Don't fall for these fads if you want to lose fat.
2 min read
If you look on the cover of some of the world’s most popular magazines, they will always be trying to sell you a new weight or fat loss system. Although some of them do work, the majority of them are fads to get you to buy a product or a weight loss program. Below are a few infamous fads that you should be aware of.
Shake weight.
The now infamous shake weight promised a 300% increase on muscle activity compared to a standard dumbbell. Even though this is true, the tension caused from the weights vibration failed to contribute to muscle mass and tension.
Below you can see the shake weight infomercial.
The five-bite diet.
The five-bite diet was created as a way to get people to consume smaller food portions. The diet permitted people to drink as many beverages as they wanted throughout the day, as long as the beverage didn’t contain any calories. When it came to food, the person could take five bites of any food that they wanted for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The problem with this diet is that it doesn’t allow your body to get the macro-nutrients that’s needed to sustain the diet for a long period of time. Eventually, people will fall off the bandwagon and the weight will come back on.
The Werewolf diet.
Also referred to as lunar dieting, it involves dedicating a day to fasting and only consuming water or juice during the full moon. Apparently, the diet can make a person lose up to a kilogram in weight over a single day; but you are more likely to put the weight back on once the diet has finished.
What should you really consider when it comes to fat loss?
Fat loss occurs when the body feeds on stored energy in the form of body fat or glucose when the body experiences a calorie deficit. If the body has a calorie surplus, you will gain more body fat. The only way you can reduce your body fat is by increasing the energy demands of your body through exercise such as cardio or minimising your calorie intake through diet. Personal trainer and MSc Nutrition student Tommy Cole shared more insight in the MyProtein article, “No more fad diets | 2 Principles of the best fat loss diets.”
Try not to get caught up in any fads. They come around all too often. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Stick to what works, which is cardiovascular exercise, resistance training and a healthy diet.