These days, it seems that every conversation leads back to weight or what we’re eating. Everyone is searching for a way to lose those extra stubborn pounds because “thin is in.” You can’t scroll through your Twitter feed without another advertisement of a flat tummy for a great weight loss diet that is “100% guaranteed results in just two weeks!” Unfortunately, most of the time these short cuts to losing weight backfire into making you gain everything back and then some once the two weeks are over. I think it’s safe to say most of the country wouldn’t be overweight if losing pounds took only a few short days. Losing weight takes much longer than two weeks if you want it to be permanent, and it’s much more rewarding when done the old fashioned way of just exercising and eating right. Next time you’re trying to slim down a few sizes, make sure to never fall victim to these five unhealthy fad diets. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
1. The Master Cleanse/Lemonade Diet
This is probably the most notorious of all fad diets. For at least ten days, you are expected to give up all solid foods and survive on anywhere between six to ten glasses of a lemonade and cayenne pepper mixed drink that will keep you running to the bathroom all day long. While eating absolutely no solid foods and consuming less than the suggested amount of calories, there’s no doubt that you will shed pounds. However, losing that much weight that quickly is proven to be bad for your heart, kidneys, and will not last after the diet ends. Not worth it.
2. The Raw Food Diet
The whole point of this diet is to give up all processed foods or cooked meals, and eat only raw fruits, vegetables and grains. The belief is that when you heat or cook foods they lose their natural enzymes and nutrients that help the body stay fit and healthy. Unless you are vegan or living in a perfect world that doesn’t have dining halls or restaurants, this diet is considered extremely hard to follow, especially for a college student. Although the diet is healthy and you are guaranteed to lose weight, it’s expensive and weight will be packed right back on as soon as you make the mistake of buying drunken pizza.
3. The South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet has been around for years, and is considered one of the most successful fad diets because of its huge popularity. It emphasizes eating foods high in fiber, low glycemic carbohydrates, unsaturated fat, lean protein, and categorizes carbs as the “good” and the “bad.” Sounds perfectly healthy, right? Not really. The program is separated into phases, telling you to cut out severe “bad” carbs and most foods including all fruit and dairy products in the first phase, adds beans and fruit in the second phase, and allows you to almost go back to eating whatever you want in the third. When the weight is put back on in the third phase, dieters are instructed to bounce back onto phase one. Yo-yoing your weight can lead to certain health risks including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gallbladder disease. Losing weight involves creating changes permanently, not just once every couple of weeks.
4. No Carb Diet
It’s no secret that eating plates of spaghetti, cheesesteaks, and bagels won’t give you a six pack. Some suggest the real answer to losing weight is cutting out all carbs, but who really wants to say goodbye to the bun on their burger? Sure, you’ll lose water weight, but it isn’t worth it or realistic. When you cut out carbs completely from your diet, you will have trouble concentrating, feel lightheaded, tired, and have some pretty nasty breath. Also, many healthy foods have carbs, including fruits and vegetables, and you’ll lose the energy and motivation to exercise: all necessary in weight loss and a healthy life.
5. Starvation Diet
As crazy as it is, the Starvation Diet is a popular and believed diet in throughout the country, but it’s also the most dangerous and least effective. Besides the obvious factor of putting your life into major danger by starving yourself, not eating enough will slow your metabolism, making it tougher to lose weight. Your body responds to starvation by believing it’s entering a form of famine, so it stores any stored calories it has. Ultimately, if this “diet” becomes a lifestyle, there will be lasting damages to the body. If not, the weight will come back. Also, similar to cutting out carbs, eating hardly anything will cause your body to become cranky and irritated. To lose weight, you must eat, but eat right.
What do all of these diets have in common? They don’t work. Every single one will result in major health risks to your body and the weight will always come back. Trying to look good for this upcoming semester? Stick to putting everything in moderation: exercising, eating healthfully, and getting that slice of pizza from Riggtown. Getting fit may not be the easiest task, but if done right, it’ll be worth it.
