Uncover The Pros and Cons Of Fad Dieting
When was the last time you were tempted to try that fad diet youhave found in the latest magazine that promises the world withfantastic fat losses and without doing a thing. What was itagain; just take a couple of fat burning pills follow the dietand then bang! A brand new you in a couple of weeks.
The sad fact is they do not work, they just provide moresuffering in your efforts to lose weight, and the only thingthat you are losing is your hard earned money.
Firstly lets look at the latest fad diets on the scene at themoment, their pros and cons and then you will be shown how tosave your time, money and unnecessary suffering by pointing youin the right direction for permanent weight loss.
The latest studies show that 90 per cent of fad dieters regainedeverything they had lost and even gained more weight withineighteen months.
The Atkins Diet.
The body burns carbohydrates and then fat for energy. This dietrecommends limiting the intake of starchy, high carb foods sothat the fat is burned first. So by eating meat, cheese and eggsand keeping bread and potatoes to a minimum, fat is lost.
Pros: Steak with cheese topping, Chocolate mocha ice cream andpork scratchings.
Cons: Studies show high protein diets lead to increased risk ofheart disease, colon cancer, bad breath (halitosis) andconstipation. Consuming more carbohydrate that can be used bythe body will store this excess in fat cells.
The Zone Diet.
This diet claims to decrease hunger and boost energy by keepingyour bodies eating habits in the zone or at its peak. Keepingall your meals and snacks in the ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30%protein, and 30% fats does this.
Pros: Being a low calorie diet, you cant help but lose weight.
Cons: Very difficult to adhere to the strict regime the dietrequires. Will experience metabolism slow down because of lowcalories and will lead to starvation response, which will eataway at the muscle tissue while retaining the fat.
The Blood Group Diet.
By having a blood test and determining your blood group, thisthen tells you how you can absorb nutrients, thus you can planyour diet accordingly. Different blood groups can eat differentfood groups.
Pros: Another calorie restricting diet so weight will be lost.
Cons: There appears to be little clinical and scientificevidence behind this diet and by the elimination of whole foodgroups important nutritional deficiencies are likely withlong-term health problems encountered.
The Ashram Diet.
This diet is basically a very low calorie diet (nearstarvation), which is coupled with a very high
intensityexercise regime. A sample of this diet would include: One boiledegg for breakfast, a green salad for lunch and a baked potatowith salsa for dinner.
Pros: A very quick weight loss, 10 – 15 lbs in a week (Mostlymuscle tissue and water).
Cons: Fast weight loss leads to many unpleasant side effectssuch as bad breath, bone loss, constipation, deprivation ofnutrients (vitamins and minerals), muscle loss, metabolism slowdown, headaches and poor sleep.
Who would want all these problems for the sake of quick weightloss where the weight will eventually be put back on and more ina couple of months?
The Hay Diet.
The main rule to follow for this diet is to not eat protein andcarbohydrates together. Combination of these two foods togetherappears to prevent protein from being digested in the gut andcan lead to an accumulation of toxins.
Vegetables and fruit form the bulk of the diet with very smallportions of protein and carbs.
Pros: Plenty of fruit and veggies in the diet means plenty ofvitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Cons: There doesnt appear to be too much scientific evidenceabout food combinations and by limiting yourself to certain foodgroups you will miss out on important nutrients.
All these diets work because of a drastic cut in calories, whenthis happens our metabolic rate can be brought down in a matterof 36 hours by as much as 50% which means your body is nowburning only half of your calories.
To compound matters further, hunger kicks in after a period ofinadequate eating setting you up for over eating and binging.
Everyone is an individual so you have to be careful of dietsthat require you to set out what types of foods and quantitiesyou have to eat at every meal. Just because a movie star lostweight on a fad diet doesnt mean that you will.
Before starting a weight loss program take into account yourage, fitness levels, activity levels and medical history.
Do yourself a favour and follow a real weight loss programincluding all the food groups, strength training, low levelaerobics, a slight decrease in your daily calorie levels and aprogram that can be followed for life.
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooksMaximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visithttp://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your free weightloss or muscle building e-courses.
About the author:
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooksMaximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visithttp://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your free weightloss or muscle building e-courses.
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