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Fad diets are called fads for a reason. They are short-lived and people tend to go really hard on these diets to lose weight but end up going back to their previous habits. Keto, carnivore, atkins, paleo, intermittent fasting; you’ve heard them all and you’re probably heard of someone in your life, if not yourself, try and fail at these diets. That is because each one of these diets are restrictive in their own way. When you restrict, it's only a matter of time before you say “screw it” and go back to the way you were eating before.
Let me give you some reasons why these fad diets are not worth your time.
Some of the most popular diets in the last few decades are the ketogenic and carnivore diet. Keto and carnivore are problematic for similar reasons. They both restrict carbs! Carbs are the brain and body’s main source of energy to function. The brain alone needs 130g of carbs to function properly every day. Carbs give you energy to function throughout the day and fuel your workouts. If you lose weight from this diet, it is because you are in a calorie deficit, not because you are restricting carbs.
Intermittent fasting is another popular fad that has been going around. This diet requires that you fast for a portion of the day and only eat during a certain window. This could look like 16 hours of fasting and an eight hour window for eating for example. Some people will do different time frames. People follow this way of eating for a few reasons. Some people say that it helps them function better cognitively or that it improves their metabolic health. Some people say it helps them lose weight. If you decide to fast and it makes you feel good for whatever reason, be my guest. But if you are fasting for weight loss and it’s working, it’s because you are in a calorie deficit, not because you stopped eating at 6pm.
The common theme in a lot of these diets is that if people are losing weight, it’s because they are in a calorie deficit, not because of the diet itself. They also leave most people feeling deprived, leading to binging on the things they were missing after the diet is over. And if you’re going to go back to old habits, what’s the point of doing the diet in the first place?
So if these diets aren’t the solution, what is?
Flexible dieting and the “addition” method.
Flexible dieting is about balance and not restricting the foods you love. All foods can fit. We want to be eating 85% whole foods and the other 15% can be for “fun foods”.
Eat what you want, add what you need (aka: the “addition” method). This is another rule I live by. If I want the bagel for breakfast, I’m going to eat the bagel. I just make sure to make a balanced meal around the bagel. This means adding a protein source, a fat, and color to make the meal well rounded so I am getting all my nutrients and I won’t be hungry soon after. For example, this could look like the bagel as my carb, cream cheese as the fat, and eggs with spinach and mushrooms (eggs are the protein and veggies are the color). I get to eat the thing I want while also getting in everything I need to make a well balanced meal to keep me full and satiated.
We want to create healthy habits to achieve long term lifestyle changes. Following a diet for a few months and then going back to the old habits does not change anything long term. Fad diets are out and flexible eating is in!
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