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The number of “fad” diets over the last 5 years has gone up 10 fold. With social media marketing and the rise of the instant consumer lifestyle we have became used to everyone is looking for the best new thing to get them to their health and fitness goals.
Firstly lets get this out of the way. Any detox teas, tablets or pills are a absolute waste of time. Im sure some of the science behind green tea for fat loss can be justified if you want to but no pill, tea or any other supplement will replace any diet or real food choices so don't waste your time or money there. Also if you are reading this I am presuming you have a basic understanding of nutrition and know that your diet should contain mainly nutrient dense whole foods and not processed nonsense every meal of everyday. Now that being, said lets get to the actual different diets themselves. When looking at any diets you need to consider your weight loss goals and how it fits in your lifestyle. The simple fact is some foods that are seen as healthy are more expensive. So if you plan on doing the Keto diet and eating lots of rib-eye steak, nuts & eggs you may need to consider the financial commitment of this diet and if this cost is something you want to stomach along with the copious amounts of avocado. Although the Keto or low / no carb diet along with most “extreme” diets can show promise and good results for weight loss and energy, the fact is we all enjoy carbs, fats and variety or at least most of us pizza lovers do and the main reason these seem to work is a simple calorie deficit by removing 1 of the 3 macro nutrients (proteins, carbs & fats).
The second thing to consider is longevity and the ability to stick to any restricted or limited diet on your health and lifestyle. Your body requires many nutrients and vitamins which are contained in various foods in different volumes. If you eat a range of different meats, vegetables, grains etc. you will most likely consume a large amount of your requirement from these. However by removing a specific food weather that is meat, carbohydrates, fats, you will likely be removing the intake of some of these nutrients and in turn have a negative impact on your physical health. There is also the lifestyle effect that comes with any restricted diet. Limiting your ability to go and spend time with friends for a drink on a friday after work or out for a meal with your family due to limited options on menus at restaurants can move you to have a negative relationship with food and nutrition. Always try and make sure your diet fits and improves your life and that it is not controlled or resolves around it.
The final consideration we will look into is the overall balance of weight loss vs wellbeing. When you are following any diet you are most likely in a balance of weight loss vs wellbeing. In my experience this is the most difficult thing people have to figure out. Wellbeing is the overall physical health and mental health you are in while following the diet. Can you maintain a good relationship with family and friends? Are you able to perform at work and feel good each morning you wake up? These are all wellbeing factors of any diet. The other side of this balance is the simple fact of what is required for your goals. A calorie deficit is what is required for weight loss, you can be eating a low calorie diet and feel terrible, tired all day, not want to exercise and be in a negative mental space. This is why you need to know your body, be aware of what you feel like not only physically but also mentally while eating any particular way. No diet is simply good or bad, they all have positive and negative side effects. So if you want to try vegan, keto or any other diet then give it a go. Track how you feel in a diary, maybe take a multivitamin if you have removed a food group to keep your vitamin intake balanced and find what works for you. Please just don’t do detox teas!
Want to find out more about nutrition? Check out my energy balance blog post.
For Personal Training enquires email me on h.hughespt@gmail.com or message me on @harryhfitness
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