In general, fad diets are not a good idea. Restricting your calories to dangerous levels and limiting your food groups is not the gateway to long-term weight loss.
However, many people still believe in their efficacy. Over time, we have gone through so many diet trends, from juicing to cookies, and the trend of rapid weight loss diets is continuing into 2017. Here are some of the fad diets that you’ll see on Insta, and why you should not try them.
1. Ketogenic Diet
Designed in 1924 by a Mayo Clinic physician, the Ketogenic Diet prescribes a diet of 10% carbs, 20% protein, and 70% fat. This means a lot of avocados and nuts and very little bread (so no avo toast). This low-carb, high-fat diet allows the body to enter a state of ketosis and burn fat instead of carbohydrates.
This diet is not all fun and games, however, as this nutritional imbalance can result in dehydration, liver and kidney damage, and a lower metabolism. Also, from personal experience, the ketones that your body burns off make everything (from your breath to your room) smell gross.
2. Clean Eating
The premise of clean eating is pretty simple: avoid processed foods and refined sugar, and only eat food in its most natural state. To a certain extent, this makes sense, but many “healthy” foods (including whole grains, fruits, and dairy) are considered to be unhealthy because they are overly processed and unclean. In addition, this emphasis on eating only healthy food can lead to Orthorexia, a type of disordered eating.
3. Diet Pills
Diet pills are designed to prevent fat absorption, suppress appetite, and increase your metabolism, but these pills are not a panacea. They are often unregulated medications that contain pesticides and other fatal ingredients. Diet pills should only be used if prescribed by a doctor, not for a quick fix.
4. Teatoxes
You’ve definitely seen ads for this on your Insta; Teatoxes are the trendy, new liquid detox. This health tea is designed to promote weight loss and detoxification. However, there is very minimal evidence that these teas act as any more than a laxative, and at worst, these teas can cause heart issues, liver damage, among other medical complications.
5. FODMAP
Originally created as a meal plan for those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome , FODMAP is a new diet trend that is gaining popularity. The FODMAP diet prevents you from eating FODMAPS, which are foods made up of short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols/additives. Dieters follow a strict food list, avoiding foods such as beans, apples, wheat products, and sweeteners. It’s nearly impossible to go out to eat with such limits.
In addition, this was not even created as a weight loss diet, but rather for IBS. This fad diet is only guaranteed to improve your trips to the bathroom (not lose weight), so why use this diet to prevent you from enjoying dining out?
6. Souping
Juicing is so last year, souping is the new trendy way to drink your nutrients. However, there is no real reason to drink your calories. Souping is incredibly expensive ($79/day at Soupure), but the main reason for weight loss is the low calorie count of the meal plan (about 1,200 calories a day). There are far cheaper ways to restrict your calories, and souping is not a sustainable long-term diet plan.
If you want to lose weight in 2017, try to focus on moderation and balance rather than one of these risky fad diets. Your long-term health, wallet, and state of mind is worth far more than a few pounds.