From skipping meals to just having soups all day, there are numerous fad diets that promise to make you shed those extra kilos and magically slim you down. But most of these diets are too good to be true. In certain cases, they can even lead to serious health issues.
So, while you are trying to lose weight, here we uncover the latest fads – and if you are following them, remember this is the unhealthiest way to lose weight.
1. Skipping meals
Skipping your breakfast, lunch and dinner might seem to be the easiest way to slash your calories but this might not give you the desired results. A recent animal study published by the Journal of Nutrition Biochemistry found that mice who ate just one meal a day had more unhealthy belly fat as compared to those who had all their meals.
2. Drinking vinegar before every meal
Studies suggest that drinking vinegar stabilizes blood sugar levels and promotes a feeling of satiety. But vinegar is highly acidic in nature and drinking too much of it can irritate the throat and stomach. You can add vinegar to your salads and continue to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet for successful weight loss.
3. You are eating everything fat-free
Saying no to all form of fats including the healthy ones might not just leave your food bland but may also make you sick. Not eating enough fat can make you feel hungry all the time, make your skin dry and lead to extreme mental fatigue. Low-fat diets are completely ineffective for weight loss, says a recent analysis of 53 studies of 70,000 people published in The Lancet.
4. You are drinking ice cold water
If you prefer having chilled water, it is okay. But if you are adding ice cubes to your glass of water because you have heard cold water helps you lose weight, it’s not worth it. It is said when you drink chilled water, your body spends extra energy in bringing down the temperature of the water, which is true. But in doing so, your body burns only 8 calories, which isn’t really helpful.
5. You are eating just one type of food
Many crash diets suggest you to have just one food category or fruit the entire time to lose weight. This might help you lose weight in the short term but builds an unhealthy relationship with food. Moreover, eating only one food makes it impossible for you to meet your daily nutritional needs and increases your chances of deficiencies.
6. You have switched to diet soda
Switching from sugary high-calorie soda to diet soda might seem like a healthy choice but by doing so, you are fooling yourself.. Diet soda and other diet beverages have their own set of risks. A long term study published in The Journal of The American Geriatrics Society found that people who consumed diet soda (artificial sweeteners) gained more weight and belly fat that those who completely skipped it.
7. You are replacing your meals with weight loss shakes
You are recommended to have a high protein shake for one meal in order to lose weight. But this works only when your other meals consist of real foods like complex carbs, lean protein and healthy fats. If what you consume all day is shakes, you are depriving yourself of other nutrients. In this case, when you get back to eating solid foods, the lost weight comes back.
8. You are working out empty stomach
An article published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal found out that exercising on an empty stomach doesn’t help you burn more calories, while people believe otherwise. In fact, when you go to the gym on an empty stomach, you are most likely to end up losing muscle, which is bad news because muscles help you burn calories when you are at rest.
9. You are eating less than 1200 calories per day
Cutting calories does help you lose weight but overdoing it won’t budge your waistline. Not eating enough calories slows down the metabolism that leaves you deprived of energy and hinders your weight loss. It is not recommended to eat less than 1200 calories per day, especially for women.
10. You prefer eating sugar-free foods all the time
Just because the label of that energy bar reads sugar-free doesn’t mean you should choose it over a piece of fruit. A snack that does not have sugar is packed with artificial sweeteners which cannot only hinder weight loss but also lead to digestive issues. Go for natural, whole foods, as often and possible.
