Fad diets are diet plans that are advertised as the best and quickest way to lose weight. However, several of these diets involve avoiding foods that provide essential nutrients that your body requires to stay healthy.
That being said, there are numerous individuals who do these fad diets and believe them to work. Although some of them may work for certain individuals, there will come a time when it would backfire on you since fad diets are not necessarily a healthy way to lose weight.
So, today, we’re going to talk about the pros and cons of these fad diets to help you to weigh out if they’re worth doing or not.
Pros of Fad Diets
You Will Lose Weight
One of the first pros of doing a fad diet is that you will lose weight, although it’s not guaranteed for every individual. The reason why you lose weight by doing these fad diets is that you’re avoiding certain foods like sugar, processed foods, and high-carb meals. By avoiding these certain foods, you are losing weight.
Lots of Fruits and Vegetables
Another pro of doing a fad diet is that the meal planning of most fad diets consists of a lot of fruits and vegetables. Most fad diets substitute a lot of “bad” foods for fruits and vegetables. For example, instead of chocolate, you can eat bananas instead.
In addition, eating a lot of fruits and vegetables will ensure that your body gets enough supply of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in your body.
Can Help Identify Poor Eating Habits
Since the majority of fad diets tell you to avoid certain foods, you’re able to identify poor eating habits you had before. For example, a typical western diet typically consists of processed foods, high-carb meals, and added sugars, but by doing a fad diet, you’re probably going to avoid the majority of these foods.
Cons of Fad Diets
Health Risks
Since fad diets often cut off certain foods that are key for nutrients, you might experience health risks like dehydration, fatigue, nausea, weakness, and even headaches. You might also experience mental disorders like body dysmorphia.
Inadequate Nutrients
As mentioned, fad diets cut off a lot of food that your body needs to get enough nutrients to keep you strong and healthy. By cutting off these foods, your body may not get enough nutrients it needs to sustain your health.
Although you are stocked up with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals from fruits and vegetables, your body also needs fats and carbs to function properly.
Can Be Difficult to Follow
Fad diets can also be difficult to follow, especially if you’re someone who often goes out to eat, and doesn’t have enough time to meal prep and plan. Meal planning and prepping are key for fad diets since one slip-up can ruin your entire diet plan.
These diets are also incredibly restrictive, so they can be quite hard to implement the majority of the time.
Unhealthy Way of Losing Weight
Lastly, even if you are losing weight by doing fad diets, it’s not a healthy way of losing weight. You are restricting yourself to certain foods that your body needs for the sake of losing weight, which isn’t healthy physically and mentally.
Bottomline
Even if there are advantages to following fad diets, they are outweighed by the disadvantages. There are many healthier ways to lose weight, so if at all possible, avoid these restrictive diets.
