Fad Diets Are Bad Advice: Why?
We get the allure of diets. Most people like to have boundaries set for them, and many want someone else to take the guesswork out of nutrition so they can focus on other things that matter. I’ve also found that certain folks actually get some satisfaction out of deprivation, and of course, there’s solidarity in jumping on the bandwagon.
But here’s the deal
Once you start throwing around the big d-word (diet, that is), you’ve almost invariably set yourself up for failure. While the word “diet” really refers to the kinds of foods you habitually eat, the overwhelming majority of us associate the term with a restrictive and short-term regimen that we use as a vehicle to get from point A to point B.
As soon as you abandon whatever behaviors got you where you wanted to be (i.e., point B), you’re bound to find yourself right back where you started (i.e., point A). That’s not to say that diets don’t work; they most certainly can, and often, they work remarkably well. But if you want the results to stick, the behaviors have to as well.
Along those lines, diets really start working for you when you accept the real definition of the term and embrace diet as part of your lifestyle, or way of life. This is why approaches like the Mediterranean-style and Paleo-style ways of eating tend to be so successful and are unlikely to go anywhere soon.
On the other side of the coin
You have the “everything in moderation” mindset, which seems to be increasingly embraced. lt seems like such a rational, pragmatic idea, and it’s nice, neat and simple to say. For most, it “feels” good t00.
When it comes to diet, though, this is a cop out. The problem isn’t that people are using this mantra in reference to eating a variety of colorful veggies and fruits (which is a good idea). The problem is that “everything in moderation” is typically an excuse to overeat, indulge and put better choices on hold until tomorrow … or Monday, which ends up never coming. It’s permission to hold off on exercising self-control for another day; it flies in the face of discipline.
And research doesn’t disagree.
At best, according to a study published in the journal PLOS One, the data does “not support the notion that ‘eating everything in moderation’ leads to greater diet quality or better metabolic health.” Worse, this mindset (at least in the context of our current food environment, which is riddled with an abundance of highly-palatable, energy-dense pro-cessed foods) associates with weight gain and elevated waist circumference.
If you’re the type of person who has struggled to achieve your health and wellness goals, maybe it’s time to ditch the “everything in moderation” notion; instead, embrace a laser-like focus on upping your game. If you ask the most successful people in any domain, they’re unlikely to tell you that “balance” or “moderation” got them to where they are. Rather, going “all in” is usually the recipe for moving the needle, which often requires putting all (or most) of your eggs in one basket.
To Your Health,
