in life, if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is. A good diet plan is more than just a restrictive short-term regimen. In order for it to be sustainable, it should give you tools and advice on how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The more time you invest in becoming healthy, the more likely you will keep the weight off.
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