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Healthy Lifestyle vs. Fad Diets
Fad diets are easy to spot.
Weight-loss advice, diet programs, and weight loss programs can be found everywhere. Most often the “new” and “revolutionary” diets are really old fad diets making an encore appearance. Examples of fad diets include those that
- tout or ban a specific food or food group,
- suggest that food can change body chemistry, or
- blame specific hormones for weight problems.
Fad diets do not teach you healthy eating habits or healthy living, they teach you to eat or not eat specific foods. Food-specific diets rely on the myth that some foods have special properties that can cause weight loss or gain. No one food can make you loose or gain weight. You will be teaching yourself to eat certain foods, not to lose weight.
The popular protein diets or low-carbohydrate diets are based on the idea that carbohydrates are bad, that many people are “allergic” to them or are insulin-resistant, and therefore gain weight when they eat them. The truth is that people are eating more total calories and getting less physical activity, and that is the real reason they are gaining weight. These high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets tend to be low in calcium and fiber, as well as healthy phytochemicals (plant chemicals). Some authors of these fad diets advise taking vitamin-mineral supplements to replace lost nutrients. However, supplements should “bridge the gap” in healthy eating and not be used as a replacement for nutrient-rich foods.
Also, the authors of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets advocate taking advantage of ketosis to accelerate weight loss. Ketosis is an abnormal body process that occurs during starvation due to lack of carbohydrate. Ketosis can cause fatigue, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Potential long-term side effects of ketosis include heart disease, bone loss, and kidney damage.
Healthy lifestyle tips for losing weight and keeping it off
Successful weight loss (losing weight and keeping it off for at least five years) is accomplished by making positive changes to both eating habits and physical activity patterns.
Red Flags That Signal Bad Nutrition Advice
- Recommendations that promise a quick fix
- Dire warnings of dangers from a single product or regimen
- Claims that sound too good to be true
- Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study
- Recommendations based on a single study
- Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations
- Lists of “good” and “bad” foods
- Recommendations made to help sell a product
- Recommendations based on studies published without peer review
- Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups
Start Exercising
To establish a habit of regular physical activity, make simple, small changes. Try getting 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Try a variety of different activities to ward off boredom.
- Instead of meeting a friend for lunch, meet for a walk.
- Wash your car by hand instead of using the car wash.
- Use manual gardening tools to mow, trim, and rake.
Eat a wide variety of foods
Variety is the spice of life. Eating a variety of foods helps provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals, all of which may help reduce chronic disease risk. You don’t need to give up favorite foods when trying to maintain or lose weight, you just need to learn to eat healthy.
Eat smaller portions
An important part of healthful eating is monitoring portion sizes. This can be especially challenging when eating in restaurants. When eating out, divide the meal and take half home for the next day, split a meal with a friend, or order an appetizer as your main course.
"3 Habits to Lose Weight: Nutrition, Exercise, Lifestyle"
Information presented on Lose Body Weight website is considered public information. This website is for informational and educational purposes only. The information provided is not intended as a substitute for the care of a doctor or medical professional. If you suspect that you have a health problem, we urge you to contact your physician or local hospital for care. Weight Loss ideas are not proven.