Fad diets are all the rage today. Flip through magazines, surf the web or turn on the TV and you will surely see numerous diets that all promise to help you lose several pounds in as little as a week or two. If you have been trying to lose weight for some time now, these fad diets can certainly be tempting. However, most of these fad diets are not worth trying. Here are some reasons why you should avoid fad diets.
1. Weight Gain
Fad diets usually claim that they can help you lose weight quickly and easily with minimal effort from your part. Even though this is what makes these diets tempting, this is also what makes them suspicious. Health experts will tell you time and again that the only way to effectively lose weight and keep it off is by making long-term changes to your lifestyle, such as adapting a healthier diet and regularly exercising. Needless to say, making these changes are not exactly easy nor quick. When you try a fad diet, you will likely lose pounds in a matter of days as promised since you will be eating a very restricted diet. Unfortunately, most of the weight you will lose is just water weight. Once you stop the diet and resume your normal lifestyle, chances are that you will gain the weight back - with a few additional pounds.
2. Altered Metabolism
Because most fad diets require you to eat a structured amount of food on a structured schedule, you can also end up disrupting your natural metabolism. Your body has a natural ability to tell you when to eat and when to stop eating. Going against this natural pattern can negatively impact your metabolism, and these negative effects can last long after the diet.
3. Nutritional Deficiencies
Fad diets also prohibit you from eating certain types of food. Perhaps your diet requires you to cut out carbohydrates or any type of fat from your daily foods. This can lead to a serious nutritional deficiency. Carbohydrates are a significant source of energy and depriving yourself of these nutrients can cause you to feel fatigued and unable to function normally. Contrary to popular belief, not all fats are bad for you. Good fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, are essential if you want to have good health.
4. Hair and Muscle Loss
The nutritional deficiencies that fad diets cause can also lead to health conditions like hair loss and muscle loss. Your hair requires a good deal of protein in order to grow and thrive. When you are not getting enough protein in your diet, your hair eventually loses its health. Poor hair health can lead to brittleness which can turn into breakage and shedding hair. Muscle loss is another negative effect of fad diets. Since your diet is very low in calories, your body will look for other ways to get energy. One of these ways is by digesting your muscles. This is actually detrimental to weight loss because muscles help you burn more calories even when you are at rest.
