Ever wonder why there are so many fad diets? Because they are exactly what the name suggests—a fad. It’s similar to fashion. In 2017, that red dress became a staple in almost every ladies wardrobe. Now, nobody wants to be caught dead in those shoes for fear of being labelled outdated. Fad is fleeting. In fashion, this is because there is always something new in the next corner. In diets, it is fleeting because it is not sustainable.
There would be no such thing as a fad diet if it is sustainable—it would just be called a diet, or a “bloody” effective diet. Another fad in the weight-loss circuit is the slimming clubs. Compared to a fad diet, a weight-loss club could be sustainable. However, it is the person involved that may not be able to sustain membership or participation in such club when their lifestyle changes.
Why Fad Diets Don’t Work?
Another reason why fad diets and diet clubs are not very successful is because they demonise food. You should have a healthy relationship with food. Food gives life. Food is the source of energy. Food should be revered. Food is your friend. And just like real friends, you weed out the bad ones and develop a healthy relationship with the good ones.
Most fad diets will tell you to cut out certain food groups. Some diet clubs will tell you not to eat this and that. Could you sustain that for the entire year? Forever? Keep in mind that there are holidays where food is abundant. Also, keep in mind that there will be situations where you don’t have the power to choose what food will be served to you—for instance, you don’t choose what food are prepared in parties you were invited to.
Developing a Healthy Habit Encourages Weight Loss Better than Any Fad Diet or Diet Club
In order to lose weight, fad diets or slimming clubs are not necessary. There is only one important matter: YOU. You have to be happy in your own skin, because if not, no real diet or exercise could make you happy. No matter how many pounds you’ve lost, if you don’t have the confidence, nothing will be enough for you.
Losing weight is also a mental and emotional exercise, not just a physical one. You see, losing weight should not be a numbers game. Of course, the goal is to lose weight—but it should not be a numbers game in the sense that success should not hinge on the number of pounds you lose every week.
The thing is: different factors affect our lives on a daily basis. So there are no guarantees that you will lose a certain number of pounds every day or every week. Weight fluctuates based on your daily activities. Say you weighed X pounds today. Tomorrow, you might weigh X-2 pounds. But on the third day, you might be at X+3 pounds. This kind of weight issue could easily dishearten a person. This is why losing weight is more than just a physical activity. You also have to be at the right mental and emotional state in order to embark on a weight-loss journey.
If you are consistently losing weight but find yourself gaining weight one day, it doesn’t mean that you are a failure. As earlier mentioned, every day brings in different factors. Perhaps you ate little the day before and were very active to boot, which would expect the X-2 pounds weight. But that same day, you ate little but was stuck doing office work so you sat in the office for hours and didn’t do much physical activity. That could have attributed to the X+3 pounds of weight the next day. But since you are playing the numbers game, you get depressed just looking at your three-pound gain. This is when mental and emotional stability comes in. You cannot allow the number to put you down. Many have been discouraged by numbers that they quit losing weight all together because of it. Every day is different. Whether you have the same diet every day, your daily physical activities will never be the same. This is one reason why fad diets and diet clubs fail. Both look at losing weight in terms of numbers.
Every time you don’t lose weight, you will feel like a failure. This is why self-esteem is more important. You have to be confident in your own skin. This way, you don’t look at the numbers in order to gauge success. Instead, you just consider how great you feel inside and this will be projected on the outside. When you feel better about yourself, losing weight will follow because you are at the right frame of mind.
How to Develop a Healthy Eating Habit?
Losing weight should be about developing a habit—a habit of eating right and well. You should develop a daily habit that you could stick to in the long haul. That habit is what you call the perfect diet—the perfect diet for you. Developing the perfect diet means getting three types of macronutrients to your body: protein, carbohydrates and fats. The perfect diet is getting a balance of all these macronutrients and with the right amount.
Proteins are important because they maintain and build body tissues and muscles. The brain cells, muscles, skin, hair and nails are all protein-based. Among the food with protein are lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, beans and legumes, among others. Proteins are also sources of energy.
Carbohydrates are really the body’s main source of energy. Food groups that have carbohydrates are dairy, fruits, grains, bread, rice, starchy vegetables and sugary products. Many have demonised carbohydrates for causing obesity and diabetes. That’s why there are so many zero- to low-carb diets. However, no one can argue that fruits and vegetables are great for the body and are great sources of fibre. Also, people need energy to function. Everything boils down to the right amount. Some medical experts suggest getting half of the appropriate calorie intake from carbohydrates.
Fats are not a bad thing. They give you energy and help the body absorb vitamins. Among the kinds of food that are high in fat but are really healthy are coconuts and coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, chia seeds, nuts, fatty fish, whole eggs and avocados.
Of course, a healthy diet should be complemented with physical activities. Live an active lifestyle. You don’t need to be a gym rat. There are simple activities that you could do everyday—that you could make a daily habit of. Why don’t you try walking to and from the office? If it’s too far to walk, how about riding the bike to and from work? Instead of using the elevator going up to your office, you could take the stairs. These are simple habits you could develop without spending any money. Develop a healthy relationship with food and physical activities and you will shave off those pounds without any help from fad diets or diet clubs.
