Beware of Quick-Fix Diets
On my drive in to work today, I listened with a mixture of amusement and concern to a discussion on the radio. The question of the day asked listeners to share their dieting stories.
As you can imagine, all sorts of people called in - from the person who followed an all-chocolate diet, to someone else who chugged a hefty dose of olive oil every morning to jump-start their diet for the day.
Some of the diets described seemed to have a rationale that made sense, and many appeared to actually promote weight loss (at least initially). But I felt like calling in myself to say that there is no substitute for a healthy well-balanced diet and a healthier lifestyle. True, most diets work in the short-term as a "quick fix," but how many of you have stuck with one for longer than a few weeks?
Try these guidelines before heading down a dietary slippery slope:
Diets can be expensive when special food products or supplements are involved. You could better use the money to purchase some healthier foods for your pantry.
Weight loss through gimmickry is often temporary and many report gaining back all the weight lost - and more.
Diets that restrict eating to one or two foods soon become boring and difficult to follow long term.
To stay healthy, you should lose only one to two pounds per week.
Include exercise as part of your daily routine to help you tone your body and increase your energy.