5 Good Things We Can Learn from Fad Diets
Fad diets are often restrictive and promote unrealistic expectations for weight loss. But if you read between the lines, many are really sound bits of advice taken to dangerous extremes. (To boost sales, perhaps?) Here are a few things that you can take from some popular fad diets and apply to your own healthy lifestyle.
1) Cut back on refined carbohydrates
Many of the low-carb diets that have become popular today were created in response to the “low-fat” craze of the 80's and 90's that saw the creation of lots of sugary and starchy low-fat products, and a population that kept getting fatter. While cutting back on white bread, pasta and rice makes sense, there is no need to go to the extreme - fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains are all carbohydrate-rich foods that are also full of nutrition!
2) Set rules
We make hundreds of decisions regarding food each day. Part of the reason why diets are so appealing is because they make the decisions a lot easier - every time you are tempted by the sweet scent of cinnamon buns in the mall or a tray of donuts at work, you simply say, “I can't have that because it's not allowed on my diet,” and move on.
However, instead of following unrealistic restrictions, "No fruit, grains, dairy or legumes", set your own rules. Some examples:
- Include a vegetable or fruit with every meal and snack
- No buying junk food
- No going for seconds
If you break one of your rules, don't worry. Remember to follow the 80/20 Rule too - as long as you are eating healthily at least 80% of the time, it's ok if you slip up once in a while.
3) Fill up on protein and fibre
How is it possible that people on low-carb diets eat meat all the time and still lose weight? Protein helps to increase feelings of fullness, making it easier to eat smaller portions and keep hunger at bay between meals. It is a good idea to include a source of protein at every meal and snack. Of course, that does not mean you can eat steak three times a day! For breakfast, try eggs, cottage cheese or yogurt. You can also make smoothies by blending fruit, milk and yogurt together - the fibre in the fruit helps make it more filling as well. For lunch, try a tuna salad sandwich or a bean salad. For dinner, try serving quinoa instead of rice or pasta for an extra protein punch.
High fibre foods, especially those with soluble fibre, can be filling as well. Soluble fibre forms a gel in our gut, slowing the movement of food in our digestive tract. Some examples of foods high in soluble fibre include oatmeal, barley, bananas, beans, apples, pears, carrots and sweet potato.
4) Try new recipes
When a fad diet asks you to cut out entire food groups such as grains, dairy and/or fruit, you have to get a little creative with your cooking! Fortunately, many diet books come with pages of recipes. Even if you don't follow the diet, trying one or two new recipes, foods or flavours might help you get out of a cooking rut!
5) Eat less
Ultimately, people lose weight on fad diets because they are reducing the calories they eat in some way or another; there are no magic fat-burning, metabolism-boosting foods or supplements. With some diets, like the Cabbage Soup Diet, or Baby Food Diet, it is obvious that less food is being taken in, but even diets that allow people to eat as much as they want reduce calories by only allowing foods that are lower in calories and/or more nutrient dense. However, these restrictive diets are not sustainable; at best, they limit the types of foods you are allowed to eat, making meal planning, eating out and social situations more difficult. At worst, they are nutritionally inadequate and/or leave you feeling hungry and deprived.
In order to successfully lose weight and maintain that weight loss, you need to make changes that you can keep for a lifetime. Keeping and reviewing a food diary may be a good first step in helping you see areas where you can make small, sustainable changes.
