Good Diets vs Bad Diets: The Facts Revealed and Expounded
While the promise of rapid weight loss is pretty hard to resist, have you considered that your current diet may be causing more harm than good?
Many diets do work in the short-term, and therefore appeal to the masses, however very few result in lasting weight loss.
Let’s take a look at 5 popular diets that simply don’t work!
#1 Meal replacement
What is it?
Rather than eating ‘real’ food at each meal, some meals are substituted with a shake or soup.
Examples:
Slim Fast, Tony Ferguson, Celebrity Slim.
Why it doesn’t work
This type of diet is a quick fix, and like many diets, it fails to get to real problem behind initial weight gain.
They don’t teach healthy eating habits, or how to control portion sizes. The result? When the diet is stopped, old eating habits haven’t been corrected, and unfortunately weight is usually gained back.
#2 Detox diet
What is it?
The theory of detoxing is that we need to get rid of nasty toxins, which build up in our body.
Examples:
Liver Cleansing Diet, Raw Food Diet, Lemonade Diet.
Why it doesn’t work
Frankly there’s absolutely no scientific evidence to support the idea that our body needs to detox. As I’ve said before, we already have our own in house ‘detoxing shop’ via our liver and kidneys!
Some detox plans are very restrictive in nature, and cutting out whole food groups can lead to an inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals.
Detox plans do vary in severity, and some are very extreme, involving fasting and flushing the body with copious amounts of substances - this can potentially be a very dangerous practice.
Check out my previous article, Detox Diets - A Complete Scam?
#3 Low-carb diet
What is it?
These diets focus on restricting carbohydrate intake, and increasing protein consumption.
Examples:
Atkins, South Beach, The Zone
Why it doesn’t work
Lack of adequate carbohydrate in the diet eventually leads to fat and protein being used as a source of energy. Some of the side-effects of this include, headaches, bad breath, and mood swings.
The lack of fibre can also be a problem, leading to constipation, and they are generally high in fat, most of which is saturated, and therefore unhealthy.
It’s also important to note that the initial rapid weight loss is rarely maintained.
Check out my previous article, Low-carb Eating Examined: Warning Explicit Content!
#4 Food combining
What is it?
The theory is that eating proteins and carbohydrates together is difficult for the digestive system to deal with, and therefore should be avoided.
Examples:
Fit for Life, The Hay Diet.
Why it doesn’t work
These diets are based old and incorrect scientific principles - our digestive system is perfectly capable of digesting any combination of food.
Food combining is also a difficult plan to maintain, due to the complicated nature of meal structuring, and it could result in important nutrients being missed from the diet.
#5 Low-calorie diet
What is it?
These diets are very restrictive in nature, and are often based on a single food, for example cabbage soup, or grapefruit.
Examples:
The Cabbage Soup Diet, the Grapefruit Diet, the Chicken Soup Diet.
Why it doesn’t work
Such plans encourage the exclusion of whole food groups, and are therefore extremely unhealthy. Potentially this could result in essential nutrients being missed, and even malnutrition.
Very low-cal diets lead to conservation of energy (fat), and the break down of protein (muscle). When the diet is stopped the body begins to replenish its energy stores, and weight tends to be regained rapidly.
How to spot a fad diet:
- Contradicts what most trusted health professionals are saying.
- Relies on testimonials and anecdotes, rather than scientific evidence.
- Encourages eliminating whole food groups, such as carbohydrates.
- Promises rapid weight loss of more than two pounds a week.
- Suggests that particular foods have the power to burn fat.
- Includes lists of “good” and “bad” foods.
- Encourages bizarre quantities of particular foods or types of food, such as eating unlimited bowls of cabbage soup, cereal, or only consuming certain foods on certain days of the week.
- Recommends specific food combinations.
- Relies on meal substitutes, such as shakes.
- Does not encourage an increase in physical activity.
So, what does work?
#1 Weight-loss clinics
Why this can work
Meeting with a trained professional, preferably a dietitian or nutritionist, will provide you with a specific program, tailored to your individual needs. This is much better than a one-size-fits-all program.
You will also receive ongoing support and advice as necessary, which should include targeting underlaying problems, associated with the initial weight gain.
#2 Low GI diet
What is it?
The GI plan was originally created to help diabetics manage their blood sugars better, however it can also be useful for weight loss in those without diabetes.
Why it can work
Low GI plans focus on foods that are high fibre (low GI), which help to maintain blood sugar levels, and make you feel fuller for longer.
One difficulty with the GI system is that it is based on individual foods, and therefore it’s difficult to work out the GI content of a meal.
Check out my previous article, Glycemic Index Food List.
#3 The DASH Diet
What is it?
The DASH diet is a low-salt, high-carb, high-fibre plan, originally designed to help lower blood pressure, but can also be used to aid weight loss.
Why it can work
The DASH diet focuses on basic healthy eating guidelines, emphasising regular exercise, and is therefore a well balanced approach to losing weight.
#4 Weight Watchers
What is it?
The weight watchers program is based on healthy eating and calorie control, however it does use a points system, so may not be suitable for some.
Why it can work
The program provides support, education, and advice. Exercise is also promoted.
Personally I feel that it’s impossible to count calories for the rest of your life, and therefore it’s important that you also learn good eating habits, aside from the points system.
Are you following a weight loss plan? How are you finding it?
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Some information adapted from the April (2008) edition of Australian Healthy Food Guide.
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Apr 16, 2008
You’ve hit the diet nail on the head, although I would certainly add Bob Greene’s BestLife program to your healthy diet category. HIs plan for sensible eating and a program of gradually increasing exercise intensity has worked famously for this former couch potato!
Apr 16, 2008
I know many people that would argue that South Beach and Atkins work for them - I actually know people who live by those principles going on years now (check out living la vida lo carb - couldn’t remember the actual link). He swear by it, although he’s a bit too … evangelical for me.
Apr 16, 2008
Hi Rebecca,
Yes, I did forget about the Best Life plan. I have heard good reports about it, but haven’t really looked into it ~ mental note to self to do that!!
I’m glad to hear you’ve had good success, how long have you been following the plan?
Hi Tanya,
Yes, I’ve come across the livin la vida lo carb guy, he seems to have quite a big following.
I know that some have been very successful on the plans I’ve mentioned above as “don’t work,” however I’ve tried to present the most successful plans/longest running/best scientific evidence to support methods etc, and that’s why I haven’t put other plans in the “do work” section.