Five Diets You Must Avoid
Knowing what to eat can be complicated and confusing. After all, if you are reading this you are probably seeking the answers to the healthiest diet possible. Should you go gluten free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan? So many options, so little time to be convinced on what diet will bring you the most benefit. Lucky for you, I’m here to give you a head start. Here is my list of five diets you should avoid!
1. Diets from blogs
If you were to read all the dietary advice from internet nutritionist, you would be left with air to eat. Air is safe, right? Many diet blogs create amazing cases to try what they are selling. All too often, it is not based on fact but based on great marketing and advertising. They try to emotionally sell you on weight loss, health, and put pictures of what they think you think is healthy. Don’t fall for it!
2. Diets that are too restrictive
Usually these diets sell you on health benefits or the fear you will die. I’m certain I will die, so I would like to enjoy myself while I’m alive. I hope you feel the same way! These types of restrictive diets usually set you up for failure in the long run. Diets such as the grapefruit, cabbage, or any short term diet plan is a miserable way to eat. Ask yourself how many of these diets you have tried actually have worked for you more than 5 years? More than 6 months? Yes, on to a more common sense approach I say!
3. A diet selling supplements
These types of diets make you think you need their supplements, which you don’t. If you like the diet given on the infomercial or sales blog, I suggest trying the meal plan. This way you can buy the food, lose the weight most likely due to a low calorie diet, and save money on other important and fun things in your life. Repeat after me, there are no special diets out there. Especially when it comes to supplements, but I won’t get into that as of now.
4. Diets that sound more like religious cults
You’ve probably seen the jokes and memes. If something sounds like it’s “the answer”, probably stay far away from the diet cult. If you find yourself saying “so and so diet said this” or “I can’t have that” then you might belong to a diet cult. Where your friends or family don’t understand, but your dietary cult does, you might want to re-think why you are eating what you are eating.
5. Diets that lead to a road of eating disorders
If you feel you have any of these problems, please seek professional help. No diet on the internet is going to help with these issues. Here are some bad signs you may want to avoid if you are to start your internet diet.
If the diet talks about how you should always only eat “quality foods” and or organic.
If the diet has you consumed with counting calories and a majority of your day is dedicated to it.
If the diet talks about being the perfect diet, and the only way to eat.
Does the diet promote a sense of guilt when straying away from their restrictive way of eating?
Does this diet promise you to be thin and beautiful?
Does the diet make you hate your body?
Does the diet have “safe foods” to eat?
Hopefully you will think of these before you start a diet.
So these are my 5 diets to avoid. If you were looking for an answer but didn’t get one, that’s the point. There is no one way to eat that is considered to be the healthiest diet ever.
There are some common patterns among healthy individuals that we can look at. Foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, sufficient protein are amongst some healthy dietary patterns. You can fill in the rest and exercise, enjoy life and do your bloodwork to check if the way you are eating is having a positive or negative effect.
If you're in the Mission Valley area of San Diego, give me a call or email me! I'm a personal trainer, and I'd love to answer any question you have about fitness and dieting.