Fad Diets

Picture this: you just completed a long work day and decided you deserved some relaxation time to mindlessly scroll your instagram feed. You open the app and see you have a message. It reads “Hey! This is (insert random person you haven’t seen since high school) and I thought you would want to hear about these awesome products I use everyday that have helped me lose 60 lbs in 4 months!! *you’re intrigued as you have been thinking about losing weight* If you want to kick start your weight loss journey, message me back and I will be with you every step of the way!” 

You respond, because why not? You have been dreaming of a quick, easy fix to lose weight. “Tell me more!!” You type back. Random person from high school responds: “it’s simple! You drink juice for every meal and you can only snack on fruits and vegetables! No grains, dairy products or sugars. Are you in?!” You think to yourself “How is that sustainable? Is this what it takes to lose weight?”

The good news is your conscience is correct. What you are being preached here is what Registered Dietitians call a fad diet. It is a diet that is largely followed and promoted by media platforms but is not sustainable. Yes, most of the time it results in weight loss but the weight you worked so hard to take off will only come back once you start eating “normally” again. 

Any diet that discourages eating certain foods should be a red flag. In fact, anything called a “diet” you should be skeptical about! Diets are used for medical conditions. For example, the heart healthy diet is used for individuals with heart disease and the ketogenic diet is used for individuals with epilepsy. That is because there is strong scientific evidence that suggests these diets help minimize progression of the disease, not because someone on instagram said so. 

In order to lose weight, a sustainable lifestyle should be followed. This sustainable lifestyle includes all food groups such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy, etc. It will teach you proper portions, how to stay active and how to know when you are satisfied. Your needs will determine your limits, not some guidelines. 

If you would like to learn more about living a sustainable lifestyle for weight loss or just a healthier life, reach out for 1:1 counseling with one of our Registered Dietitians.