Z. Johnson
From the famous cleanses, to fasting, and even eliminating food groups, fad diets have become the common trend. Everyday, more people are trying desperate efforts to lose weight. I know it can be frustrating to have done endless “dieting” strategies to drop off those extra pounds. Because of this, the dieting industry has created a whole culture about obsessing over food in order to get fast results. To make matters a little bit more complicated, some of these fad diets can appear to be good for you and harmless for your body. It’s time to ditch the idea that “dieting” can lead to a faster and more effective weight loss. You should not be anxious about any foods or falling into unhealthy practices that will make you feel awkward.
Fad diets are becoming more popular than ever. TV celebrities, social media and even so called “nutrition gurus” promote different ways of eating regimens to get closer to specific goals. A common example, is to lose weight and burn fat. I totally get it, I mean, who doesn’t want to drop some extra fat and lose weight? Unfortunately, not everything that is out there booming is the way as it sounds. Plus, the media has put on too much stress on being super skinny as a symbol of healthy. Sometimes, you gotta do your research and find out that things may be too good to be true. That’s why, before going after any of these trending eating regimens, you should check with your health care provider and nutritionist.
How to spot fad diets?
Fad diets can be truly hard to identify. Especially, since they are hidden under the concept of “healthy eating” and under the premise of achieving a “healthy weight”. Notice how I highlight all these terms in quotation marks. You get the idea. That may not be necessarily the ultimate goal behind these trends. A fact is that most of these fad diets can lead to unnecessary anxiety, destroying your mindset, as well as your relationship with food. Besides that, most people who fall into fad diets keep yo-yo dieting and gaining more weight than ever. It has been proven that 95% of the people who constantly do crazy diets end up with more health problems than those who learn how to eat right according to their needs. Here, I will point out some important facts about fad diets and how to identify them quickly:
1. Fad diets promise quick results or “fixes”
This one is true for most fad diets. They give you the idea that you will lose a lot of weight in less time than if you followed a carefully planned eating regimen. Many people fall into this trap as being desperate to get their goals faster. While some strategies may work, it rarely gets you good results in the long term. You may lose weight very quickly, but most likely will end up gaining it back in less than 2 years.
2. Fad diets are usually for a short period of time
You name them. Those diets that you only do for 2 weeks, or 6 months. Again, the marketing strategy is to convince you that it will only take less time for you to lose weight or burn fat, than learning how to eat right. Unless you’re seeing a nutritionist that can properly guide you, avoid doing drastic changes to your eating lifestyle just for a short time. This is the number one reason people fall into the yo-yo effect.
3. Fad diets commonly involve eliminating food groups
This is another big one. It is especially true for those trending diets that promote cutting out important macros like carbs. Remember that not all carbs are bad, some are even essential for your body to produce enough energy, boost your metabolism and maintain a good gut health, like fiber.
4. Certain products are promoted with exaggerated magical benefits
Certain supplements, pills, and even foods are given that extra magical trait that will help you “burn fat faster”. This is the typical media trend that has been confusing people over and over again. There is no specific product or food that by itself, will make you lose weight. The result comes with a whole balanced daily food intake.
5. There is restrictive calorie intake and food quality
Fad diets are usually based on severe calorie restrictions. Of course, the idea is to lose weight fast right? Unfortunately, by reducing too much calories, often times, you also cut down on the quality of nutrients and foods you eat. This happens a lot with protein. Some diets focus on eliminating important food groups like dairies, for example. These types of foods are good sources of protein. I could mention some other common important examples, but, you get the point. It’s about eating right, not less.
6. Fad diets are hard to sustain in the long run
Let’s do real talk here. When you go into “dieting” mode, your body initially goes under stress. You may even feel homicidal some days for not eating carbs at all, lol… Seriously, think about it, if you’ve been used to eating foods from all food groups your entire life, your body will not be in “chill mode” when doing important nutrient restrictions from one day to another. Because of this, as a self defense mechanism, your body releases more of those hormones that will cause you to crave food and go under anxiety.
7. With fad diets, there is no need to exercise
That’s why fad diets sound too good to be true. They make you think that there is no need to keep your body active. Even when you’ll lose weight under a fad diet, it will be unhealthy for your metabolism if you are still sitting on your coach most of the time. Staying physically active is not only important to achieve realistic long term results, but also crucial for your mental health. Any rigorous regimen that promises you to restrict your food needs while being lazy all day isn’t healthy.
Beware of fad diets! The consequences are real…
As mentioned before, and as you may have heard, fad diets can lead to serious health problems. There is no super magical food or product that will make you lose weight or alter your genetics by itself. Cutting out food groups without proper supervision by a nutritionist can compromise your health. Fad diets can cause more long term issues than benefits. Here are some consequences of doing extreme “dieting”:
- Dehydration
- Lack of energy and fatigue
- Loss of muscle mass
- Nausea and headaches
- Digestive problems like constipation
- Mental distress
What to do instead?
The answer is on healthy balanced eating. Focus on choosing the right foods from different food groups to get your body the nutrients it needs. It all goes down to learning how to eat smart. I mean, you can achieve long term results without cutting out food groups. Think about an eating lifestyle that is sustainable. You want to be able to eat healthy in a balanced and pleasurable way. No one wants to feel guilt and shame around food.
Developing the right mindset around fitness and food should also be the main goal. Health and wellness start with mental health. Get rid of the food obsessions and pathetic food group restrictions. Any eating regimen that puts excess stress on daily food choices or demonizes certain food groups can cause eating disorders, besides all the other issues mentioned above. Learn how to eat the right way, by making sound smart choices, instead. It’s a fact that you can still lose weight by eating balanced meals, and more importantly, keep it off for good. There isn’t a major advantage of doing fad diets when it comes to weight loss in the long term, as I said, you may end up with the yo-yo effect.
Think about special needs
Not all bodies are equal, therefore some people may have special conditions and needs. If you already have a chronic disease, like diabetes, for example, watch out! The last thing you want to do is to fall for a fad diet and end up in the hospital after a drastic drop in your blood sugar! Always make sure you check with a professional, before going for a specific change in your eating regimen.
As well, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, avoid going into any fad diet to control your weight. Your body needs full nourishment to support yourself and your baby. Dieting is the least thing you should do when being in these stages. Get in the best frame of mind of eating a variety of foods, with proper guidance, and you’ll eventually keep good results.
If you decide to go vegan, for instance, there is a right way to do it in order for your body to get good results and not suffer any stress in the process. Some eating regimens are really healthy and safe for most of us. But, you want to make sure that whatever way of eating you choose is something that you can commit to in the long term.
Finally,
Being scared of any food group is not healthy in any way. You do more harm than help to your body. There is too much food anxiety around that it’s even becoming an epidemic. I say this because I’ve worked with people that have fallen for these practices and end up frustrated. Here, I’m just giving you the facts of why it’s important to focus on healthy real eating expectations as a human and not as a science project.
The more you involve in learning about food variety and how your body responds, the easier it will be for you to develop a healthy relationship with food. If you need more guidance and achieve the real lasting results you’ve always been aiming for, reach out to me. I’ve got your covered, through 1-1 coaching or through the challenge made to help you master your metabolism in a healthy way. Let me know your thoughts and struggles in the comments below. Share this review with your friends!
Xoxo
