4 Reasons Why Fad Diets Don’t Work
Each year brings with it one or more fabulous fad diets that are supposed to be the answer to all your weight loss concerns, but do they work? The truth is, if that’s what you are asking, it’s the wrong question.
Successful weight loss isn’t just about dropping those extra pounds. It’s about maintaining weight loss long-term. Do fad diets put you on that path to weight management success after age 50?
What is a Fad Diet?
The Cleveland Clinic describes fad diets as plans that promote fast weight loss but don’t consider how the lack of key nutrients affects your body. Often these diets revolve around eliminating macronutrients that the body needs to maintain good health.
They may promote eclectic foods, such as apple cider vinegar or cabbage, claiming they are the key to effective weight loss. They may recommend that you change your eating habits to eat too much of one type of food and not enough other nutrients.
What they don’t do is focus on healthy lifestyle modification as a way to lose weight. They don’t emphasize healthy choices that benefit your body.
How to Spot a Fad Diet
Fad diets tend to follow the same pattern:
Promises a quick fix
Sounds too good to be true
It doesn’t back up the claim with scientific studies or provides one or two questionable studies.
Offer testimonials from people who claim to lose an unusual amount of weight.
If you see these patterns in any diet you think looks promising, it is probably a fad diet. Consider four reasons fad diets are not the answer to healthy weight management at any age.
Reason #1: Fad Diets Set You Up for Failure
Fad diets typically tell you not to do something. But, for people over the age of 50, it’s probably something they’ve enjoyed doing throughout their lives. Strict diets leaving you wanting something, and you’ll eventually give into that want.
So instead of putting yourself on that path, change the way you look at things. For example, if you tell yourself, “I can’t eat sugar because I’m trying to lose weight,” you set yourself up for feelings of being deprived with a promise of returning to normalcy soon, which will lead to weight gain.
Instead, make a life choice by saying, “I don’t eat refined sugar.” That puts you on a different path – one that has a better chance of success. You are not giving up sugar temporarily to lose weight; you choose not to eat it to improve your health.
Reason #2: Fad Diets are Impractical
Sustainability is a word you hear a lot these days, and it certainly applies to diet trends. Many fad diets require you to follow a strict and inflexible program that deprives your body of important macronutrients. That lifestyle is not sustainable for most people, and as soon as you cheat, you will likely gain that weight back.
Food is about supplying your body with the nutrients it needs to thrive. Unfortunately, many fads diet purposely eliminate those nutrients, leaving you feeling tired, prone to illness, and unable to concentrate.
Reason #3: Fad Diets Make Dieters More Susceptible to Weight Gain
Your body is always going to err on the side of caution when it comes to your survival. If you follow a fad diet that deprives you of critical nutrients and necessary calories, your body will respond in three ways:
One, it will slow down your metabolism. That means the weight loss stops, and you have to work harder for each pound.
Two, it changes hormone levels. The hormone leptin tells you when you’ve eaten enough and should feel satisfied. The levels of leptin tend to decrease with fad diets. At the same time, the levels of ghrelin increase to make you want to eat. Ghrelin is what makes you hungry.
Three, it makes you more focused on food. Unfortunately, it’s an obsession that can lead to binging or eating the wrong foods like candy and chips.
A fad diet might actually lead to slower weight loss and fast weight gain when you give up because it’s not working.
Reason #4: Fad Diets Set Unreasonable Expectations
There is a healthy weight for everyone, but it is not always what you expect. Many factors influence a person’s ideal weight, such as:
Family – Inherited traits can affect weight
Environment – Some people have access to more healthy food, like fresh fruits and vegetables than others
Metabolism – Body weight is dependent on energy burned. Yo-Yo and fad dieting can slow the metabolism down.
Hormones – The hypothalamus triggers the release of key hormones like leptin. It adjusts those levels based on signals. If things are out of balance, like what you can experience with rapid weight loss plans, hormones may not work effectively.
Add to that body shape and other genetic factors, and weight management because more complicated than just avoiding excess calories. When you see before and after pictures or hear celebrities talk about a fad diet, it can give you unreasonable expectations. Their experience will probably be different from yours.
What is the Best Way to Lose Weight?
Instead of looking for the latest fad, consider making a lifetime commitment to balanced and healthy nutrition. Eating right can help you feel better, which should be the point. A balanced diet is how you live your best life.
What is a Balanced Diet?
Weight loss will happen naturally if you are eating the right balance of foods in the appropriate portions. Weight gain often centers around eating things that are not good for you, like junk foods and candy.
Your diet should reflect what your body needs, which can be different for everyone. Things like age, activity levels, and health all play a role in deciding what foods best suit your needs.
Generally, a balanced diet means eating the three macronutrients: protein, fats, and carbohydrates, in the right proportions.
Protein helps your body build – everything from new cells to muscle mass requires protein.
Carbohydrates are fuel – The trick is to pick healthy carbs, not eliminate them completely as some fad diets require. Sugar is a carb, but not a healthy one. Simple carbs like sugar are empty calories, meaning they really offer little nutritional benefit. Those are the ones to avoid. A low carb diet doesn’t mean you cut out all carbs like fruits and veggies.
Fats – Fats are a mixed bag, as well. Healthy fats are critical for heart health, and they play a role in helping the body absorb nutrients. On the other hand, bad fat like the trans fat in fast food leads to weight gain and poor health.
It is also important to get the right mix of micronutrients like vitamins and minerals.
It’s Not Just About Food
Eating a balanced diet is a good place to start when thinking about weight loss, but it’s not the only consideration. It’s important to add exercise to your healthy diet plan. Exercise helps to promote appetite control and improve metabolism, especially after age 50. Include both cardio and strength training.
Avoiding stress is essential, too. Stress triggers emotional eating that can stall your weight loss or, even worse, lead to added pounds.
Sleep is a third critical element in healthy weight loss. Studies indicate that fatigue increases cortisol levels and leads to weight gain.
Losing Weight After 50
Lifestyle changes are the key to successful, sustainable weight loss at any age. Of course, its true metabolism can slow down for older adults, but that just means your nutrition plan and exercise routines are that much more important.
Having the right tools at your disposal, like Mighty Health, can help. Our Mighty Health app is for people over 50 who want to become healthier through balanced nutrition, exercise, and wellness practices. With the right support, you won't need fad diets.
