Are Fad Diets Good for You?

Losing weight can be very difficult for a majority of individuals. Men and women alike are constantly battling the scale. And, more often than not, the last few pounds are the most difficult to get rid of, with the body reaching a weight-loss plateau at a certain point.

The love for food and all things good (but bad for one’s health) provide constant temptation for even the most strong-willed of health buffs. To lose weight and maintain a healthy body, it is important to follow a balanced diet, with the right combination of carbohydrates, protein, fat, sugar and fiber. Also known as the Traditional Food Guide Pyramid, following this diet will also ensure that your body gets its daily requirement.

The American Heart Association is one of the health organizations that recommend healthy eating habits instead of the supposedly quick-and-easy weight-loss method of modern diets. The former usually concentrates on one particular type of food, like how the Atkins favors protein. Fad diets include, but are not limited to, the Cabbage Soup Diet, The Lazy Zone Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Chocolate Diet, the Atkins Diet, the 3-day Diet, the 7-day All-You-Can-Eat Diet, the Lemonade Diet and the Grapefruit/Fruit Juice Diet. Just the names of the diets alone are absurd, but not to those who are desperate to lose weight. These people will try anything, especially after failing several times.

The danger with following these diets that concentrate on just certain food groups is that you won’t be having a healthy lifestyle because you’re not getting your daily caloric requirement. At the same time, even though there might be some weight loss, it won’t be permanent because the weight can and will come back when you go back to your regular eating habits.

Nutritionists all over will still highly recommend the traditional diets, like the Food Pyramid, Weight Watchers and Mediterranean Diet. These, among others, make sure that you get the right balance of food with the proper nutritional value.

Eating a balanced diet doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t enjoy yourself. Sometimes, you just have to be creative with how your dishes are prepared. If you can’t seem to give up chocolates, chips, soda or alcohol, reward yourself with cheat days. But make sure that you eat healthily for most of the time so your diet won’t be counterproductive.