The Lies and Truths of Fad Diets

There are a lot of diets out there that promise very fast fat loss, and a lot of times, they don't mention anything about exercise and proper nutrition. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are thinking about trying the "next big thing" in fat loss:

Lie: You can lose weight with “exceptionally easy rules.”
Truth: Most fad diet plans have complicated rules that require you to calculate protein requirements, count carbohydrate grams, combine certain foods, time meal intervals, purchase special products, plan daily menus, and measure serving sizes

Lie: You can lose weight by eating a specific ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
Truth: Weight loss depends on spending more energy than you take in

Lie: This “revolutionary diet” can “reset your genetic code”
Truth: You inherited your genes and cannot alter your genetic code

Lie: High-protein diets are popular, selling more than 20 million books, because they work
Truth: Weight-loss books are popular because people grasp for quick fixes and simple solutions to their weight problems. If book sales were an indication of weight-loss success, we would be a lean nation – but they’re not, and neither are we.

Lie: People gain weight on low-fat diets
Truth: People can gain weight on low-fat diets if they overindulge in carbohydrates and proteins while cutting fat; low-fat diets are not necessarily low-calorie diets. But people can also lose weight on low-fat diets if they cut calories as well as fat.

Lie: High-protein diets energize the brain
Truth: The brain depends on glucose for its energy; the primary dietary source of glucose is carbohydrates, not protein.

Lie: Thosands of people have been successful with this plan.
Truth: Most (and many times, none) of the authors of fad diets have published their research findings in scientific journals. Success stories are anecdotal and failures are not reported

Lie: Carbohydrates raise blood glucose levels, triggering insulin production and fat storage.
Truth: Insulin promotes fat storage when energy intake exceeds energy needs. Furthermore, insulin is only one hormone involved in the complex processes of maintaining the body’s energy balance and health.

Lie: Eat protein and lose weight
Truth: For every complicated problem, there is a simple-and wrong solution.