Have you ever wondered why fad diets never work? Here is why

I think we can all agree that we have all tried some kind of fad diet at one stage in our lives. Now before I begin, let me clarify what I mean by a fad diet. A fad diet is usually very restrictive and includes the exclusion of whole food groups (for example: carbohydrate-free diets, juice-only diets etc.). The reason why many people opt to engage in these types of diets is because they are looking for rapid weight loss without having to engage in physical activity. Now while in an ideal world, we would all love to maintain a healthy weight with minimal effort, but that just isn’t realistic. In truth, these highly restrictive diets rarely work, and can leave you feeling demotivated, unsuccessful and defeated.

So let’s talk about why these diets rarely work:

1) They are not realistic, sustainable or enjoyable.

Many of these highly restrictive fad diets require you cut out an entire food group or only consume one type of food. This results in you having less variety in the types of food that you can eat, which means that you will inevitably become sick of eating the same things day after day. Adhering to these restrictive diets is also not much fun, and is likely to decrease your enjoyment of food. All of these factors consequently lead to you becoming frustrated and often causes you giving up on the diet.

2) They do not promote long term weight loss

These diets are designed for rapid weight loss but fail to take into consideration the long-term effects of the diet. During the diet, you are told exactly what you can and cannot eat. The rules of the diet are simple and is relatively easy to follow. However at no stage during fad diets do you receive education on how to make healthier food choices once the diet is over, or how to keep the weight off long term. Therefore once you inevitably give up on the diet, you often resort back to your original diet (that likely caused the weight gain in the first place).  It is common for people to not only put the lost weight back on very quickly after finishing the diet, but it can often result in people putting on more weight than what they started with.

3) They are not nutritionally complete

The human body needs a broad range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals to function properly. We get this range of nutrients from a variety of different food groups, each of which are digested differently and have a different role within the body. However, with these restrictive diets we often find ourselves deprived of a certain nutrient. By depriving ourselves we often end up suffering from symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, some of which include: fatigue, low concentration levels, irritability, gastrointestinal issues, intense cravings and micronutrient deficiencies. Take for example carbohydrates. They are designed to be our primary source of energy. When we cut out all carbohydrates from our diet we often suffer from low energy level and find our bodies craving other foods to compensate for the lack of energy intake. Wholegrain varieties of carbohydrates also provide an essential source of fibre in the diet. Cutting it out completely can result in constipation and gastrointestinal discomfort.

So what should you eat to maintain a healthy weight?
With a Master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics, I am a firm believer that a healthy diet should include an abundance of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low fat dairy with the occasional treat. A healthy diet does NOT mean cutting out entire food groups, starving yourself or consuming a range of supplements to meet your nutritional needs. The most important thing to remember is that you don’t want to be adopting a ‘diet’, you want to be adopting a ‘healthy lifestyle’. It involves changing the way you think about food, educating yourself on nutrition and opting for healthier food and lifestyle choices.

Many people are surprised to find out that they can significantly improve their nutrition by making some small modifications to their existing diet. So here are some practical ideas of things you might want to change in your diet:

Reduce your fat intake:

• ·         Trim all visible fat from meat cuts prior to cooking.
• ·         Substitute red meats (steak, lamb) for white meat alternatives (turkey, chicken, fish)
• ·         Swap full fat dairy products for low fat or skim alternatives.
• ·         Avoiding frying foods in oil or butter. Instead use healthier cooking methods, such as;                     baking, boiling, poaching, steaming etc.
• ·         Avoid buying processed meats like sausages, salami, bacon etc.
• ·         Avoid energy dense foods such as; processed food, fast food, take out, soft drinks and                   confectionery items.
• ·         Read food labels and look for products with less than 2-3g of saturated fat per 100g                      and less than 10g of total fat per 100g.

Increase your fruit and vegetable intake:

• ·         Consume at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit per day.
• ·         Leave skin on fruit and vegetables as this provides a source on insoluble fibre which                      aids bowel movements.
• ·         Swap ‘white’ breads, cereals, rice, pastas and other grains for ‘wholemeal/wholegrain’                 alternatives (e.g.: brown rice, wholemeal pasta, multigrain bread,  wholemeal cous cous                  etc.)
• ·         Increase consumption of nuts, seeds and dried fruits.

General healthy eating tips:

• ·         Decrease your portion sizes to prevent overeating and reduce your daily energy intake.
• ·         Eat slowly to allow ample time for your brain to receive signals of satiety from your                         stomach.
• ·         Do not skip meals – Aim for 3 main meals per day to maintain a consistent metabolism.
• ·         Drink a glass of water before your meal, then another one while eating. This water will                 help you feel fuller quicker and avoid over eating.

Here is how CORN THINS® can be incorporated in a healthy diet.

Below are some examples of CORN THINS® slice toppings that can be incorporated into a healthy diet:

• ·         Turkey, Low Fat Cheese and Salad
• ·         Tomato Slices, Low Fat Cottage Cheese and Cracked Pepper
• ·         Egg, Low Fat Mayo and Lettuce
• ·         Falafel, Pickles, Tabbouleh & Hummus
• ·         Strawberries and Low Fat Cottage Cheese
• ·         Mango, Strawberry and Low Fat Yoghurt

Article by Rachel Parfitt @Thenutritionplayground