5 signs that your trendy diet is a bad idea

Trying to lose weight to improve your health or for a special occasion? Chances are, if you’re like nearly 50% of people in the U.S., you’ve already decided to go on a diet, hoping to shed those pounds quickly. There’s just one problem: Diets seldom work.

In fact, research shows that only 20% of overweight people are able to lose weight and keep it off for at least a year. The remaining 80%, however, are unable to maintain that loss and face increased risk for obesity-related conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer. So, how can we set ourselves up for success?

Relying on healthful nutrition and regular exercise to lose weight has been shown to be more achievable and more sustainable. It allows you to get used to your new healthy habits — and your body time to adjust — versus a crash or fad diet that’s focused only on fast weight loss.

By avoiding the pitfalls of weight-loss programs that overpromise and underdeliver, we can avoid the hunger, frustration and effects of poor nutrition that derail the most dieters.

Here’s what to avoid — and embrace — to ensure you lose weight and stay healthy. (Including two recipes, below, inspired by the ultra-nutritious and effective Mediterranean diet.)

1. Avoid plans that promise miraculous health and weight-loss results.

Promises of extreme changes should always raise a red flag. Be cautious of diets that guarantee super-fast, unbelievable results, like losing 20 pounds in a week, curing you of diabetes or helping you get off all of your medications.

You’ll lose weight on extreme diets, but it likely won’t stay off. And, in the process, your body may be deprived of the key nutrients it needs to function well. Your body breaks down muscle tissue when you cut calories drastically, which can result in a slower metabolism and higher body fat percentage when weight is regained.

2. Avoid diets that are unsustainable for you.

“Sustainable” means different things to different people, depending on personality, lifestyle and how much time or money someone can commit.

Many plans, for example, require dieters to commit to tallying up the calories, macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) or a plan-specific variation (like “points”) for every bite they eat.

Modern technology has taken some of the sting out of the process — which used to involve reference books, pen and paper. But spending time setting up an app and logging daily food intake may be too challenging for anyone with a busy lifestyle.

Depending on their preferences and needs, dieters may also find the following are unsustainable:

• Programs that require shopping for and cooking complicated meals.
  
• Diets consisting of foods they dislike. Do you really want to eat cabbage soup for the rest of your life?
  
• Plans with rigid, strict food requirements which can become boring and — when celebrating or dining out — frustrating.
  

3. Avoid programs that require you to buy expensive, prepackaged foods.

Prepackaged diet foods, bars and shakes can be pricy. Also, the quality can vary tremendously, so it’s important to look at the nutrition facts and ingredients.

Some brands of prepackaged meals offer a balance of protein, produce and whole grains, without excessive sugar, sodium and fat. These could be used as a temporary tool to help teach portion control or how to prepare complete meals.

The real question, though, is whether you’re able or willing to pay what they’re charging for these products in the long run. Realistically, most of us probably wouldn’t continue eating only the prepackaged foods a company delivers.

Instead, try talking with a dietitian to learn economical meal planning strategies, so you can make and freeze “grab-and-go” meals ahead of time. A bonus: You’ll also avoid the additives and preservatives often found in diet meals, bars and shakes.

4. Avoid diets that include “good” foods you’re allowed to eat, and “bad” foods labeled “off-limits.”

Another red flag: Any diet that encourages black-or-white thinking, labeling foods as “good” or “bad.”

Calling all sugar ‘bad,’ and telling yourself you can never have it again is a very inflexible way to approach food. And the moment we tell ourselves something is off-limits, it’s likely to become even more enticing. We start noticing it everywhere we go, which can trigger cravings.

When you try to adhere to a strict diet, giving in to cravings can lead to feelings of remorse and shame, which sets you up for failure in the long run. Plus, eliminating foods can mean limiting nutrition — and taking some of the joy out of eating.

Going with a flexible eating plan like the Mediterranean diet (an eating pattern common to countries that border the Mediterranean) means you’ll be reaching for healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, full of filling fiber and important nutrients.

And that helps, in the long run, from a sustainability standpoint — because if you're hungry all the time, you're going to give in. But when you feel satisfied instead of starving, you’re better able to make healthful food choices throughout the day.

5. Avoid a program that is all diet and no exercise.

Often, when you do lose a high amount in a short amount of time, you’re also losing muscle mass, which we definitely want to preserve.

That’s because building and maintaining lean body mass — muscle tissue — actually helps boost the body’s metabolism and helps it burn off more fat. Incorporating strength or resistance training with stretching and aerobic exercise also helps create muscle tone, boost stamina and improve balance.

Doing this, while continuing to nourish your body with enough calories and protein to sustain your muscle tissue, has been very effective in helping people shed pounds and maintain their weight in a healthy way.

Kale with sweet potatoes and pecans

Directions

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, then add the ginger and sauté for 30 seconds, just until aromatic. Add the sweet potato, cinnamon, and water and sauté for about one minute.

Add the kale, salt, and raisins and sauté until the kale is a darker shade of green and the sweet
potatoes are tender, about five minutes. Stir in the maple syrup, then taste; you might need another
pinch of salt.

Serve garnished with the ground pecans. The ground pecans have the same texture as a sprinkling of
finely grated cheese.

Nutrition facts (makes 4 servings): 143.2 calories, 9.2 grams fat (1.2 grams saturated fat), 0 milligrams cholesterol, 178.5 milligrams sodium, 15.1 grams carbohydrates (7.6 grams total sugars, 3 grams added sugars, 2.4 grams dietary fiber), 1.6 grams protein.

Adapted from: Healthy Holidays: Recipes for the 2020 Season, Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute and Novant Health Cancer Institute