01-07-20
It’s probably the most talked about and popular topic right now, especially for the resolution makers, and that is to lose weight. We are one week into 2020 which means many of us are likely one week into the lifestyle changes we committed to in order to achieve our goals.
So, what exactly did you commit to this year? Was it a fad diet?
We know and understand that weight loss is a journey, it takes daily actions that add up over time, however, we are a culture and species who love instant gratification and those short cuts are far too tempting. That’s where the fad diet comes in. With a desire to “jump-start” your weight loss this year, you may have been sucked into one of these so-called fad diets.
What exactly is a fad diet and how will you know if you have chosen one? Let’s dive in.
Fad diets typically promote rapid weight loss and include limiting certain food groups. For example, some fad diets are focused on high protein and low carb while others eliminate fat. There are also fad diets that focus on consuming certain foods like cabbage. And, there are some that tell you at which time you should be consuming certain food groups and what you need to pair them with.
If your diet checks one of these boxes you will know that you have selected a fad diet:
- Promotes rapid weight loss (aka a quick fix).
- Limits or eliminates food groups altogether (we are talking about real whole foods here) while allowing unlimited amounts of specific foods.
- Sounds too good to be true (lose up to 20 lbs in your first two weeks).
- Makes claims that exercise and physical activity is not required.
- The program and meal plan is rigid and difficult to follow.
- Includes consuming special diet foods or weight loss shakes.
So, what’s the problem with fad diets anyway? Isn’t losing weight healthy?
That actually brings up a very important question for you, is your overall health and quality of life important to you? If that answer is yes, fad diets are not your solution. Let’s dive into why that is.
Fad diets are not long term solutions. Rather they are a quick, temporary fix, like a bandaid. Sure you may lose weight at first, but what happens when you stop? Yes, the weight comes back and the dreaded roller coaster dieting begins. But that’s only looking at the outside, the physical exterior. Have you stopped to think about what is happening on the inside?
Our bodies are complex with a variety of chemical reactions that take place. And, they require a variety of nutrients on a daily basis. A majority of these fad diets can actually deprive the body of vital nutrients and can result in nutritional deficiencies. Many popular fad diets lack nutrients like carbohydrates, certain vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber, to name a few. This deprivation of nutrients can result in health problems later in life.
What about your mind and mental state? Fad diets are downright stressful. You can eat this but not that and only this is at this certain time. Holy moly, that’s a lot to track with life happening! And, we all know that chronic stress is not good for our health, at all.
So what then? If not a fad diet in 2020, what is the solution?
It’s actually simple, which is great news. If you selected a fad diet to get rolling in 2020 don’t beat yourself up. We have all been there before. The external pressure to lose weight can be overwhelming and can put us in a state of desperation. And, when we reach that point anything that will help, no matter the consequences, can get to the best of us.
Here is what we have to remember, it took time to get to where we are today and it’s going to take time to get to our new destination. And that is ok. Remember to always be kind to yourself, love your body and it will love you back.
When you show your body love, you will be nurturing it with a balanced whole food diet, you will be moving daily (in whatever way you are able to), you will be practicing positive self-talk, you will be hydrating with quality H20, and you will be doing all of this one step at a time, making progress every day.
Will it be easy? Probably not. Will you be perfect? Gosh no, but you will get more consistent and that’s what matters.
Live the #NewEarthLife.
A balanced healthy life, that’s what we are about here at New Earth. It’s about complete wellness and living your best life possible. We also understand that total wellness actually starts in the gut. If you are ready to say goodbye to your fad diet and start moving toward total body wellness come live the #NewEarthLife with us!
We will be starting our exclusive 30 Day Gut Reboot on January 9th and would love to have you with us. We will be focusing on all things gut related, providing education on the gut microbiome, the gut-brain axis, and the gut wall and how all of these things have a great impact on your total body wellness