8 "Fad" Diets That Actually Work
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The fad diet is extremely popular for weight loss.
They generally promise rapid weight loss and other health benefits, but there is often no scientific evidence to support their use. Also, in the long run, these are often nutritionally unbalanced and ineffective.
However, there are some "weird" diets that have been found to produce weight loss in high-quality controlled studies.
In addition, these diets can be healthy, balanced, and sustainable.
Here are eight “fad” diets that actually work.
1. The Atkins diet
The Atkins diet is the world's most famous low-carbohydrate weight loss diet.
Created by cardiologist Robert Atkins in the early 1970s, the Atkins diet claims rapid weight loss without hunger.
It consists of four stages, including a two-week initial intake phase that limits carbohydrates to 20 grams per day when a limited amount of protein and fat are consumed.
At this stage, his body begins to convert fat into compounds called ketones and changes them to use as the main source of energy.
The Atkins Diet then asks its followers to add carbohydrates gradually to increase their expenditure by 5 grams and determine their "critical carbohydrate levels" in order to lose weight and maintain the loss.
Studies comparing the Atkins diet with other diets have shown that it is the least effective and often the most effective way to lose weight.
In the famous A to Z study, 311 overweight women followed the Atkins diet, the Ornish low-fat diet, the Learn Diet or the Zone Diet for one year. Atkins' group lost more weight than any other team.
Other controlled studies have found similar low-carb diets based on the Atkins principles to improve risk factors for heart disease.
Summary:
The Atkins diet is a high protein and high-fat diet that restricts carbohydrates and gradually replenishes them based on personal tolerance. Additional studies show that this is one of the most effective ways to lose weight.
2. South Beach diet
Like Dr. Atkins, Dr. Arthur Agatson is a cardiologist who is passionate about helping patients lose weight without feeling overwhelmed and hungry.
He liked some aspects of the Atkins diet, but he was concerned that uncontrolled use of saturated fat could increase the risk of heart disease.
So, in the mid-1990s, he developed a low-carb, low-fat, high-protein diet called the South Beach Diet for the area where he practiced medicine in South Florida.
Although the first stage of the diet is low in carbohydrates and very low in fat, the diet becomes less limited in stages 2 and 3, allowing for a limited amount of all kinds of unprocessed foods while maintaining a high protein consumption.
The diet encourages high protein intake because protein has been shown to burn more calories during digestion than carbohydrates or fat.
Plus, protein stimulates the release of hormones that suppress your appetite and help you feel full for hours.
An extensive review of 24 studies found that high-protein, low-fat diets further reduced weight, fat, and triglycerides, and could better maintain muscle mass than standard low-fat and low-protein diets.
There are many fun reports on weight loss on the South Beach Diet, as well as a published 12-week study looking at its effects.
In this study, prediabetic adults lost an average of 11 pounds (5.2 kg) and lost an average of 2 inches (5.1 cm) from their waists.
In addition, they reduce fasting insulin levels and increase cholecystokinin (CC), a hormone that promotes fullness.
Although the diet is generally nutritious, it requires a strict uncontrolled restriction of saturated fat and encourages the use of processed vegetable and seed oils, which can cause all kinds of health problems.
Summary:
The South Beach Diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate, low-fat diet that has been shown to cause weight loss and reduce the risk of heart disease.
3. Vegan diet
Vegan diets have become very popular with people for weight loss.
They have been criticized for being unbalanced and extreme because they do not contain animal products. On the other hand, they are praised as an ethical and healthy way of eating.
Importantly, vegan diets can be healthy or unhealthy depending on the type of food they contain. You are less likely to lose weight when you consume large amounts of processed foods and beverages.
However, studies have shown that vegetarian diets based on whole foods can reduce weight and reduce the number of risk factors for heart disease.
A six-month controlled study of overweight adults compared the results of five different diets. Among the vegetarians who have lost twice as much weight as any other group.
Further, longer studies have shown that vegan diets can bring impressive results.
In a two-year controlled study of over4 older women who were overweight, those who ate a vegetarian diet lost almost four times as much weight as those in the low-fat group.
For more information on how to lose weight safely and sustainably on a vegan diet, read this article.
Summary:
Both short-term and long-term studies have shown that the vegan diet is effective for weight loss. Also, these can help protect your heart health.
4. Ketogenic diet
Although the ketogenic diet is called the "fad" diet, there is no denying that it can be very effective for weight loss.
It works by lowering insulin levels and converting your main fuel source from sugar to ketones. These compounds are made up of fatty acids and can burn your brain and other organs for energy.
When there are no carbohydrates to burn in your body and the ketones switch, it is in a state called ketosis.
However, unlike Atkins and other low-carb diets, ketogenic diets do not gradually increase your sugar. Instead, they keep carbohydrate intake very low to ensure that followers remain in ketosis.
In fact, ketogenic diets typically provide less than 50 grams of total carbohydrates per day and are often less than 30.
A large analysis of 13 studies found that ketogenic diets not only promote weight loss and increase body fat, they can also reduce inflammatory markers and disease risk factors in overweight or obese people.
In a two-year controlled study of 44 obese adults, people in the ketogenic group lost an average of 227.5 pounds (12.5 kg) from the waist and 29 inches (11.4 cm) from 29 courses.
Although both groups had calorie restrictions, it was significantly higher than the low-fat group.
Also, even when calories are not intentionally limited, the amount of calories in a ketogenic diet is reduced. Recent reviews of several studies have suggested that it may be because ketones help suppress your appetite.
Summary:
Ketogenic diets often provide 30 grams fewer carbohydrates per day. These have been shown to promote weight and abdominal fat loss and reduce the risk of disease in overweight and obese people.
5. Paleo diet
The Paleo Diet, short for Paleolithic Diet, is based on the diets hunter-gatherers ate thousands of years ago.
Paleo is classified as a fad diet because it restricts many foods, such as milk, sorghum, and grains. Furthermore, critics have pointed out that eating the same foods as our prehistoric ancestors is neither practical nor possible.
But the Paleo diet is a balanced and healthy way to cut out processed foods and encourage your followers to eat a variety of plant and animal foods.
Additionally, studies suggest that the Paleo diet helps you lose weight and stay healthy.
One study found that obese older women followed either a paleo diet or a standard diet. Six months later, the Paleo group had significantly more weight loss and belly fat than the other group.
Triglyceride levels in the blood were further lowered.
Additionally, these foods can reduce vascular fat, especially the dangerous types of fat found in the stomach and liver that stimulate insulin resistance and increase the risk of disease.
In a five-week study, 10 obese older women who ate the Paleo diet lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) and lost an average of 49% liver fat. In addition, the women experienced a drop in blood pressure, insulin, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
Summary:
The Paleo diet is based on ancient food principles that focus on whole, unprocessed foods. Research suggests that it can help you lose weight and improve your overall health.
6. Zone diet
The Zone Diet was created in the mid-1990s by American biochemist Dr. Barry Sears.
It has been classified as a regular diet due to its need for optimal weight loss and a strict ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates for overall health.
This eating plan specifies that your calorie intake should be made up of a combination of 30% lean protein, 30% healthy fat, and 40% high-fiber carbohydrates. Additionally, these foods should be taken as a prescribed number of "blocks" in meals and snacks.
One way to suggest working the Zone Diet is to reduce inflammation, allowing you to lose weight more easily.
Studies to date suggest that the Zone Diet may be effective in reducing weight and lowering blood sugar, insulin resistance, and inflammation.
In a six-week controlled study of overweight adults, those who ate the Zone diet lost more weight and body fat than the low-fat group. They also reported an average 44% reduction in retirement.
In another study, 33 people followed one of four different diets. The Zone diet was shown to help participants lose most of their fat and increase the ratio of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids.
Summary:
The Zone Diet specifies a diet consisting of 30% lean protein, 30% healthy fats, and 40% high-fiber carbohydrates. Research suggests that it can help you lose weight and reduce inflammation.
7. Dukan Diet
Observing the early stages of the Dukan diet reveals why it is often classified as a fad diet.
Developed by the French physician Pierre Ducan in the 1970s, the Ducan diet consists of four stages. It starts with the attack phase, which consists almost entirely of unlimited foods with thin proteins.
The rationale for this high protein intake is that it leads to rapid weight loss as a result of increased metabolism and a significant reduction in appetite.
In the stable phase, other foods are added at each stage, where no food is strictly prohibited, but high-protein foods and vegetables are recommended. In the final stage, you also need to eat only food once a week from the attack.
As extreme as this diet may seem, it produces weight loss.
Polish researchers evaluated the diet of 51 women who followed a shop diet for 81-10 weeks. Women lose an average of 33 pounds (15 kg) per day on an average of 1,000 calories and 100 grams of protein.
Although not much research has been done on the shop diet in particular, studies have shown that similar high protein diets may be effective for weight loss.
In fact, a systematic review of 13 controlled studies found that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets were more effective than low-fat diets in reducing weight loss and heart disease risk factors.
Summary:
The Dukan diet starts almost exclusively with a protein diet and allows other foods in subsequent meals. Like other high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets, it can promote rapid weight loss while controlling appetite.
8. 5: 2 diet:
The 5: 2 diet, also known as the fast diet, is a type of intimate fasting known as alternative-day fasting.
With this diet you normally eat five days a week and limit your calorie intake to 500-600 calories two days a week, resulting in an overall calorie deficit that leads to weight loss.
The 5: 2 diet is considered to be a form of fasting on a modified alternative day. In contrast, some days of alternative fasting involve not eating the whole 24 hours.
As a result of the extremely low calorie allocation on two “fast” days, some people classify the 5: 2 diet as a fad diet.
However, evidence is emerging in favor of the health benefits of alternative day fasting and it appears to be a legitimate alternative to weight loss.
Research suggests that fasting on alternate days does not cause excess calorie intake on fasting days. This may be due to the release of the peptide YY (PYY), a hormone that makes you feel full and helps you eat less.
Importantly, alternative day fasting has not been shown to cause more weight loss than the same number of calorie standard diets.
However, several studies have shown that both methods can be effective in reducing weight and belly fat.
What's more, while muscle loss during weight loss may not be completely preventable, alternative daytime fasting seems to be the best way to maintain muscle mass compared to conventional forms of calorie restriction.
Summary:
The 5: 2 diet is a form of the alternative day fasting that involves eating 500 to 600 calories two days a week and eating normally. It has been shown to be effective in reducing weight and fat while protecting muscle mass from loss.
Bottom line
The Fed diet will always be popular and new plans will continue to be made to quickly address people's desire to lose weight fast.
Although many of the so-called Fed diets are unbalanced and do not live up to their demands, there are several.
However, just because a diet is effective for weight loss does not mean that it is long-lasting.
To achieve and maintain your weight loss goals, it is important to find a healthy way to eat what you enjoy and live.
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