Tip #51: Just say "No" to Fad Diets

Anyone can lose a little weight, but can you keep it off and maintain a healthy lifestyle?  I realize this may hit a hot button for some, but it must be addressed.  Fad diets come and go, and the weight of people who do them, rises and falls, rises and falls, rises and falls...and rises.  The latest diet craze may help you get some weight off and even help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure...temporarily.  Are you surprised?  You shouldn't be.  Most fad diets are very low calorie plans that stringently reduce or eliminate all together an entire food group!  Any time a food group is eliminated, you're going to lose weight.  To use a word from my youth, well duh. The problem with the latest diet, is that it cannot be maintained for a lifetime, and therefore the weight WILL come back.  I understand that fad diets may be attractive due to the possibility of rapid weight loss (at first), however, the consequences must also be considered.

Fad diets should not be used because:
1. Very low calorie diets may actually conserve energy expenditure, making weight loss even more difficult later.
2. Elimination of certain foods or food groups puts you at risk for nutritional deficiencies.
3. There is no proof for long-term safety of fad diets.
4. You can't maintain them for life.  The weight will come back.

What to do instead?
1. Exercise 150+ minutes per week (this is the best predictor of long-term weight maintenance).  If you are discouraged at the thought of trying to get in that amount of exercise in a week, remember that something is always better than nothing (Tip #1: Get rid of your "All or Nothing" mentality)!
2. Eat a diet low in bad fats, and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of proteins.

Go beyond just eliminating "carbs" for a few weeks.  Weave the threads of activity and balanced eating into the fabric you call life.