Five Diets That Don’t Work

From swearing off carbs after 6 p.m. to swearing off carbs forever, throughout the years, we’ve tried, sworn by, and given up on countless diets. In our eternal quest to lose that post-pregnancy weight or those last 10 pesky pounds, we’ve been easily persuaded by diets that claim to “miraculously shed the pounds”. And sure, for some, weight loss happens almost instantly. But most of the time, the pounds come bouncing right back…and sometimes, with a vengeance.

The truth is, most diets work because they’re basically low-calorie diets—and what really causes weight loss is eating fewer calories than what you’ll have to burn. So if you embark on a crazy, unbalanced diet that calls for insane amounts of grapefruit juice or cutting out a certain food group altogether, you’re bound to lose weight…at least for a few weeks. Then your body breaks down from the lack of nutrient intake, you get sick, and you give up what was the latest diet fad—leaving you stuck with a few extra pounds, horrible food deprivation, and a failure complex.

Another reason many diets don’t work is because people treat it as an “event”, rather than a lifestyle. People see the word “diet” as an evil, sacrificial thing they have to keep up with for a few weeks—during which they have to deprive themselves of certain foods. But that shouldn’t be the case. A “healthy and balanced diet” consists of all food groups, but in reasonable amounts. You don’t deprive yourself of food. Ask any nutritionist, and the best diet to follow is the good old food pyramid.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped people from inventing the most bizarre diets. See which of these five you’ve heard of, considered, or even tried!

The Grapefruit Diet. Originating in the 1920s, and also known as the “Hollywood Diet” and “18-Day Diet”, the Grapefruit Diet asks that you eat a grapefruit with every meal of the day. A revamped version says you can substitute this with eight ounces of grapefruit juice with every meal. Apparently, a study done by the Scripps Clinic found that enzymes in grapefruit not only help reduce insulin levels, but it also encourages weight loss.

Although a low-carb diet (you can’t eat sugar, cereals, veggies and fruits), those who went on this program were encouraged to eat food high in dietary fat (we’re talking bacon, eggs, and butter for breakfast), with the premise that grapefruit helps burn body fat when paired with these kinds of foods. While you might lose some weight in the first week, cutting out carbohydrates, veggies, and other fruits from your diet deprives your body of the nutrition it needs. Grapefruit juice can also prevent your body from properly metabolizing certain medicines, including sedatives and heart meds.

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Tagged "Detox" Diets, Cookie Diet, Grapefruit Diet, HCG Diet, Tapeworm Diet