Diets That Definitely Don't Work: Part 2
8:00 PM
Remember Wednesday's post on the first three diets that we wouldn't recommend trying?
Read on for the last four diets that definitely don't fill that bill.
MASTER CLEANSE
The Premise
Sacrificing
solid foods in favor of a lemon, water and a laxative concoction will help you
drop 20 pounds in 10 days.
The Reality
You don't eat
any actual food for 10 days or more, so yes, of course you will lose weight.
However, Hartley said that any success you have shrinking yourself down to size
is likely to be short-lived.
"You start
breaking down muscle mass, so your metabolism slows down, making it harder and
harder to lose weight," she said. "It also sets you up for
binges."
According to
U.S. News and World Report, the diet may be dangerous for diabetics and does
not meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's accepted dietary guideline
standards. Exercising while consuming so few calories is not recommended.
BABY FOOD DIET
The Premise
Created by
celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson for her A-list clients, the baby food diet
involves eating up to 15 jars of baby food a day. Some variations of the plan
allow you to eat a regular meal for dinner.
The Reality
"The
silliest diet imaginable," Hartley said.
Spooning from
jars of baby food all day may help you drop a few pounds in the short term but
not because mashed bananas and pureed peas possess any magical fat-melting
powers. The trick, Hartley points out, is portion control; all those tiny
containers add up to only about a thousand calories a day. She said the diet is
neither palatable nor sustainable for people who have teeth and like to chew
their food.
DUKAN DIET
The Premise
Originated by
Pierre Dukan, a French physician, this is the diet Kate Middleton chose to slim
down for her wedding to Prince William. The plan includes about 100 foods, and
includes four phases: attack, cruise, consolidation and stabilization.
The Reality
This plan tied
with the Paleo diet for last place in the U.S. News and World Report rankings.
What landed it at the very bottom of the list? Everything. It's too
restrictive, there are lots of cryptic, unnecessary guidelines, and there's no
evidence that it works. One expert described the diet as "idiotic."
RAW FOOD
The Premise
You stick to
plant-based foods that haven't been cooked, processed, sprayed or genetically
engineered in any way to reduce calories and preserve your diet's level of
vitamins, minerals and immune-boosting nutrients.
The Reality
This diet scheme
ranks second to last in U.S. News and World Report's review. Its experts
concluded that this way of eating is wildly convoluted yet highly subject to
interpretation, so it's hard to know whether or not you're following the plan
correctly.
You can lose weight
on this diet if you can figure out how to follow it and you don't starve to
death from eating fewer than half the calories you would on a cooked meal plan.
There is zero scientific evidence to support any of its many health claims and
the plan is pricey, difficult and time consuming.
Related: “Diets
That Definitely Don’t Work: Part 1 “Gluten-Free
Eating”, “Spot a
Fad Diet”
Original article and photos,
“The
7 Worst Weight-Loss Diets” by Liz Neporent
Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes
fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We
offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes
the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org
1 comments
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