Tuesday, December 9, 2008

4 Bad Fad Diets

By Ada Denis

The insanity regarding weight loss has affected every obese person out there. And why not? After all, Christmas is coming, and people want to lose weight fast so that they look their best at parties. A decision to lose weight is a good one, but you need to do it healthily. Unfortunately, most people take to the unhealthy weight loss method called 'fad dieting' and end up losing muscles rather than fat.

Keep in mind that a fad diet cannot offer you a permanent weight loss solution; only a healthy food plan can. So don't focus on how to lose weight fast; rather, focus on how to become healthy through weight loss. In this article I will tell you about top four fad diets you mustn't follow.

1. Liquid diet

Under this diet plan, you are required to eat only liquids and avoid all solid foods. Liquids such as milk, protein shakes, and fruit juices are recommended. If you follow this diet only for a few days, you will become weak and limp. This is definitely not a practical diet to go with since you won't be able to follow it for the rest of your life.

2. Grapefruit diet

Have you ever heard of or followed this diet? If you have, you will know that this diet plan restricts your food intake to a ridiculously low level, probably to that of a baby. Under this diet plan, you need to eat only grapefruit and protein-rich foods at every single meal of the day. This diet is based on the belief that when protein is combined with grapefruit, it accelerates a person's fat burning process by enhancing his metabolism, thereby helping him lose weight.

Now this might be true, but ask yourself - could you eat grapefruits all your life? I would surely get bored. Plus the weight loss you achieve through this diet would be just temporary. Obviously, this is not a diet plan for you.

3. Egg Diet

This is basically a stem of the Atkins diet. This diet is based on the concept that if you eat a protein-rich diet and avoid all carbs, your body would be forced to burn fat to produce energy since it won't find any carbohydrates. For this reason you are suggested to eat as many eggs as you can, along with cheese and meat.

In reality though, the concept doesn't work. When your body doesn't get an adequate supply of carbohydrates, it won't burn your fat deposits; instead, it would start burning your lean muscles. Gradually, you will turn into a smaller version of your former self, albeit with the same huge potbelly you had. But far from that, your metabolic rate would be reduced to a very low level as well. Do you still think it is a good idea to go with this diet?

4. Banana Diet

Yet another crazy diet, which asks you to eat only bananas for your breakfast. Of course, you could eat anything for the rest of the day. The rationale behind this is that bananas help in quicker digestion, thereby preventing the body from absorbing all calories and turning them into fat deposits. There is no scientific study or proof to backup this claim, so I am not sure if this diet works at all.

When choosing a diet plan, you need to choose one which is not only healthy but also viable; plus it should help you achieve permanent weight loss. None of the above fad diets fit this criteria, so they are definitely not for you. If you are just looking forward to losing a few pounds, then definitely go with any of the diets above, but don't be surprised if those pounds come back as soon as you quit dieting. - 16004