RockSolidBody

‘Fad’ means a craze, a trend, a whim. That’s exactly what fad diets are: Crazy diets. Started by unscrupulous nutritionists & dietitians who just want to cash in on the weight loss band wagon.

Fad diets are mostly imbalanced in their nutritional approach. They may lack required energy, protein and vital vitamins and minerals that are essential for health, and run a high risk of leading to nutritional deficiencies. They are not only unhealthy, but also counter-productive to our final goal: an ideal body.

It may come as a surprise to many but sheer weight loss is not going to give any fat person the body he or she dreams about. Its only when the weight loss is selectively only in terms of body fat that the person will be happy with his or her body. Fat loss is going to give you the athletic toned body you want…NOT INDISCRIMINATE WEIGHT LOSS that does not distinguish between fat loss & muscle loss.

Scientifically designed balanced diets based on the tenets of sports nutrition is what will make us lean & athletic, provided we workout. Fad diets on the other hand will simply make us lose weight by a loss of productive shapely muscle & weaken us very much like illness does. It will lower the basal Metabolic rate & set the person up for further fat gain the moment he gets off the fad diet (Commonly known as the Yo-Yo syndrome.) These fad diets will not even allow the body to workout intensely to reach peak fitness levels. In fact not surprisingly most proponents of these fad diets actually warn people against working out while on their idiotic diets.

We all need to wake up to one fact – Fad diets do not work. They do not produce sustainable weight loss. They do not change our body composition to that ‘sculpted, toned’ body we all yearn for. But scientific balanced diets do. And beautifully fast!

But the common man finds it easier to believe in ‘magic’ than in science!

IDENTIFYING A FAD DIET

How can you tell what is a scientific diet and what is pseudo-science or ‘fad’?

To find out, ask 3 simple questions:

1.      Does the diet exclude one or more of the five major food group(s)?

Each food group supplies essential nutrients, and all food groups have to be balanced for an individual as per his/her requirement. Exclusion is the first sign of imbalance and nutritional deficiencies.

2.      Does the diet promise you a ‘quick fix’? Are its claims ‘too good to be true’? For example: unrealistic targets of 4-5kg weight loss per week?

Since fat oxidation is a physiologically slow process, scientific facts and data of scientific weight loss programs show that loss of excess body fat can only occur at an average rate of ½ kg per week, going up to 1kg per week in a metabolically active body. A diet promising 4-5kg weight loss per week is obviously targeting loss of body fluids and lean tissues, which are denser and heavier.

3.      Does the diet make strong sweeping statements with no scientific basis?

For example: “Avoid salty foods as they cause weight gain.” Sodium does not cause fat gain and needs to only be avoided by hypertensives and those with problems of fluid retention.

“Avoid all oils for fat loss”. Good quality essential fats are a must for normal body functioning and actually help in faster fat-burning and lowering of cholesterol levels.

If your answer to any of the above 3 questions is yes, don’t fall prey!

To paraphrase William Shakespeare, “A Fad diet by any other name is still a fad diet”.

List of few popular fad diets:

·         Atkins Diet

·         Beverly Hills Diet

·         Cabbage Soup Diet

·         Chicken Soup Diet

·         Grapefruit diet

·         General Motors (G.M.) diet

·         Hollywood diet

·         Macrobiotic diet

·         Magnetic Diet

·       Metabolism diet

·         South Beach Diet

·        3-day diet

·         Zone Diet

To illustrate just how unscientific & harmful Fad diets can be…lets breakdown & analyze one of the most popular & well known fad diets of the 20th century…THE GM DIET.

GENERAL MOTORS DIET PROGRAM

The General Motors (GM) diet was developed in 1985 for employees and dependents of General Motors, Inc with an intention to facilitate a wellness and fitness program for all employees & their families. It was approved for distribution by the Board of Directors, General Motors Corp. at a general meeting on August 15, 1985. This program is designed for a target weight loss of 10-17lbs (4-7.5kg) per week. Originally intended for their exclusive use, it soon became popular all over the US due to stories of GM employees shedding loads of weight in weeks became known to the outside public.

Its protocol is as follows:

1.      Day One

All fruits except bananas. Lots of melons (such as watermelon) are strongly recommended.

2.      Day Two

All raw or cooked vegetables of choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. A large baked potato is recommended for breakfast with butter for ‘energy and balance’.

3.      Day Three

A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today because of the carbohydrates from the fruits.

4.      Day Four

Bananas and milk. As many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with a special soup.

5.      Day Five (‘feast day’)

Beef and tomatoes. Two 10 oz. portions of lean beef combined with six whole tomatoes. Increase water intake to ‘cleanse and purify’ the system.

6.      Day Six

Beef and vegetables. Unlimited amount of beef and vegetables.

7.      Day Seven

Brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables. This ‘gets the body’s system under control’ after the ‘flushing and cleaning’.

Benefits claimed by the GM diet:

·         Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything to sustain life.

·         Vegetables and tomatoes are calorie free and provide essential vitamins and fibre.

·         Beef is a good source of iron and protein.

Scientific analysis:

·         Fruits and vegetables are great sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals but lack protein, complex carbohydrates and good quality fats.

·         Beef and white meats such as chicken are good sources of first-class protein but lack complex carbohydrates, fibre and good quality fats.

·         But all essential nutrients are not allowed together on even one day! The exclusion of two or more food groups in each day’s diet makes it highly nutrient deficient.

·         This nutrient deficiency leads to loss of body fluids and lean tissues from the body, which shows as a drastic weight loss and weakens the body.

·         Cutting out vital nutrients and creating an imbalance does not ‘cleanse and purify’ the body. Detoxification is an essential process that is a daily part of any nutritious balanced program including optimum hydration and balance of all vitamins and minerals.

It’s said “An apple a day keeps the doctor today”. But if you ate only apples every day, you would never be able to keep the doctor away.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS

The extreme nutrient deficiencies created by the GM diet push the body in a state of accelerated catabolism (breakdown), i.e. loss of all lean tissues including muscle mass and body fluids.

This leads to:

1.      Weakness:

The breakdown and loss of lean tissues lead to a state similar to of illness, with a great drop in fitness level and physical capacity.

2.      ‘Out-of-shape’ body:

The diet gives weight loss but without much loss of inches. This worsens the body composition, and the body loses its firmness and shape. Sagging, loose skin and an untoned body is a common end-result.

3.      Rebound effect: fast fat regain:

Loss of active lean tissues slows down the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and leads to lower calorie-burning during all activities. This leads to fast regain of body fat even with a restricted calorie diet.

The person goes back to the same or higher weight with higher body fat and greater risk of health problems.

4.      Accelerated aging:

Aging and all age-related problems are a result of deterioration of all body systems and lean tissues. The accelerated breakdown due to the G.M.diet does nothing but speed up the degeneration process and the body grows older than it actually is.

Think about it – would you want to be 5kg lesser in a week, if at the end of that week, your body became 5 years older? If your answer in NO…then stay away from Fad diets…