3 Diets You Should Probably Avoid
By Genevieve Cunningham
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s easy to get sucked into promises of instant weight loss or sudden transformations. The problem is that anything promising instant results probably isn’t the best choice. Losing weight and sculpting the body takes time and effort; it shouldn’t happen overnight or the results likely won’t last. To help guard against these ineffective quick fixes, take a look at these three diets that you should probably avoid in your quest for a healthy body.
The Grapefruit Diet
Have you heard of this diet? It’s almost hard to believe that anyone would try it. Though grapefruit is definitely good for you, it’s not healthy to eat only grapefruit day in and day out, which is exactly what this diet calls for. Will it work? Actually … yes. But the reason it will work is because you’re starving your body of calories and essential nutrients. Though you’ll likely lose weight, you’ll probably also lose muscle and bone density. And once the time frame for the diet is over, the weight will likely pour back on even faster than you lost it.
The Military Diet
The military diet is a little more complicated than the grapefruit diet. First, it’s important to note that this diet is not actually connected to the military in any way … it’s just a name. This diet lays out a very specific plan of what to eat for a set number of days. Does it work? Again, the answer is probably yes. But once again, it’s likely because the body will be starving. The caloric intake for this diet often falls below 1000 calories, which is far less than the average person needs and far fewer than can be sustained for a long period of time. When the diet is over, the weight will come back and you’ll have to start all over.
The HcG Diet
This diet was all the rage a few years ago. Though its popularity has declined, some are still sucked in by its promised magic. How does it work? You’re supposed to eat a daily count of only 500 calories, and you’re also supposed to get injections of HcG every day. Sometimes these are simple tabs that can be put on the tongue. They’re supposed to burn fat and curb hunger. With only 500 calories per day, the diet will cause weight loss, but it won’t be the healthy kind. When the diet is over and you increase your caloric intake, the weight will come back, often times even more than before.
The truth is that a diet shouldn’t be a way to starve yourself. A diet is simply the foods that you put into your body. If you want to lose weight, change the quality of foods that go into your mouth, and limit your calories to a healthy number. It will take time, but taking the healthy approach will help you lose weight, build a strong body, and sustain a healthier body for a lifetime.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.