Fad Diets: DON'T Work We BOTH Know that!
The health, fitness, DIET (yuk) industry is a multi million pound one
Right now, more and more people are becoming obese through inactivity and poor nutritional choices.
This is normally due to many not having the correct knowledge or awareness for want of a better word.
Let's not forget there is a lot of misinformation manipulation and clever food marketing
>> Due to the fact it is multi million £ industry <<
So, it's not all our fault, but lets not kid ourselves people can also be lazy, disconnected, and entitled, and tend to seek out 'quick fix' miracle pills, juice's, lotions and potions; which we all know is unsustainable and unhealthy!
What is a fad diet?
A fad diet is a diet that promises quick weight loss through what is usually an unhealthy and unbalanced diet.
Fad diets are targeted at people who want to lose weight quickly WITHOUT exercise.
Some fad diets claim that they make you lose fat, but it’s really water weight you’re losing.
Fad diets that are restricted to certain foods may work, but most are boring or unappealing. This can make them difficult to follow on a long-term basis. And some fad diets can actually be harmful to your health.
Usually its geared around people wanting a quick fix however these kind of diets are UNSUSTAINABLE and as soon as you stop and return to your old habits all the weight will return!
I have seen, and still do on a regular basis through social media, that people are still buying into these magic lotions, potions and pills as well as Juicing, Herbalife, slim fast (to name a few) cons, sorry diets.
Basically these are mainly about sales and becomes a pyramid sales system for 'Trainers', who in my opinion should know better what with working in the 'Health Industry', and 'Agents/Sales reps, as that is what they are, and you will also find a lot of these 'agents' have no nutritional qualifications whatsoever!
Many years ago when I first set up my business I had a a period of working within a corporate club, don't get me started on the co-corporate sales machine and the stories I could tell. Well after a short period of time I received an email from a part-time gym employee which was basically trying to entice me to sell a 'diet product' (herb and life) to my clients in a way to make extra £s for my business.
Later on, I also had another guy approach me about a similar product, and again when I attempted to explain that all my clients follow sustainable healthy balanced nutrition alongside regular exercise and that I have no intention of (selling out) contradicting myself for the sake of some extra income only then to be told 'but yes if you sell this amount you will then be on the BMW package'.
Luckily I have never been a material person and the lure of a BMW really doesn't do it for me ('',)
The 'Fad diet industry' and making that choice between comfortable lies or uncomfortable truths
Which category do you fall into?
Unfortunately, I'm here to tell you that if its 'too good to be true, then it usually is
Confused or unsure, feel free to grab my free no strings weight/fat loss 5-pillar personal blueprint:
Above - Apart from the lower stress bit, lower stress means lowering results. This is why all the guys using the online warrior wellness system work on INCREASING their capacity to deal with stress. Stressed = emotional eating?
I devised the wake up warrior 5-pillar system, from over 20 years experience within this industry alongside research, study, investment and yep failure, incorporates that ideal balance for optimum health, wellness, and ultimately happiness..
Therefore, our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing is the number 1 priority!
Which is just one reason why we will NOT incorporate ANY form of fad diets or unsustainable nutritional plans
As this can only lead to more psychological issues with weight management.
Any form of 'yo-yo' dieting isn't good for the long term!
Listen, diets DON'T work we BOTH know that. As discussed in
Boring restrictive diets that make you miserable, low calories that leave you lacking energy..
All these types of things are 'temporary' because you will NEVER stick to them and usually once completed, people then tend to put all the weight back on and some..
Thing is, we're all born with a genetic set of fat cells which is why even liposuction (surgery should ALWAYS be the LAST resort) is temporary. Unless you continue or start to incorporate some daily activity, movement, and exercise all that fat will return. Oh and it doesn't have to be boring restrictive painful exercise either..
> Back to belief systems hold us back and why we should question them daily <
We've also all seen, The 'Little Black Dress Diet' The 'Bikini Diet' (I actually dislike the word diet) and those kind of quick fix marketing ploys, along with these juice and detox diets. MYTH BUST - There is NO such thing as a detox diet, why?
Our bodies naturally detoxify
So all that's actually happening you are just consciously choosing not to fill your body with shite which in-turn gives you system, (liver/kidneys etc) a rest, yet these are still marketed and promoted all over the world with the 'detox retreats'
“Let’s be clear,” says Edzard Ernst, emeritus professor of complementary medicine at Exeter University, “there are two types of detox: one is respectable and the other isn’t.” The respectable one, he says, is the medical treatment of people with life-threatening drug addictions. “The other is the word being hijacked by entrepreneurs, quacks and charlatans to sell a bogus treatment that allegedly detoxifies your body of toxins you’re supposed to have accumulated.”
If toxins did build up in a way your body couldn’t excrete, he says, you’d likely be dead or in need of serious medical intervention. “The healthy body has kidneys, a liver, skin, even lungs that are detoxifying as we speak,” he says. “There is no known way – certainly not through detox treatments – to make something that works perfectly well in a healthy body work better.”
Taken from a research article (sources listed at the bottom of all my content)
Much of the sales patter around these fads, revolves around “toxins”: poisonous substances that you ingest or inhale.
But it’s not clear exactly what these toxins are. If they were named they could be measured before and after treatment to test effectiveness. Yet, much like floaters in your eye, try to focus on these toxins and they scamper from view.
In 2009, a network of scientists assembled by the UK charity Sense about Science contacted the manufacturers of 15 products sold in pharmacies and supermarkets that claimed to detoxify. The products ranged from dietary supplements to smoothies and shampoos. When the scientists asked for evidence behind the claims, not one of the manufacturers could define what they meant by detoxification, let alone name the toxins.
Yet, inexplicably, the shelves of health food stores are still packed with products bearing the word “detox” – it’s the marketing equivalent of drawing go-faster stripes on your car. You can buy detoxifying tablets, tinctures, tea bags, face masks, bath salts, hair brushes, shampoos, body gels and even hair straighteners. Yoga, luxury retreats, and massages will also all erroneously promise to detoxify.
You can go on a seven-day detox diet and you’ll probably lose weight, but that’s nothing to do with toxins, it’s because you would have starved yourself for a week.
Also, let’s not forget about celebrities like Beyonce and Salma Hayek who endorse these very diets, because you know, people will do believe anything Beyonce says or does, to entice you..
Celeb fitness DVD's where the 'celeb' follows 500 cals per day to film AND SELL the DVD with unsustainable results
Yep, even Joe Wicks is now at it the manipulation too, for another post...
What you will tend to find also is that these fad's, and that's what they are ANYTHING that isn't sustainable is a fad, end of, are rather expensive!
However the safest, healthiest, and most efficient sustainable way would be to find BALANCE, that for me is the key word.
The correct balance for you...
Someone once asked what's the best diet in the world?
Well, that will be the one you can follow!
I also have experience of having seen my own Mother attempt the 'Slim Fast' option when I was growing up and remember teasing her when I was eating my dinner whilst she sat and drank a 'shake' and did it ever work, long-term?
No but hey slim fast made a lot of money out of this belief and its a similar deal with these 'slimming clubs' again its a business and I have heard of SOME (not all) that suggest you don't exercise, probably due to the fact that your starving yourself of calories and then do not have the energy to exercise or even feel good about yourself ?
As long as you come back next week and pay your subs (usually to someone who has NO nutrition qualification!)
Above - Wow that slim fast worked FAST
Now I'm waiting for the 'but yes I have seen many success stories' and I don't doubt that there are (short term) however again is it sustainable and is it healthy?
I can also draw on my own experience, for a short time only, of being an overweight child and I understand the psychological aspect that comes with that and even after the short period, of unhappiness looking back now, that once a fat kid always a fat kid and that stays with you even though I then addressed some of the issues (that kept me in that cycle) and went on to represent schools and clubs in sports and football for the following few years
This experience also helps me help others daily - So I get it I really do
One issue will be your starting point, if you have a lot of weight to lose it can be tempting to opt for these quick fix fads, even though they can be detrimental to your health, as most people expect overnight results..
Why people quit on any goal
Most OVERESTIMATE what they can achieve in the short term BUT underestimate what they can achieve in the long term
So, if you want to create NEW results (in ALL areas) you have to take on NEW behaviours
but before you can take on NEW behaviour's? You MUST take on NEW 'beliefs'
a new way of THINKING, but before you can change your behaviour
This requires a change your MINDSET - Back to our beliefs and why they can hold us back
It's EASY to believe a quick fix will make you happy but long-term the REALITY is you just keep repeating that cycle
This involves an element of change just mentioned and as ALWAYS people won't do this until...
>> The pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change <<
Hence, why this punishing (physically mentally and emotionally ) cycle continues?
To determine if a diet is a fad diet, ask yourself these questions:
(Source - UPMC - Life changing medicine)
Does the diet promise quick weight loss?
Does the diet sound too good to be true?
Does the diet help sell a company’s product?
Does the diet lack valid scientific research to support its claims?
Does the diet give lists of “good” and “bad” foods?
If you can answer “yes” to any or all of these questions, the diet is probably a fad diet.
Just a few examples of Fad Diets
High-protein diets
These diets propose that you eat large quantities of protein (meat, eggs, etc.) to lose weight and build muscle. Regular physical activity and weight training build muscle strength, not eating large quantities of protein.
This type of diet can actually be dangerous. If you exceed the amount of protein your body needs daily, you put a strain on your liver and kidneys. The early weight lost with this diet is usually due to water loss, not fat loss.
Diets that focus on protein-rich foods may be missing specific nutrients and adding fat and calories to your diet.
Liquid diets
Liquid diets cut out substances that may be beneficial to the body.
For example, phytochemicals (FY-toe-KEM-uh-kals) are plant substances (found in vegetables and fruits) believed to protect against disease. In addition, the effects of a liquid diet may be only temporary. Once you return to eating regular foods, you usually put the pounds right back on.
Juice or broth fasts
Some dieters try to lose weight by drinking only juice and/or broth for a period of time.
Fasting (not eating solid food) for a long period of time can lead to dizziness and fatigue. In addition, your body reacts to starvation by lowering your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns
calories). This means your body is burning fewer calories.
Food-combining diets
Some diets propose that a certain combination of foods will help burn calories faster. There is no scientific evidence to prove that the body processes certain combinations of foods any differently than random ones.
Some of these types of diets are low in protein and vital nutrients, and others may cause diarrhea.
Potential problems with fad diets
Poor long-term weight control
Most fad diets promote a “quick fix” and don’t teach healthy eating plans. They tend to be restrictive, boring, and difficult to follow over the long term. Once the weight is lost, a dieter often returns to old eating patterns and habits, causing him or her to regain weight.
Increased risk of chronic disease, like heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis
Many fad diets restrict or eliminate fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains. These foods are loaded with nutrients that are thought to help prevent many chronic conditions.
In addition, diets that are too high in protein may cause an increase in calcium loss, leading to osteoporosis.
Reduced athletic performance
Diets that significantly restrict carbohydrates increase symptoms of fatigue and decrease body energy supplies and endurance. In addition, low carbohydrate diets cause a loss of fluid and electrolytes.
Your body needs carbohydrates for energy. Carbohydrate stores are tied to fluid in your body. When you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, your body pulls from your stores, also pulling fluid and electrolytes in the process. Your body then gets rid of fluids and electrolytes. This can cause low blood pressure and decreased performance.
Kidney stones and gout
Diets that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates often lead to the formation of uric acid and calcium oxalate, causing kidney stone formation and gout.
Ketosis
A diet that is low in carbohydrates puts your body into ketosis, a condition that is unnatural.
Ketosis most often occurs in starvation, but it can also occur if you don’t eat enough carbohydrates. Without adequate carbohydrates for an energy supply, fat becomes the primary energy source and ketones become the means of transportation. You may notice “keto breath” or a funny smell to your breath.
Always talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before beginning any diet or changed meal plan.
Remember that fad diets have a low chance of success and may have harmful side effects.
Above - One of our online wake up warriors Nicola demonstrating the art of safe healthy sustainable weight management
Nicola demonstrating what can be achieved and maintained with regular exercise and a healthy balanced diet!
Thing is, you don't have to ruin yourself with endless exercise or hours in the gym
You don't have to be super restrictive or starve yourself, beliefs again, just need to build a better relationship, through better behaviour/habits, with daily activity/movement as well as being aware AND responsible for what we consume!
Back to what we do with the online 5-pillar BALANCED system
Think of fitness as health, as there is no fitness without our health. This can be tough but it's also fair!
You get exactly what you put into it. The results of years of a sedentary lifestyle (back to the CURRENT starting point) can not be undone in two weeks. Not even 4 weeks, not even with some 'miracle' product.
Give regular exercise at ongoing balanced nutrition at least 3 months and get used to the fact that this is your new LIFESTYLE and once you stop you'll go back to where you started. It's a work that's never done, but it's so worth it!
Anton 'it's a lifestyle' Hedges
PS - You can grab my free 5-pillar wellness blueprint, that includes meal plan examples, and learn how all these ordinary guys/girls are taking back control of their weight and overall wellbeing here: https://anybodyspt.lpages.co/wake-up-warrior-free-guide/
Sources: Me, The Guardian - lifeandstyle, Paul Mort, Physiodoctor
