Resolve to Avoid FADs

This time of year, my social media feeds are flooded with advertisements and posts about all the miraculous quick fixes out there.  Complete with side-by-side photographic evidence!  But as we aim to make changes this time of year, it’s time to be smarter, not gullible, with the choices we make when it comes to weight loss.  And the first step is to know what FADs out their to avoid when it comes to weight loss.

Avoid FADs

FADs (Fast Acting Diets) may seem incredibly tempting, especially at this time of year.  We just spent the past few weeks eating and drinking things we don’t usually have – and excess amounts of it.  So of course a quick fix sounds super appealing right now.  But those few pounds you may lose is not the road to success- and can actually wind up costing you extra weight gain in the future.  If a diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Here’s what to watch out for when it comes to FADs:

• Promises a quick fix
• Little or no physical activity
• Rigid meal plans restricting number of calories or cutting out certain foods
• Odd amounts of food or special food combinations
• Costs excess money from purchasing special foods or supplements

“It Worked For Me” ≠ It Will Work For YOU

I can’t tell you how many articles, social media posts, and books I read based on anecdotes.  I constantly have patients requesting to go on a certain “diet” because they saw a friend lose a lot of weight.  That one person achieved success by cutting something out of their diet, and now they feel they have cracked the code to weight loss.  The truth is every BODY is different and weight loss isn’t a one solution fits all process.  YOU need to find an eating lifestyle that works for YOU.

Fitness + Exercise:  You Can’t Have One Without the Other

Sorry folks.  Any “diet” promising weight loss without doing exercise is a sham.  Sure, you can certainly lose weight if you decrease calorie intake, but eventually
your body learns how to maintain at that level.  Exercise IS the magic key to weight loss.  Exercise not only creates a demand for calories from your body’s stores, but it also increases your body’s metabolic rate to use calories more efficiently rather than automatically storing them.  No exercise means as soon as you go off that “diet”, you have a higher chance of gaining back back the weight, PLUS some extra.

Be A Team

You and your significant other should be a team in your weight loss journey, whether or not it’s a goal for both or just one of you.  Encourage your special someone to make SMART goals, and discourage them from spending money on silly diets.  At $300-400 a month for some of these wacky products, the only place you’ll be losing weight is from your wallet.

Work With a Professional

A Registered Dietitian (like yours truly!) can help get you on a healthy, safe eating plan that works with you and your needs.  Remember that not every person who calls themselves a “nutritionist” has the proper expertise, so do your homework.  A mom looking to earn extra money on the side by selling vitamin supplements probably isn’t the most qualified person.  To work with a Registered Dietitian, Contact ME or check out the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

What FAD diets have you tried in the past?  What are some red flags of some of the “diets” you have tried?  Have you worked with a Registered Dietitian before?  Sound off in the Comments below!