Forget fad diets

Diets that don’t include a variety of healthy foods or that severely restrict calories are not good for long term weight loss or your health. Some fad diets are actually more damaging to your health than obesity.   

It is difficult to keep up a diet that is low in calories as it is uncomfortable to be hungry. "Starving has nothing to do with losing weight," says Dr Stephen P. Gullo. He says that hunger pangs are a sign that you are doing something wrong. Succeeding at weight loss doesn't mean that you have to give up the fine taste of food, it means that you have to be selective. When you lose weight from starving, your metabolism may decrease as a result. This means that even though you’re eating fewer calories, you are also burning off fewer calories. It also means that instead of losing weight, you lose muscle. 

When you return to eating foods that are higher in fat or calories, you are more likely to put on fat instead of muscle. This may cause you to put on weight more quickly and it may take longer to lose weight in the future. If you already have health problems, yo-yo dieting may put your health at risk.   

A diet of only 800 calories a day could result in lower immunity, an irregular heartbeat, irregular construction, a lower sex drive, lower metabolism, loss of lean body tissue, headaches, fatigue, dry skin and helplessness. Diets that allow you to eat plenty of just a few types of foods may also cause your heart to suffer as you will not consummate important nutrients that are vital to health.   

It is best to adopt an eating plan that includes reasonable amounts of a variety of foods and don't allow weight loss of more than one kilogram a week. A satisfying meal of healthy portions of vegetables has fewer calories than some meals recommended by addicts.

Always consult a dietician or professional if you need assistance in developing a suitable eating plan that is tailored to your needs.   

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