Are You on a Fad Diet?

Okay, so maybe you haven't done the best job sticking with your new year's resolution to lose 20 pounds by the summer so you can wear that bikini.  Now, bikini season is here, so what's a girl (or guy) to do?  There are so many fad diets out there that make unrealistic, yet enticing, promises, should you give them a try?  The answer is an emphatic no and here is why.  In addition to setting you up for failure with their unrealistic promises, some of these diets cause dehydration, nutritional imbalances, kidney failure, and osteoporosis.  Not to mention that some of them will have you confined to your house for two days unable to leave your bathroom!

So, what should you do as that bikini hangs on your doorknob as a constant reminder?  Get back on track with your workouts and eat a well-balanced diet containing lots of fruits, vegetables and lean meats.  At Club One Fitness, we just added a Power Hour class three times a week that will help you tone and lose calories all at the same time and you will be ready for that bikini before you know it/
 
Following are some fad diets, if you find yourself on one, change your diet to a more well-balanced diet immediately and hit the treadmill!  Those results are undeniable!

Lemonade diet

You have to stay away from solid food. You cannot consume plain water. You have to take water mixed with lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. You need to drink six to twelve glasses of this lemonade mixture daily. If you are overweight, you should use less maple syrup. If you are underweight, use more quantities of maple syrup. If you feel hungry, have another glass of lemonade.

3-day diet

The reasoning behind the 3-Day Diet plan is that if you eat a specific mix of foods you will create a chemical reaction in your digestive system, boosting your metabolism and causing the body to burn fat at a faster rate than usual. Dieters are to be on the diet program for only 3 days and must take a 2-day break before repeating it again. The reason behind this weight loss plan may sound interesting, but has no scientific basis whatsoever.

Cabbage Soup diet

You have to consume only cabbage soup for seven days. It does not furnish the essential nutrients for a well-balanced diet. Cabbage does not reduce weight by itself. Concentrating on only one food and excluding the others is probably the reason for weight. You'll eventually develop a distaste of the soup and eat less and less of it. Less food means fewer calories, and fewer calories lead to weight loss.

Atkins diet

You eat only high protein and high fat foods thereby consuming fewer calories. Carbohydrates are severely restricted like bread, potatoes, rice, chocolate, cereals and sugar. The carbohydrates are added back little by little into the diet. As the diet is nutritionally inadequate, supplements of vitamins and minerals are required. It is not known what effect the Atkins plan has on health in the long-term.

Raw Food diet

It is a vegan diet. Meat, chicken, eggs, dairy and animal products are to be completely avoided. Foods permitted on the diet are uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains, believed to contain more nutrients and digestion-aiding enzymes than cooked foods.

The Negative Calorie diet

It involves eating foods that burn more calories to digest than you will consume. It is controversial because the theory is not scientifically sound. No foods actually have 'negative calories'.

3-hour diet

It is based on the premise that it doesn't matter what you eat but when you eat it. If more than three hours pass between meals, the body turns on its natural 'starvation protection mechanism', causing the body to consume muscle, and adversely affects one's resting metabolism. The 3-Hour diet recommends eating smaller and more frequent meals to lower the levels of the belly fat producing hormone, Cortisol, and decrease levels of insulin and cholesterol.

The Grapefruit Diet

You eat a grapefruit at every meal, along with a small amount of protein (eggs, meat or chicken), black coffee, and salad. It is claimed that the massive weight loss is due to the fat-burning enzyme that the grapefruit contains, but the truth is that rapid weight loss will occur due to the low calorie intake.

The Grape Diet

You should only eat grapes and drink water. You can eat the grapes whole or for variety, slice them up into small pieces. Water can be drunk at all times but not within an hour after eating the grapes as this will only dilute the strength of the natural chemicals in the grapes. The grapes must be washed thoroughly to get rid of any pesticides that might be on the skin.

The Hollywood Diet

Its duration is two days. You have to consume a special juice.You are prohibited from drinking or smoking. It claims to reduce weight by 10 pounds in 48 hours. The juice is a mixtiure of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential oils.