If you’ve heard the term “fad dieting” and aren’t clear on what that is exactly, this article will provide a good overview.
A “fad” is a practice or activity that becomes wildly popular for a limited amount of time. A “fad diet” is a weight loss plan that entails eating or drinking specific foods and beverages.
Some common fad diets over the years have included: the cabbage soup diet, the Hollywood diet, and the lemonade diet.
Why do people love fad diets so much?
There are a couple of reasons.
First, if everyone else is doing it you feel like you might be missing out if you don’t do it too. We are social creatures and we tend to “follow the herd” most of the time.
But the main reason people flock to fad diets is because they usually promise very rapid weight loss.
It’s not unusual to drop 10 pounds or more in a 1 to 2 week period by following a fad diet.
Unfortunately, fad diets do not promote HEALTHY weight loss.
Instead, you are usually encouraged to eliminate most other foods from your diet and consume only one or two types of food. Needless to say, this is not good for your body even if it does trigger the loss of a few pounds.
Sometimes fad diets are not so much about what you eat but how or when you eat it; for example, eating only at certain times of the day or eating foods in special combinations.
Fad dieting may seem like a good idea if you want to lose weight quickly, but it can often cause more problems than it solves.
Did you know that fad dieting can slow down your metabolism? That it can make you sick? That it can decrease your energy so you feel sluggish and tired all of the time?
Before jumping on the latest fad diet craze, ask yourself if it’s really worth it.