Why I don’t practice or preach ‘fad’ diets
It is the start of a new year. The holidays provide time for reflection. Now we are in the planning and action phase! The internet and social media are flooded with ‘new year, new you’ messages, promising transformations if only you follow the fad. We’ve all done it. The lure of a quick fix is hard to resist. And you may have experienced some short term success in the past, losing weight, feeling fitter, more energy, more sparkle. But the effects are often short term and before you know it, you are back at square one – or even further back than when you started. This blog dives into why I don’t practice or preach ‘fad’ diets.
The Latest Crazes
On the first page of an internet search using the term ‘lose weight’, I get the following:
- Advert for Audio Hypnosis to help with weight loss
- Continuous glucose monitoring and how the key to weight loss is hiding in your breath
- Weight loss meal replacement powder product
- Goal tracker app
- Keto gummies and how you can eat your favourite food, drink soda and still lose weight if you take these gummies
- Article on how a famous person ate only potatoes for 2 weeks to lose weight
- Some advice from government agencies ’12 Tips to lose weight’ etc
Even just looking at this list makes me confident about why I don’t practice or preach ‘fad’ diets!
Toss in Dry January and Veganuary and you’ve got a lot of ‘fads’ to choose from.
Why I don’t practice or preach ‘fad’ diets
Not all of the things in the list above are bad. Some of them may help you get started on the road to a healthier lifestyle. They can get you focused and with some short term impact, get you motivated.
However, the fact is that a ‘healthier you’ is not going to be achieved by extreme dietary or lifestyle fads. We need to remember that good nutrition is not about calorie counting or food restrictions and eliminations. Therein lies the yo-yo effect of fad dieting: weight lost and regained; health found and lost again. And we cannot overlook the negative effects on our mental health with following a fad – riding high as we achieve a target, beating ourselves up when we fail to stick at it.
However, the fact is that a ‘healthier you’ is not going to be achieved by extreme dietary and lifestyle fads
A healthier you will be found by taking small steps from where you are now, making them stick, and then tiptoeing further forward. Before the year is out, the steps you’ve taken will feel second nature and your health and health span will have improved. You may need some help along the way – you can book a call with me here to find out about my services or check out the Find a Practitioner function on the BANT website. Over time, and with the right support, you’ll be striding forward with greater confidence and energy.
So the reasons why I don’t practice or preach ‘fad’ diets?
They are not sustainable in the long term
Bodies need variety for good health. Fad diets are often extreme
They play with our psyche and may damage our mental health
5 Things you can do today which come with the following warning:
They may improve your health
Step 1 – Make water your first and last drink of the day
Step 2 – Get outside at least once every day – even if it is just for a potter in the garden
Step 3 – Keep tech out of your bedroom
Step 4 – Eat a meal with family and friends as often as you can during the week
Step 5 – Every time you eat, include something fresh and colourful
If you are looking to ‘get healthy’ this year, these simple changes are within your grasp. Start with one and make it routine. You may not initially feel any difference, but it will be having some impact. Then move onto the next step. Overtime, the scales will start to shift, back towards the ‘healthy you’ that you seek.
If you would like to discuss your own situation with chronic pain or digestive issues, and how nutrition and lifestyle changes may be able to help, you can book a free call with me. It is worth investing in your health so you can get your life back on track. Call me to find out more.
For more simple changes you can make today, check out 3 Simple Nutrition Foundations and Confused about what to eat to feel better.