Kitchener Personal Trainer

The claims sure are enticing. Lose twenty pounds in a week. Get the body of your dreams before beach season. Be the envy of all your friends. And just to show you that they’re serious, all the information is presented by a human Barbie doll. It’s gotta work, right?  

Though popular diets come and go quicker than the turning of seasons, people are still pulled in like moths to a flame. Despite what the best-selling books and peppy infomercials will tell you, there is no magic formula to getting the body of your dreams.  I agree that weight loss can be an overwhelming task, which only makes the popular diet programs that promise easy weight loss more tempting. The sad truth is that most often these fad diets result in regained pounds and in additional weight gained.  

Recognize Fad Diets and Weight Loss Gimmicks

Does it make unrealistic claims? Look, I know you’d love to lose twenty pounds in a week, but that just isn’t realistic. Safe weight loss is at the rate of no more than two pounds each week. Weight loss that is faster than that will cause your metabolism to slow, which makes it easier for you to regain the weight after you return to your normal eating pattern.  

Does it ask that you purchase special products? There are no chemically enhanced food items or gimmicks needed for weight loss. Simply eat a balance of vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, fruits and low fat dairy products. Any program that expects you to give up healthy whole foods in exchange for manufactured ‘diet’ products simply will not work.  

Does it eliminate certain foods or whole food groups? Any program that wants you to eliminate healthy food from your diet will set you up for failure and even risk your health. Your body requires an array of healthy foods; eliminating food groups causes you to lose out on nutrients that you need.  

Does it include a strict plan to follow? Come on, we are humans, not robots. Who can really stick with a drastic diet schedule? If a program cannot be customized to fit your personal likes and dislikes as well as your schedule then you won’t stick with it. 

These are just some ways to recognize a fad diet when you see one and realize that results take time, effort and patience! Comment any fad diets that you’ve spotted or have tried!