It seems as though a new fad diet plan is introduced almost daily. Diet books, pills and products all promise to help you lose weight quickly and easily. Often a diet plan is centered around the amount of food you eat, rather than the quality. When one diet plan endorses fasting for days on end and another encourages you to eat often throughout the day, it can be confusing when choosing the right course. Understand the core differences between two such diet plans to choose the healthiest option for lasting weight loss.
Plans
Choosing a diet plan can be complicated, especially when faced with the conflicting advice of various so-called experts. Fasting diets are often done for a short period of time -- for 10 days or less. When using a fasting diet, it's common to be allowed to drink or eat one type of food for the duration of the fast, which provides your body with some calories, but not all that it needs to function. Other diets plans require you to eat small, healthy snacks every two or three hours in an effort to speed your metabolism to burn calories rather than store them.
Longevity
A fasting diet is not meant for long-term weight loss. Most fasts don't last longer than 10 days since they are virtually impossible to maintain. When fasting, your body is essentially starving. You should never consume less than 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, and fasting diets often restrict your diet to mere hundreds of calories. A diet which causes you to eat more is much more sensible in its approach because it provides your body with the daily caloric intake it needs to function properly.
Results
You may see quick results on a fasting diet. Depriving your body of necessary calories for several days causes your body to harvest the fat stored in your body for energy. But since a fasting diet is a short-term fix, you're likely to gain that weight back once you begin eating normally again. What's more, your metabolism may have slowed, causing even more weight gain. When selecting a diet where eating often is required, you won't see results unless the foods you choose are low in calories but high in nutritive value. You certainly won't see results eating cookies and chips every few hours. Instead, the meals must be small and healthy to make a difference.
Alternatives
Choosing between quantitative options when it comes to diet shouldn't be your main concern. Instead, the quality of food should count for much of your diet choices, with the amount coming in a close second. Rather than relying on fad diets that have you drastically cutting calories, focus on eating healthier foods. Swap a doughnut for an apple or select a leaner cut of meat for dinner. Healthy, sensible eating plans are not only those that are the easiest and most natural to follow, they also have the longest-lasting results.
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