What is so terrible about the most popular fad diets? I will be the first to admit that there are many people that are experiencing amazing results with fad diets. Perhaps you have also heard incredible stories of your aunt losing 50 pounds by eating by following a trendy new diet plan. So how could they possibly be bad for you?Weight loss following a fad diet will always be a temporary loss. There are two main reasons that popular fad diets are doomed fail. The first is that they do not take your lifestyle into account. Second, with many popular diet plans the weight loss is due to a loss of water weight that will be put back on just as soon as your body re-hydrates. Unfortunately, most fad diets were designed for the dieter to fail.
Below are 5 reasons to avoid fad diets:
1. Many diets that guarantee that you will lose weight quickly and easily are typically based on eating more of one particular food and completely omitting another from your diet. This type of eating plan does not share the same benefits that can be attained by eating a well balanced diet. To compensate for the lack of essential nutrients, the diet plan may recommend a supplement to be taken, however oftentimes a supplement will not fully absorb into the body unless it is consumed along with the foods that the diet has eliminated. Sticking with this diet for a long time may begin to develop nutritional deficiencies.
2. Most fad diets were not created with long term weight loss in mind. Often times these particular diets are terribly boring and over restrictive after the first couple of days. It is not uncommon in this situation to start to constantly crave food and eventually lead to breaking the diet.
3. The American Heart Association and other organizations have created recommendations for healthy fat levels. These recommendations are generally overlooked by most of the fad diets available today. Especially with diets that recommend foods that are high in fat and discourage carbs, following a diet with a disproportionate amount of fat levels may result in heart disease. The diet creators often advise that the diet is intended to be followed for a short amount of time. However, what do you do if you do not reach your goal weight in the recommended time? At this point, you can either continue following a plan that could harm your health, or quit and most likely put on all the weight that you previously lost.
4. Fad diets generally deny our bodies a variety of foods that we desperately need. The most often neglected food is fruits and vegetables. An appropriate amount of servings of daily fruits and vegetables does not fit into the plan of a fad diet.
5. Any plan with claims of quick weight loss are focused on temporary solutions. These plans do not help you to stick with changes to your everyday diet. Sustained weight loss and keeping off the weight require permanent changes and sticking with it after you reach your target weight. Cycles of losing weight and weight gain can be worse for your health, not to mention your self-image, than if you had remained overweight.
Avoid the temporary loss offered by the latest fad diet and opt for long term weight loss instead. The very best way to lose weight and to keep it off is to fill your diet with healthy and nutritious foods, avoid overeating, get regular exercise and stay away from fad diets.
The number one deciding factor for weight loss is your own motivation and determination. Are you ready to start making changes to reshape your body and shed the excess weight? If you are the type of person that is determined to finally lose the weight, then click here for more tips on how to turn your body into a fat burning furnace right now.
by Mark A. Doyle
