Weight loss fads have been around for centuries, but lately, they seem to be on the increase. A fad is an idea, product, practise or habit that crops up suddenly and is gone in a short space of time. It is not based on scientific fact, and makes unrealistic promises, such as those we see in magazines and on the television every day: “Use this diet and lose up to five kilos in one week”. This is not only unrealistic but unhealthy.
The sad thing is that many people fall for these, purchase the products or attempt the diets in hopes of quick or easy weight loss. Often the outcome is simply that no weight-loss happens. But sometimes there are unhealthy outcomes, even if there is a short-term weight loss.
This article will look at only three of these and help you make educated choices toward your weight loss goals. With observation and research, you will find many diets and products available today fall into the “fad” category.
The grapefruit diet
This one has been around since the 1930s and began as a Hollywood diet. Half a grapefruit is eaten before every meal and caloric intake is restricted to 800 calories a day. With such small portions, a person is bound to lose weight, however, this is not sustainable over the long haul as the person feels hungry most of the time.
The Atkins diet
This diet, which calls for severe restriction in carbohydrate consumption, while allowing for large amounts of fat and protein, was very popular not that long ago. The theory behind this diet is that protein and fat provide a steady supply of energy and thus are less likely to lead to weight gain. However, blindly following such an imbalanced diet deprives your body of what it needs.
The liquid diet
There are various liquid diets which feature prominently among weight loss products. They are easy and convenient to use, tasty for the most part and many women take a can with them to work for lunch. Substituting one meal with a drink may not do much harm, but using it for all three meals can lead to serious nutritional deficiency. Liquid diets may not be nutritionally balanced and may not lead to sustained weight loss. Such liquid diets may be better used as a food supplement to other foods.
The secret to losing weight and keeping it off is to make lifestyle changes that you can live with by decreasing your caloric intake while increasing your energy output. In other words, simply eat less and exercise more. Note: “Eating less” does not mean starving yourself.
We can help you plan and make effective lifestyle changes to have you losing weight in a healthy and sustainable, lasting fashion.