Why Fad Diets Don't Work
A Healthier You
A quick weight loss program might sound like a good idea at the time, but you’ll soon discover that fad diets can be more dangerous to your health than beneficial to it.
Dehydration
The majority of the weight you drop when you lose weight too quickly tends to be water weight, which can lead to dehydration. Your body burns calories and excess weight in stages, and if you try to force your body to lose weight faster than it naturally wants to, you can cause serious health problems for yourself.
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Exhaustion
Fad diets involve depriving yourself of calories, however, calories are what translate into the energy your body needs to get through the day. If you fast or eat less than what your body requires in order to lose weight too quickly, you'll find yourself feeling fatigued for most of the day.
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Malnutrition
Crash diets and fasting are dangerous because they restrict you from consuming fats and carbohydrates, but they’re also unsafe since they prevent your body from getting the vitamins and minerals it needs. If you restrict your body from one food group you eat everyday (ie. carbohydrates) over a long period of time, your body will be deprived of its essential nutrients which are essential for healthy weight loss.
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"For all the promises that arrive with each new fad diet, experts continue to emphasize that BALANCE IS KEY."
Dr. Hershberg discusses fad diets
Tips on losing weight without a "fad diet'
Practice Portion Control
Food servings have grown larger and larger over the years. And fast-food restaurants aren't the only places you'll find supersized meals. Researchers have noted that from 1970 through the 1990s, portion sizes of everyday foods have increased, whether the foods were eaten at home or at restaurants.
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Eat a variety of foods
Make sure your diet includes protein, carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and "good" fats like fats from fish, avocados, nuts, and olives or olive oil. When you go on a fad diet and exclude necessary nutrients, you're putting yourself at risk for other health problems!
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Exercise
It is almost impossible to lose weight with out getting active, Studies have shown that people who have their heart rate up for at least 30 minutes a day can even boost your metabolism, which helps lose weight.
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"Fad diets don't help you keep off the weight in the long term. So what does work? The best diet is not a diet at all, but a way of life that includes food you enjoy, exercise, and healthy habits."
Bibliography
Davis, Kevin. "The Fad-Diet and Weight-Loss Obsession: Year In Review 2012." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 05 Jan. 2012. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.
"Lose Weight Without Fad Diets." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.