Do Fad Diets Really Work?

Every time you open a magazine or turn on the television, someone is raving about a new diet that will solve all of your weight loss problems. All you have to do is eat cabbage soup for every meal or cut bread out of your life forever. The next diet cuts out meat or all fat. Or if you’re lucky you can drink a shake twice a day instead of actually eating.

Everyone knows of someone, or even their selves, who lost 25 pounds on one of these amazing diets. Well of course they did. If I only ate a piece of cake at every meal I’d lose weight too. Would I be healthy? No. Would I enjoy my meals? No.

Call me crazy, but I actually like eating. I like meat, bread, and even fat. And I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one. Amazingly enough all of these restricted foods are healthy and essential. A healthy balanced diet does not restrict food, but uses it in the right portions. Moderation is the key to a healthy weight.

Extreme diets may work for the short term, but they will never work long term. Eventually you’ll get fed up with eating the same thing or you’ll have no energy from eating very little. Soon you’ll give up. And since you still haven’t learned any healthy eating habits, you’ll go back to the way you ate before. The weight you lost will slowly creep back on. Does that sound like a good plan to you?

Then there are the diets that restrict your carbohydrates or fats. A lot of times these diets work really well. Some people can even stick to them for a very long time. But your body will be deprived of the nutrients it needs.

Your body needs carbohydrates for energy. Now I’m not saying load up on bowls of pasta and mashed potatoes. You should eat healthy carbs like whole grain bread and cereal, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta. Choosing healthy carbs will allow you to lose weight and get the nutrients you need.

Cutting the fat out of your diet is also not a good idea. Your body needs fat to properly absorb and distribute vitamins. Your body will actually crave food until you supply it with the proper amount of fat. That’s why on very low fat diets you can be hungry all of the time. As with carbohydrates, you just need to choose the right fats. Olive oil, nuts and seeds, and avocados are all good fats. Use small amounts in your diet to stay healthy and fuller longer.

The best diet is one that requires a lifestyle change. It's one that you can actually stick to in the long run. You need a balanced diet of whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. Add small amounts of good fat to round out a healthy diet. Losing weight isn’t about removing food groups from your diet. It’s about calories in versus calories out. Find out how many calories you need per day. If you eat 250 calories less than that number and burn off 250 calories from exercise daily, you’ll lose a pound a week. And you’ll be able to keep it off.

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