If you want to have some fun, search the internet for ‘diet fads’. You’ll get some very interesting and amusing results, like eating cotton balls soaked in OJ for breakfast, sleeping 24/7, and a diet soap that washes away those extra pounds.
If a weight loss diet plan works, it enjoys ongoing acceptance.
Just the term “diet fad” implies something that won’t be around for long and probably doesn’t work for healthy, sustained weight loss.
If that’s not enough for you, here are a few more reasons to avoid fad diets:
1. Too Much Calorie Reduction Doesn’t Work
Many fad diets are based on the idea that by reducing your calorie intake, you will reduce our weight.
It makes for a good theory, but calorie reduction can become a problem when calorie intake falls below the levels you need to maintain proper nutrition and a healthy weight.
Whether they are trying to lose weight or not, adult women need 2,000 calories a day and adult men need 2,500 for proper health. When calorie intake falls below those levels, your brain starts taking steps to correct the problem, including slowing down your metabolism. A slower metabolism means your body needs fewer calories, which means even a reduced-calorie diet might actually increase your weight.
2. Lowers Your Self-Esteem & Motivation
Fad diets create false expectations. They involve difficult to maintain regimens that are usually focused on rapid, short-term weight loss.
Dieters rarely get the results promised or expected. If they do, the results don’t last because the diet is too difficult to follow for an extended period.
Repeated failure destroys your confidence and motivation, which can make you stop trying to achieve your goal of healthier weight levels.
3. Reduces Physical Activity
Physical activity is an important part of any weight management program because it helps to burn away extra calories. Fad diets sap your energy because of reduced calories (a calorie is a measure of food energy) and nutrition. Less energy means less activity. Less activity means more calories stored as fat in your body.
4. Disturbs Healthy Eating Habits
Skipping or reducing what you eat during your regular meals and eliminating snacks might seem like a great way to reduce the calories you consume. But repeated clinical studies prove that eliminating meals and snacks only increases your hunger pangs and the likelihood that you will overcompensate later.
You need to maintain a regular meal plan that includes a balanced diet and healthy snacking, which reduces the hunger pangs that derail the most determined dieters.
If you’re not sure about any diet plan you’re interested in trying, talk to your local Herbal One nutrition specialist for an expert opinion that will help you make healthier choices, based on your specific needs and goals.