We are already in 2020, and the current presence that some fat loss diets continue to have in the world of fitness is, to say the least, worrying.
One would think that with time and access to the Internet, with the almost infinite content published by athletes, doctors and dietitians that we can find, these diets would not have passed the filter, but they have and in what way. They continue to receive thousands and thousands of daily visits on Google and the only thing that tells us that is that there are still many people who are uninformed .
The time has come to put these diets in place and understand why they exist, and why we should avoid them if we want to avoid endangering our health.
The role of diets in society and the simple reason for its current existence:
The first concept of diet exists since 500 BC, when from ignorance the warriors were recommended to consume lion's heart to acquire values related to the animal , such as speed or strength, which were essential for survival in battles.
It was not until 1920 that the first diets that we know began to be consolidated, and they have been changing and varying until today, but with the same objective in mind. Diets exist because they are an incredible source of money for their creator if they can make them popular .
The weight loss industry in the US alone moves about 72 billion dollars per year , so there is a great interest in succeeding in this sector (when I refer to the weight loss industry, it is not just the sale of diets and books, sales of supplements, operations or beverages such as "Diet Coke", among other things, also enter). And we are talking only about the United States.
Knowing that about 1500 books are published each year, and 15% of Americans admit to having tried a diet of this type , it can be said with confidence that in a sector that gives so much money we are going to find profiteers who will try to get the most out of it party regardless of the health consequences your plans or products may cause.
Given the social circumstances in which we are, where appearance has a great weight in every aspect of our life (work, relationships, friendships) the consumption and practice of this type of content is booming.
Luckily, over time, I have learned to spot those fat loss diets that are best avoided. If you want to know what most of these diets tend to have in common, check if they meet something on this list:
- They promise physical changes very quickly, with the use of words like " fat burner ", " detox " or " Lose a kg per week ". They know well that these types of words attract a lot of attention.
- They give you nutrition instructions without explaining the scientific basis for those instructions, or they simply state that " our ancestors ate this way ."
- They tend to base their diet on a high restriction of some type of food or food categories.
- They have associated with a celebrity as a marketing maneuver and to comfort the undecided. " If this diet has been made by her, who is a Hollywood supermodel, I can too ."
- High possibility that the diet has associated supplements for its success, or paid seminars to complete the training.
- They have a doctor's name associated with the diet (Atkins Diet, Ducan Diet) to give their product a 'doctoral' value.
In general, these diets, instead of promoting a healthy lifestyle that can help you achieve your physical goal, propose programs with many dietary restrictions , with which yes, you will probably see results, but at the cost of your health and recovering. the lost once you get back to normal.
Next I am going to talk about a series of diets that, despite having been criticized by health professionals a lot of times, somehow maintain their prestige and are still relevant today.
Diets you should avoid:
Atkins and Dukan diet
Base: Great restriction of carbohydrates in four phases in favor of the consumption of proteins and fats in order to lose weight in a short time (they are very similar, that's why I group them).
Celebrity associated with or who has publicly claimed to have followed the diet: Sarah Jessica Parker / Katherine Jenkins
Why they are not worth it:
At no time is a calorie count required during the diet. It is sold that the key to the success of these diets is the elimination of carbohydrates in phases, but in reality, if you see results, it is because many foods with carbohydrates are usually high in calories , hence a drastic weight loss and why the consumption of Calories plummet the first few weeks.
When you move on to the next phases and you reintroduce carbohydrates, you will recover the lost calories and at some point you will return to where you were at the beginning . In addition, these highly restrictive diets have very poor adherence, so they are very difficult to maintain and at some point you will eat as before.
Why it can be dangerous:
- Since the consumption of fats increases when eliminating carbohydrates, depending on your genetics, cholesterol levels could increase. The lipid levels should be controlled with constant analytics.
- You should be aware of the health level of your liver before trying this diet, since high protein consumption is healthy as long as you have a healthy liver .
Carnivorous diet
Base: Useful to lose weight since you can only eat meat, fish, eggs and some dairy, therefore, there are no carbohydrates.
Celebrity associated with or who has publicly said to have complied with the diet: Jordan Peterson.
Product associated with diet: None.
Why it is not worth it:
This diet is based on the fact that our ancestors only ate meat and fish, and that today's diets contain so many carbohydrates that they are to blame for current health problems. They say that the carnivorous diet helps general health and weight loss but without any scientific support behind it .
This diet is worse than the Atkins and Ducan since it limits the consumption of food to the extreme, prohibiting vegetables and fruits. If you try it and you are lucky enough to last more than two days, in a similar way to the previous ones, when you remove carbohydrate foods that have calories, you will immediately see a drastic drop in weight at first, but then you will stabilize, and how you will hardly endure it for long time, when you reintroduce food you will return to your initial weight.
Why it can be dangerous:
- If you have high blood pressure, a diet high in sodium could be problematic for you .
- Ease of not meeting micronutrients such as vitamin C by eliminating vegetables and fruits.
- High possibility of constant constipation due to the absence of fiber in the diet.
- Since the consumption of fats increases when eliminating carbohydrates, depending on your genetics, cholesterol levels could increase. The lipid levels should be controlled with constant analytics.
- You should be aware of the health level of your liver before trying this diet, since high protein consumption is healthy as long as you have a healthy liver.
Cabbage diet:
Base: Seven-day diet to lose weight based on the exclusive intake of cabbage soup, with the possibility of taking one or two pieces of vegetables or fruit a day.
Celebrity associated with or who has publicly said to have complied with the diet: Sarah Michelle Gelar
Product associated with the diet: None
Why it is not worth it:
Cabbage soup is very low in calories, so you can imagine where the drastic weight loss comes from. It is not effective either, since what you are going to lose is not fat but water. It is not healthy or sustainable, and the rebound effect is particularly strong on this diet. As it is designed to last 7 days, to which you return to your normal diet, you will recover what you lost. A total waste of time .
Why it can be dangerous:
- The consumption of proteins is not allowed, and proteins are essential for a thousand functions, among which is to preserve muscle mass, which is usually key when it comes to losing weight, since we are interested in burning fat but not muscle.
- With so few calories, you can get dizzy and feel weak while doing it.
Until here today's post. Over time I will update it since new diets always come out. If you have any suggestions let me know and I'll add them. Until next time!
Nice
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