1. Diets Cause Excess Weight Gain When You Quit
"Quick and easy weight loss." You've seen the claims and probably hoped they were true. However, the claim of quick and easy weight loss is usually the first sign of a scam or fad diet. Anyone who has lost weight successfully and kept it off knows that long term sustainable weight loss is neither quick nor easy. The problem with losing weight quickly is that it doesn't last. The weight comes back plus some more and then you're worse off than if you had not tried the diet in the first place.
2. Fad Diets can Alter Metabolism
What changes our metabolism isn't completely understood. The problem with fad diets that involve strict diet plans is that they tell you when and what and how much to eat. This goes against your body's natural ability to tell us when to eat and when to stop eating. When hunger and fullness cues are ignored because of a strict diet plan it can have detrimental effects on your metabolism that last longer than the actual diet does.
3. Nutrient Deficiencies
Many fad diets involve cutting out certain foods and sometimes cutting out an entire food group. Some severely limits carbohydrate, some limit fat and some diets have you only eating raw foods. The danger in being restrictive with the foods you eat is that it can result in nutritional deficiencies. This is why it's important to stay in touch with your physician or dietitian when following strict diets.
4. Unrealistic Claims
The worst thing about fad diets is the emotional consequences they have on those who fail when trying to follow them. Those who start the diet expect that they are going to lose weight quickly and be able to stick with it. Someone who has tried several different diets without success feels like a failure. Unfortunately dieters tend to blame themselves for the failure, rather than recognizing that the diets they were attempting were unrealistic and impossible to stick with in the long term. Before starting a diet, be sure to assess what you expect and whether that is a realistic expectation.
5. Look Past the Testimonials
Most fad diets rely on testimonials and word of mouth to convince people to try their program. A testimonial tells you one thing: the program worked for the person who is telling you about it. In order to know if it will work for all people, it requires a good study with several participants in order to determine if the diet is effective in the long term. Before deciding to start a diet, be sure to evaluate the program with a health care professional, not just someone who has tried the program.
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