What are fad diets?

“Fad diets” phrase refers to diets that promote a restircted eating plan which is not healthy at all because it lacks in sufficient calroies. There are also liquid fad diets such as cabbage soup diet and grape fruit diet.

Fad diets are diets that promise you to do miracles in a very short period of time. they promise to make you lose more than 3 pounds per week or even more. We all know that is not true ….come on!!!! but before denying these kinds of diet lets enjoy talking about their silliness. There are some diets that really make me laugh or they make me feel like I am stupid to believe their claims, if you want to laugh, here are some of the silliest fad diets:

• Eat whatever you want and keep losing weight (7 day all you can eat diet) the idea of believing this is really funny
• The (3 day diet) lose your extra weight by the 3 day diet, it’s a miracle isn’t it?

I am sorry if am not helping you lose weight but trust me, there is no combination of special food that will make you lose weight,some fad diets claim to contain special fat-burning, but losing weight has no magic key.. it is a fact, it doesn’t matter which hook the fad diet is using to let you believe them, it just doesn’t make sense to expect any miraculous weight loss that will last through following these kinds of diets.. all what you need is a healthy diet plan that will gaurantee your weight loss for the long-term not only for the short-term, you need an everyday plan to help you maintain your weight and keep the pounds you’ve lost off, you need a diet plan that provides you with the adequate amount of calories and nutrition that your body needs, it’s all about balance.. to lose weight you have to consume calories less than your body burns and you have to increase your activity level. That’s it.. it’s really simple.

But some people may ask : I tried a fad diet and it really worked BUT I GAINED WEIGHT AGAIN AFTER SKIPPING THE DIET.

A fad diet is most of the time a very low calorie diet… so any low calorie diet will make you lose weight but you will put on your lost pounds again as soon as you return back to you normal eating patterns, another thing about fad diets that it promotes fast weight loss which is considered to be unhealthy, and most of the time it is not fat loss it’s mostly water loss.. so that’s why the dieter will regain weight after resuming his normal eating. because it is water and it is easily lost and regained….. the result would be here that fad diets are short term plans.

Now listen to that, fad diets may lead to obesity, how is that?

Fad diets sometimes can lead to weight-cycling or yo-yo dieting which means weight loss followed by weight regain then weight loss and regain again new studies suggets that yo- yo dieting may lead to obesity.

You’ll know it’s a fad diet if it:

• Promises magic or miracle foods that burn fat.
• Requires you to eat unusual quantities of only one food or food type.
• Requires rigid menus of a limited selection of foods to be eaten at a specific time and day.
• Requires you to eat specific food combinations in certain sequences or combinations.
• Promises rapid weight loss of more than two pounds a week.
• Has no warning for those with diabetes or high blood pressure to seek medical advice before starting the diet.
• Does not include increased physical activity as part of the plan.

source: American Heart Association

At last we have a conclusion over here: Avoid fad dieting, instead follow a healthy diet plan based on the food guide pyramid which is the healthiest way to lose weight and keep it away, choose from all the groups the right serving size and you will have the adequate nutrition and calories your body needs.
Eating a balanced calorie-controlled diet is not only more appealing but also more likely to help you develop the sort of good eating habits that lead to permanent weight loss.

Myth: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss.

Fact: Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Fad diets often promise quick weight loss or tell you to cut certain foods out of your diet. You may lose weight at first on one of these diets. But diets that strictly limit calories or food choices are hard to follow. Most people quickly get tired of them and regain any lost weight.

Note: Fad diets may be unhealthy because they may not provide all of the nutrients your body needs. Also, losing weight at a very rapid rate (more than 3 pounds a week after the first couple of weeks) may increase your risk for developing gallstones (clusters of solid material in the gallbladder that can be painful). Diets that provide less than 800 calories per day also could result in heart rhythm abnormalities, which can be fatal.

Myth: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.

Fact: The long-term health effects of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet are unknown. But getting most of your daily calories from high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan. You may be eating too much fat and cholesterol, which may raise heart disease risk. You may be eating too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which may lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fiber. Following a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet may also make you feel nauseous, tired, and weak.

Note: Eating fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrate a day can lead to the buildup of ketones in your blood. Ketones are partially broken-down fats. A buildup of these in your blood (called ketosis) can cause your body to produce high levels of uric acid, which is a risk factor for gout (a painful swelling of the joints) and kidney stones. Ketosis may be especially risky for pregnant women and people with diabetes or kidney disease. Be sure to discuss any changes in your diet with a health care professional, especially if you have health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, or type 2 diabetes.

Myth: Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight.

Fact: Many foods high in starch, like bread, rice, pasta, cereals, beans, fruits, and some vegetables (like potatoes and yams) are low in fat and calories. They become high in fat and calories when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat toppings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Foods high in starch (also called complex carbohydrates) are an important source of energy for your body.

Fact: No foods can burn fat. Some foods with caffeine may speed up your metabolism (the way your body uses energy, or calories) for a short time, but they do not cause weight loss.

Myth: Natural or herbal weight-loss products are safe and effective.

Fact: A weight-loss product that claims to be “natural” or “herbal” is not necessarily safe. These products are not usually scientifically tested to prove that they are safe or that they work. For example, herbal products containing ephedra (now banned by the U.S. Government) have caused serious health problems and even death. Newer products that claim to be ephedra-free are not necessarily danger-free, because they may contain ingredients similar to ephedra.

Myth: Low-fat or fat-free means no calories.

Fact: A low-fat or fat-free food is often lower in calories than the same size portion of the full-fat product. But many processed low-fat or fat-free foods have just as many calories as the full-fat versions of the same foods—or even more calories. They may contain added sugar, flour, or starch thickeners to improve flavor and texture after fat is removed. These ingredients add calories.

Myth: Eating after 8 p.m. causes weight gain.

Fact: It does not matter what time of day you eat. It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat.

Myth: Lifting weights is not good to do if you want to lose weight, because it will make you “bulk up.”

Fact: Lifting weights or doing strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis can actually help you maintain or lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. So if you have more muscle, you burn more calories—even sitting still. Doing strengthening activities 2 or 3 days a week will not “bulk you up.” Only intense strength training, combined with a certain genetic background, can build very large muscles.

Myth: Nuts are fattening and you should not eat them if you want to lose weight.

Fact: In small amounts, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts are high in calories and fat. However, most nuts contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. Nuts are also good sources of protein, dietary fiber, and minerals including magnesium and copper.

Myth: Eating red meat is bad for your health and makes it harder to lose weight.

Fact: Eating lean meat in small amounts can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan. Red meat, pork, chicken, and fish contain some cholesterol and saturated fat (the least healthy kind of fat). They also contain healthy nutrients like protein, iron, and zinc.

Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.

Fact: Low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole-milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories. Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs. They offer protein to build muscles and help organs work properly, and calcium to strengthen bones. Most milk and some yogurt are fortified with vitamin D to help your body use calcium.

Myth: “Going vegetarian” means you are sure to lose weight and be healthier.

Fact: Research shows that people who follow a vegetarian eating plan, on average, eat fewer calories and less fat than nonvegetarians. They also tend to have lower body weights relative to their heights than nonvegetarians. Choosing a vegetarian eating plan with a low fat content may be helpful for weight loss. But vegetarians—like nonvegetarians—can make food choices that contribute to weight gain, like eating large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods or foods with little or no nutritional value.

source: WIN

Myth: Teenagers are not affected by stress
False. Teenagers can be just as affected as adults. Types of stress such as disturbed home situations, pressure at school and intense efforts made in order to be top of the class, often lead to excessive comfort eating, particularly of high fat foods. One solution is to do some physical activity to help with the stress.

Myth: Girls need more iron than boys
False. When girls start menstruating, dietary iron needs increase because iron is lost in their menstrual blood. But boys need more iron too. Around the same age, boys need more iron because of their rapid growth and increase in blood volume. However, by around the age of 19, when growth slows, a female’s iron needs is almost double that of males.

Myth: Following diets on a regular basis considerably increases the risk of craving – an uncontrollable desire to eat certain foods
True. Diets encourage a cycle of under-eating, feeling hungry, bingeing and then feeling guilty about ‘breaking the diet’. This in turn leads to overeating once the diet is ‘broken’.

Myth: One sign of extreme disordered eating in girls is when their periods stop
True. Girls who are extreme dieters lose all their reserves of fat, which nearly always causes them to stop menstruating. Keen sportswomen who also have very little body fat often experience the same problem. There are other reasons why periods may stop. If in doubt, ask your doctor.

Myth: Teenagers grow fast and they require a calcium intake of 1,000 to 1,200mg a day
True. Calcium is necessary for building strong bones and ensuring good health in the long term. It is therefore essential that teenagers include at least 3 servings of dairy foods a day in order to have an adequate calcium intake.

Myth: You needn’t eat a lot to put on weight
True. It is possible to put on weight without eating large amounts of food! If you do not exercise regularly, your energy requirement is likely to be small, and it is easy to take in more energy than you expend, even with a small amount of food. This is known as positive energy balance. When you are in positive energy balance there will be a tendency for you to put on weight. The best thing to do, therefore, is to be physically active and stay physically active for as long as you can throughout your life. You should also take a balanced approach to eating and include a wide variety of nutritious foods such as fruit, vegetables, low fat dairy products, lean meat, skinless poultry, fish, legumes, breads and cereals. Limit high fat foods.

Myth: Around 20% of children and adolescents are overweight
True. The number of obese children in Australia has increased since the 1980s, mainly due to a combination of a lack of physical activity and a high fat / energy dense diet.

Myth: Your diet can be a major cause of spots and pimples
False. Hormones, not food, are largely responsible for acne.

Myth: Some processed meats contain less than 10% fat by weight
True. Meats such as pastrami, lean roast beef, lean ham, turkey and chicken breast are lower in fat than many other types of processed or deli meats.

Myth: A lack of variety in your diet is one of the causes of obesity
True. Eating a little of everything is the secret to good nutrition. If you limit yourself to eating only certain types of food, your body is unable to benefit from all the nutrients it needs. For example, you can eat hamburgers… but not ONLY hamburgers.

source: Nestle’ Nutrition.