What exactly is a fad diet?
Fad diets are weight loss plans that promise dramatic and ultra-fast results to people who are willing to try them. However, on the downside, these diets can’t really sustain long-term weight loss and can sometimes be very unhealthy. If you’re not so familiar with fad diets, find some of the most common diet fads below:
Diet Type: Controlled Carbohydrates Intake
Examples: Dr. Atkin’s Diet
Protein Power
The Zone
Sugar Busters
The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet
Diet Type: The High Carbs/Low Fat Diet
Examples: The Pritkin Principle
Dr. Dean Ornish: Eat More, Weigh Less
The Good Carbohydrate Revolution
Diet Type: The Controlled Portion Size Diet
Examples: Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan
Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss
Diet Type: The Food Combination
Examples: Suzanne Somer’s Somersizing
Diet Type: The Herbal Remedies and Diet Pills
Examples: Hydroxycut
Metabolife
Dexatrim Natural
Diet Type: The Liquid Diet
Examples: Slim Fast
Cambridge Diet
Veterans in the weight-loss department know that losing weight and actually keeping it off your body requires long-term commitment and hard work. Yet, too many diet savvy people are being led astray by diets that promise instant weight loss. Most fad diets go mainstream due to heavy advertising, but the truth is, they lack proper nutritional value which can be very hard to live with.
Why are fad diets so popular?
When it comes to shedding off excess weight, it’s very easy for people to be so willing to try anything, especially if it promises them with quick results. The problem with most people who are struggling with weight loss is that they always want the easy way out—and that is what companies that promote these fad diets capitalize on.
Fad diets are also popular, because for the most part, they do work but only for a short span of time. Again, fad diets are not for long-term weight loss use. You shed off the excess pounds following a fad diet for the first few weeks mainly because when you restrict yourself from eating certain types of food or eat only a special combo of foods, then you will eventually be getting fewer calories than you normally would on an everyday basis. It can be likely that the weight you lose as a result of a fad diet is from water and probably lean muscles, not exactly from body fats stored within you. Also, it turns out that people really can’t follow through with the rigid restrictions of a fad diet that limits their choices when it comes to food, or asks them to eat the same food combination over and over again. By statistics, people who go on a fad diet usually gain back the weight they’ve lost initially and more after they quit the diet they are currently on.
How to recognize fad diets?
There is no real standard in classifying a fad diet. Listed below are some of the red flags that can indicate that a proposed weight loss plan is a fad diet.
1. If it says that you can shed excess fats at a seemingly unrealistic pace or if it promises results that are too good to be true.
2. If the statements made about the diet plan are refuted by notable scientific agencies.
3. If it somehow refers to certain food types as “good” or “bad”.
4. If the diet involves intense crash dieting and very big reductions in drinking and eating.
5. Personal testimonies are often used to “sell” the diet plan. For all you know, these people are being paid to help advertise the product.
6. It promises to help you lose weight without any exercise or without you giving up “fatty foods”.
7. If they base their claims on a “before” and “after” photo.
8. If they’re able to draw a super simple conclusion from a complex medical research.
9. If it limits your food choices and ends up not encouraging you to eat healthy and balanced meals.
10. If it requires you to spend money on seminars, pills and other pre-packaged meals in support of the diet plan.
What to do to lose weight effectively?
Forget the fad diets, the key to effectively and safely losing weight is to actually put some effort in it—no short cuts! It helps to consult a doctor or a licensed dietician to help you with your cause. Eat nutritious meals, change your lifestyle into a healthier one, avoid vices, keep active and de-stress every once in awhile. These are the real keys to healthy weight loss. Just focus on your goal and you’ll get there in no time.
