We all know someone who has gone a little over the line to lose a few pounds; however, with one look at the diet fads that plague our lives and our social media feeds, most of us can agree that going crazy is not hard to do. But is immediate weight loss worth the compromising of our happiness, sanity, and well-being?
According to the compilation of numerous studies, Heather Gallivan has concluded that “approximately 80 percent of women and 34 percent of men [admit] to being dissatisfied with their bodies.” This high percentage for women’s dissatisfaction can be attributed at large to media portrayal. Until recently, models and actresses have been proudly portrayed as slender or physically fit with well-defined, desirable features. Even now, the rise of plus size models are contested by many who say that showing women in their true forms (without the usage of Photoshop) promotes unhealthy lifestyle choices.
We do more than just concentrate on what media suggests we look like, though. We also look to our favorite celebrities for advice on how to get there. In doing so, we often throw our logic out of the window. For instance, after Lady Gaga and Jennifer Aniston supposedly went on the baby food diet, hundreds of other Americans followed suit and began indulging in baby food meals 14 times a day. While it may sound absurd that grown adults reverted back to eating pureed carrots, this is one of the least harmful diet fads. In fact, Buzzfeed lists several more severe weight loss attempts such as the chewing diet, where one chews their food so much that they tire themselves of eating, and the mouth wired shut diet which is unfortunately, self-explanatory. The celery and water diet has shaken up the United States, too, attracting participants by the fact that consuming these flavorless foods burns more calories than are obtained in digestion.
Needless to say, we are torturing ourselves in our efforts to become healthier – pretty counterproductive, right? Surely there are better, less painful alternatives. The National Institutes of Health states that the minimum calorie intake for women should be 1,200 calories a day with 300 additional daily calories for men. These calorie milestones can be reached by healthy dieting. While there are many ways you can curb your unhealthy eating without being extreme, the most popular diet is Weight Watchers, according to US News. Weight Watchers is ranked so high because it is commended for its flexibility and the dieter’s ability to eat whatever they want. However, Weight Watchers encourages healthy decision making by their point system, where the items that cost the least are the most filling. Following Weight Watchers is the HMR meal replacement program, the "Biggest Loser" diet, and the Jenny Craig diet.
While dieting has proven effective for many people, changing a handful of lifestyle choices has proven just as beneficial. Weight Loss Resources notes that government guidelines recommend the average person do half an hour of moderate cardio three to five times a week. Among the many advantages of exercise are weight control, health improvement, mood improvement, energy boosts, and better sleep. In fact, weekly exercise has been known to greatly benefit people who suffer from depression and physical ailments such as chronic back pain. Moreover, Authority Nutrition suggests that simply eating meals on smaller plates, eating more slowly, drinking more water and avoiding eating in front of the television and computer have proven to be immensely successful in weight loss.
Dieting does not have to put us on the verge of dying and you don’t have to kill yourself to get the “perfect body.” So, please be smart about the decisions you make and don’t base those decisions entirely off of the fads that you see celebrities and other people partake in. Your health is just as important now and on the road to your end goal as it will be when you get there. Be good to yourself because you deserve it.
