In their bid to win the weight loss war, a lot of people have repeatedly tried different types of dieting plans making a lot of claims of how dieters are going to quickly lose weight, get their dream bodies and feel the best way ever about themselves. Unfortunately, most people who have tried these diets which are often referred to as "fad diets" have more often than not been short-changed in their weight loss efforts.
Majority of fad diets are simply not effective in assisting dieters achieve long-term healthy weight loss and usually end up making people to be constantly looking for more and newer programs that can help them lose weight.
And even when some manage to use these fad diets to lose weight (which is usually about 75% water loss and 25% body fat loss), they are usually left with an unbearable feeling of hunger, deprivation and uncontrollable food cravings. Obviously, trying to use you willpower to stick to such a dieting plan will never work long-term.
Then, there is the always the issue of almost all users of fad diets adding back the pounds - with a few more - when they stop using the program and returning back to their old ways of eating. The subsequent search for a "supposedly" new and better dieting program may soon turn into a vicious circle. This is also why fad diets are also called "yo-yo" diets.
To most experts, there is about a 99.9% failure rate of using a low-calorie or fad diet in an attempt to achieve healthy long-term weight loss. This high failure rate can be easily attributed to the fact that majority of fad diets focus on macro-nutrient manipulations combined with low-calorie intakes to achieve their weight loss effects and this practice is something that cannot sustained by an individual for long.
On the other hand, while some fad diets may simply be considered as being "senseless", others are however considered to be dangerous. Considering these facts and others about fad diets, how then can one actually recognize a fad diet in order to avoid using them?
How to Recognize a Fad Diet
The American Heart Association in order to help promote consumer awareness and safeguard the public against unhealthy fad diets has provided some useful tips. Consumers are therefore advised to note the following in order to ascertain if a diet is a fad diet or not.
The American Heart Association in order to help promote consumer awareness and safeguard the public against unhealthy fad diets has provided some useful tips. Consumers are therefore advised to note the following in order to ascertain if a diet is a fad diet or not.
1. Contains a Miracle or Proprietary Ingredient
Is the diet plan trying to promote a "magic" or "miracle" food or some other self-acclaimed proprietary ingredient? When it comes to healthy and successful weight loss, there is no such thing as a "super food" or "magic ingredient" that has the ability to reverse the long-term effects of unhealthy eating and lack of regular physical activity.
Is the diet plan trying to promote a "magic" or "miracle" food or some other self-acclaimed proprietary ingredient? When it comes to healthy and successful weight loss, there is no such thing as a "super food" or "magic ingredient" that has the ability to reverse the long-term effects of unhealthy eating and lack of regular physical activity.
2. Claims of Rapid Weight Loss
Is the diet program making claims of being able to "quickly" help you get rid of excess body fat - for instance "lose 10 pounds this weekend"? Such claims by a dieting plan should put you on your guard as it is most likely to be a fad diet. While this may sound very appealing, it is however important to understand that about 75% of the weight loss experienced by using such a dieting plan is mostly from body water loss and just about 25% body fat loss.
Is the diet program making claims of being able to "quickly" help you get rid of excess body fat - for instance "lose 10 pounds this weekend"? Such claims by a dieting plan should put you on your guard as it is most likely to be a fad diet. While this may sound very appealing, it is however important to understand that about 75% of the weight loss experienced by using such a dieting plan is mostly from body water loss and just about 25% body fat loss.
A sound weight loss plan usually focuses on help dieters lose about 1-2 pounds per week as several researches have shown that gradual weight loss significantly increases the chances of not only succeeding and achieving a healthy weight loss but also keeping it off permanently.
3. No Focus on Exercise
Any diet plan that promises successful long-term weight loss without the incorporation of regular physical exercise is nothing more than a fad diet. A lot of studies have consistently showed that the best way to achieve long-term weight loss success is to engage in and increase one's level of physical activities.
Any diet plan that promises successful long-term weight loss without the incorporation of regular physical exercise is nothing more than a fad diet. A lot of studies have consistently showed that the best way to achieve long-term weight loss success is to engage in and increase one's level of physical activities.
4. Elimination or Unusual Consumption of Certain Food Groups
Also, a lot of fad diets promote the elimination or drastic reduction of one or more of the recommended food groups. For instance, while some try to avoid dairy foods, others eliminate carbohydrates amongst others. Apart from being considered generally unhealthy, these practices also have the tendency of making a dieter cheat, engage in binge eating or quitting the diet program altogether.
Also, a lot of fad diets promote the elimination or drastic reduction of one or more of the recommended food groups. For instance, while some try to avoid dairy foods, others eliminate carbohydrates amongst others. Apart from being considered generally unhealthy, these practices also have the tendency of making a dieter cheat, engage in binge eating or quitting the diet program altogether.
5. Rigid Menu or Schedule of Eating
A diet dieting program that comes with a rigid schedule of eating or that places too much emphasis on a rigid menu can be simply regarded as a fad diet. Putting a limit on one's food choices and making sure to stick to a specific eating schedule only serves to put more pressure on the dieter making the whole weight loss process all the more difficult to contend with. A good diet program is therefore one that can be easily incorporated into one's lifestyle for an entire lifetime and not just for a couple of weeks or months.
A diet dieting program that comes with a rigid schedule of eating or that places too much emphasis on a rigid menu can be simply regarded as a fad diet. Putting a limit on one's food choices and making sure to stick to a specific eating schedule only serves to put more pressure on the dieter making the whole weight loss process all the more difficult to contend with. A good diet program is therefore one that can be easily incorporated into one's lifestyle for an entire lifetime and not just for a couple of weeks or months.
There is therefore little or no sense in making use of a fad diet since they are generally nutritionally inadequate, not sustainable, and have no long-term healthy weight loss benefits.
Conclusively, it can said that using a fad diet only serves to make losing weight all the more difficult as it results in feelings of failure, frustration, and loss of self-confidence. The optimal weight loss diet is therefore one that helps dieters reduce overall caloric intake while also promoting increased physical activities.
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