One week left until Spring Break! This vacation is supposed to be relaxing. However, many of us are experiencing some pre-Spring Break anxiety. Two words: bathing suit. If you’re anything like me, the past few weeks have been spent trying to erase holiday indulgence.
Everyone uses a different strategy to achieve their desired shape. Take caution, though, because some weight loss methods, such as fad diets, can actually negatively affect health. Although a popular choice for those desiring to shed pounds quickly, most fad diets are neither effective nor safe.
Fad diets today encompass a wide range of different weight loss techniques. Many are eating regimens that allow or prohibit certain types of foods. Other types include pill supplements or meal-replacement plans. The main problem with all of these fad diets is that none are permanently effective. Some of them do result in quick weight loss. However, the rapid success most dieters experience will disappear just as rapidly after abandoning the diet. After a person reverts back to his normal eating habits, he will inevitably find himself back where he started.
Unless one chooses to accept a fad diet as a lifestyle change, its effects will not last. Instead, a discouraging yo-yo cycle of weight gain and weight loss will take control of that person’s life.
Fad diets are not only ineffective, but they can also be dangerous to one’s health. Diets that restrict a person to certain types of food are often lacking in essential nutrients. The USDA’s food pyramid states that, on average, a person needs six to 11 servings of breads and grains, two to four servings of fruit, three to five servings of vegetables, two to three servings of dairy products and two to three servings of meat per day.
If these different food groups did not significantly affect human nutrition, then they would not be included in this nutritional standard. Removing any of these vital elements can have dire consequences to one’s health.
Malnutrition is not the only risk of fad diets. Some can have serious effects on a person’s health. Take, for example, the high-fat, high-protein diets that are so popular today. Although they do help with short-term weight loss, their long-term consequences can be grave.
Consuming mass quantities of fat can contribute to clogged arteries and heart disease later in life. Also, eating a high amount of protein can result in overworked or damaged kidneys. Opposers of low-carb diets include the National Academy of Sciences, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health.
Other types of diets each have their risks. On-again-off-again dieting will never end successfully. A diet is literally what a person normally eats. Therefore, if you want to lose weight and keep it off, get ready to make a lifestyle change. There is no plan that will work for every person. Your eating regimen has to be individually tailored. Everyone has a different indulgence; discover yours and work around it.
Learn to balance what you eat. If you need a guide, try the food pyramid. If that doesn’t appeal to you, try calorie-counting. Unless you have a high level of physical activity, normal caloric intake is around 2,000, but varies according to size and body type. If you want to lose weight, try restricting yourself to 1,500 calories a day.
Moderation is the key here. Eat what you like, just not excessive amounts of it. Find an eating style that you won’t mind sticking to for the rest of your life.
Another major part of successful weight loss is exercise, and this doesn’t necessarily mean running. Check out the Sanderson Center. They offer classes of all kinds, including an abs workout and yoga. Not your style? Look into intramurals. The physical activity might not be intensive, but it’s a lot more fun than the treadmill. Again, the idea is to find something that you enjoy doing. Accomplish that, and you won’t have to freak out every time Spring Break rolls around.
Tracey Apperson is a sophomore communication major. She can be reached at [email protected].