Written by:  Corry Matthews, published in Max Sports & Fitness – actual link to article is http://www.maxmuscle.com/fitness-magazine/article/science-nutrition/232/  or read it here…

What’s with all the fad diets out there? Whether low-carb, low-calorie or low-fat, some company always has a gimmick to help you lose weight! Everyone is looking for that one magic pill or food! The problem is – it doesn’t exist! How many fad diets have you tried?
Low-Carb Diet
Low-Fat Diet
Liquid Diet (using low-calorie, high-fiber shakes)
Grapefruit Diet
The Beverly Hills Diet
Cabbage Soup Diet

Have any of you been able to stay on these deprivation diets for a long period of time? And if you did lose weight, did it stay off or come back once you began eating “normal” again?

If you’ve followed at least one of these diets, you have plenty of company. Problem is, if a diet really works, we’d all be on it, and we’d stay on it! The reality is that fad diets don’t help you lose the weight that stays off. The only true way to lose weight and keep it off is to change your lifestyle! Max Muscle Sports Nutrition is here is to help you see through all the empty promises!

What is a Fad Diet?
A fad diet is a diet that promises quick weight loss and is usually popular for only a short time. Fad diets are just as they sound, too good to be true! How many of us could actually eat grapefruit for every meal? Or how about soup? We also know that losing body fat without exercise never happens, or if it does, it doesn’t stay off. However, the fad diet industry makes millions of dollars every year off of consumers just like you and me who fall for their gimmicks!

Classic Signs of a Fad Diet
Fad diets usually make promises that are untrue or unsafe. The tips in this section will help you spot fad diets and avoid the unhealthy activities they recommend. Remember ? If a diet sounds too good to be true, it is.

How to Recognize a Fad Diet:
* Most fad diets will restrict certain types of foods, while encouraging the dieter to eat another type of food.
* The diet makes claims that weight loss is quick and rapid, without the need to exercise. (Rapid weight loss is defined as anything greater than two pounds per week.)
* The diet promotes miracle foods that burn fat.
* The diet has a rigid menu with a list of foods that must be eaten at a specific time of the day or in specific combinations.
* The diet will not have a warning label.
* The diet will not have credible scientific research to back up its claims.

Any diet that states absolute ratios of carbohydrates, proteins and fats (examples: 40, 30, 30 OR 60, 20, 20)
Another side effect of fad diets is “yo-yo dieting.” Yo-yo dieting is when a person goes on a diet, loses some weight, and then gains it back once they resume their normal way of eating. Frustrated with the weight gain, they try another diet. The cycle continues and research shows that people actually gain more overall weight with this type of dieting!

Following are some of the most common fad diets:

Liquid Diets
Most people who go on a liquid diet will probably lose weight. However, once the dieter resumes eating whole foods, the pounds generally come back. Liquid dieters should be cautious and are discouraged from being on a liquid diet for an extended period of time. These diets do not provide the body with the proper amount of vitamins and minerals needed to maintain optimal health.

High Protein Diets
High protein diets claim that if you eat large quantities of protein only, that you will lose fat and build muscle. However, high protein diets may cause damage to the liver and kidneys and must be balanced with whole grain carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables and healthy fats.

Low Fat Diets
The body needs fat to burn fat. The theory behind low fat diets is to remove all fat, so that you will burn your own body fat. The problem is the body does not work this way. Additionally most low fat foods add sugar to maintain taste!

One Food Diet
Any diet that requires you to eat only one specific food (example: grapefruit diet) is a fad diet. This type of restrictive diet is very unhealthy and most people cannot maintain this type of diet. Weakness can occur quickly due to low calorie consumption, as well as a lack of vitamins and minerals in the food. In addition, the body will lower its metabolic rate and burn fewer calories.

Variety Is Key
Just as a car needs the proper gasoline to make it run, a body needs a healthy diet and the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat in addition to essential vitamins and minerals to develop properly.

When you go on a fad diet and exclude any of the necessary nutrients, you’re putting yourself at risk for illness. Getting too little of a specific nutrient may not cause a problem immediately but in the long run you may suffer health consequences.

Max Muscle Sports Nutrition has Certified Nutrition Specialists ready to help you understand all the necessary tools for eating right! Make an appointment today to find out what your calorie and nutrient needs are! MS&F