Do Fad Diets Work for Weight Loss?
It seems like every time you turn around, there’s new diet to try out. There are new studies, new super foods, new programs and methods, new things to cut out, and in all the new there is the hope that this time the weight will come off and stay off. While many of these new diets do contain helpful and good ideas, and many of the people behind them do believe in what they are trying to accomplish, each of these diets has a limiting factor. That limiting factor is sustainability. The next big thing will never be sustainable in the long run, and having a long and good run is what we’re all here for.
Extra weight is a symptom of a faulty metabolism. The key to health is to focus on the causes of that faulty metabolism, and to address those causes rather than only the symptoms. While there are many hacks to take off the pounds, with enough willpower and a few tricks from the popular diets, there aren’t any hacks for keeping them off. By embracing a healthy lifestyle and building habits of health into your daily life, you will give yourself the gift of sustainable health, but you have to do that work. You have to dig deep to find your purpose for choosing your health, and let that purpose and your worth fuel your healthy habits.
The biggest problem with Keto, Paleo, Whole 30, SirtFood, and other diets is the question of what you are when you aren’t on them anymore. By taking a label, you set yourself up to fail when you somehow stop being that label. Some of these diets are so restrictive that they are only tolerable because they have an end point (think Whole30 or Keto). Once you reach the end point, where do you go from there?
A more reasonable approach is to take the good science behind some of those plans and use that science to inform how you fuel your body. Look at the lists of clean foods (mostly meat, seafood, eggs, and vegetables) and eat them. Look at the lists of foods that contain sirtuins, like arugula, kale, and matcha tea, and eat them. Eat good fats, the right amount of protein, and complex carbohydrates. Cut out sugar. Eat more vegetables. Drink plenty of water. Get enough sleep. Move your body. These are the pillars of sustainable weight loss.
It’s also important to identify your limiting beliefs around food. Is food a reward? Is junk food a treat? Do you eat dessert after every meal? Does food comfort you, or distract you from your emotions? Do you eat when you are bored? What foods do you think of when you need a snack? Looking at the truth of your answers to these questions can help you identify unhealthy patterns, which is the first step toward establishing new patterns.
Take the time to plan your meals, your snacks, and your treats. This will take the decision making out of the moment and help you keep your decisions in line with your goals.
Chronic pain, inflammation, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive degeneration are all linked to poor nutrition, but you can learn to fuel your body with real food. If it grows, eat it. If it doesn’t, don’t.