You try one diet after another, but do you feel that none works? You don’t know what you’re doing wrong and why your weight is still standing still, even increasing? Maybe it’s a poor diet.
Trying to lose weight can lead you to extremes. It is not important to strictly adhere to some type of diet, but to focus on achieving a healthy lifestyle.
Every diet must be set so that it supplies the body with sufficient nutrients, ie vitamins and minerals, so that it is sustainable and, above all, harmless.
Strange methods of the recent past
Some current diets are still very strange and many dietitians would certainly not recommend them, but we can be glad that we no longer encounter some relatively scary diets of the past.
There were many of them, there was something different in each century and we will introduce some of them:
Parasite in the intestines
The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries offered a simple but relatively radical way to lose weight – put the tapeworm into your gut!
It was supposed to be a quick way to get rid of extra pounds. Once the larvae had entered the body, it gradually developed into an adult tapeworm.
Thanks to her, people lost enough kilograms, but they were not well at all.
Tapeworm causes a number of health problems such as vomiting or diarrhea, but also worse problems. In addition, adult tapeworms have sometimes been difficult to get rid of.
Chew and spit method
We are again at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when another wonderful method of weight loss is emerging.
Behind her is American nutrition consultant Horace Fletcher. He claimed that it was enough to chew all the food, chew it properly and spit it out.
According to him, the body gets nutrients anyway. There is no need to swallow anything.
Cigarettes as a trend and a method of weight loss
The beginning of the 20th century brought a new fashion thing: in addition to the cigarettes themselves, it was also a cigarette diet.
People just smoked cigarettes instead of eating. While this has resulted in weight loss, it has also caused serious health problems.
Last Chance Diet
Last Chance Diet – That’s what Dr. Robert Linn’s weight loss program was called. The diet dates back to the 1970s and was supposed to help people lose weight in cases when nothing else helps.
Consumption of any food except the doctor’s special cocktail was forbidden.
However, it consisted of all possible remains from the slaughterhouse such as horns, skin, hooves or bones.
And because it was no delicacy, a dye and a lot of chemicals were added to the cocktail to make the strange mixture something at least a little edible.
However, the results of the special diet were fatal. There were even deaths, so the cocktail was eventually withdrawn from the market.
Today’s diets that you don’t try
Today, the above-mentioned “diets” seem absurd, but at present we can find similarly terrifying-looking weight loss methods. Some of them are very pointless at first glance, others are unfortunately a harsh reality.
Cotton diet
The world of modeling is uncompromising and does not allow any extra gram of fat. The ideal of catwalks is still dominated by almost rickety figures. But this is the world of fashion. A tall and slender figure is the basis here and you will not get it for free.
Therefore, some ladies resort to very drastic methods, which include swallowing cotton wool soaked in juice.
Although this method helps maintain a slim figure, it is definitely not healthy.
Cotton wool is not digestible, so it is stored in the stomach, or passes into the intestines and forms tufts, which in extreme cases must be removed surgically.
Eating hair is a similar method of losing weight, which results in the same thing.
Toddler diet
The food of young children consists of mixed vegetables, meat and potatoes or their combinations.
This diet is very healthy and nutritious for children, so why not for adults? That’s exactly what fitness trainer Tracy Anderson told herself and came up with a reduction program called “Baby Food Diet”, which consisted of consuming baby food and mixed vegetables.
There is nothing so bad about the diet itself, these are healthy meals, the consumption of which will help you lose weight, however, in the long run, the diet is inappropriate.
Foods are not flavored, they do not contain salt and nutrients that the adult human body needs.
Breatharianism
Breatharians are people who fast all their lives. Their lifestyle completely omits food.
They draw energy from the air, various elements and nature. The Breatharian diet is based on this very principle, but it is unsustainable in the long run.
The body cannot function properly without the necessary nutrients. Prolonged fasting leads to starvation and can end tragically.
Long-term sustainable plans
The world offers many different diets. Some of them are strange, others absolutely scary.
But what are the ones that really work? Are any of them sustainable? Is it possible to lose weight without the JOJO effect and maintain a healthy lifestyle? The answer is, of course, yes.
The path to a healthy diet is actually relatively easy, but it requires a bit of learning.
It is necessary to understand which foods are good for the body and which are not. You have to learn to keep your desires and appetites in check.
In time, you will teach your body on a healthy diet and it will not seem strange to you to eat vegetables instead of a burger from fast food.
Mediterranean diet
It is one of the most sought after reduction programs because it is very varied and tasty.
The basis is a lot of fresh vegetables, there are also pastries (especially whole grains), nuts and seeds, which contain many vitamins and healthy oils, but also olive oil, which is also very beneficial for the body, and is often recommended in diets.
The advantage of this diet is the variety of dishes.
Its name is reminiscent of a summer vacation by the sea. The menu is very similar to Greek or Croatian dishes: you will find fish and seafood, vegetable soups, seasonal vegetables.
You can prepare a variety of salads with cheese and herbs.
A small disadvantage of this diet is the higher purchase price of raw materials.
Will it help you lose weight?
The Mediterranean diet is sustainable in the long run. Although it contains a lot of fats (in cheeses and oils) at first glance, these are healthy fats that are beneficial to the body.
This method will help reduce weight and make it possible to create a lifestyle.
It is full of all important substances that the human body needs, it is very healthy and tasty.
Box diet
It’s not a box like a box. We mean that if you prepare a box of food at home, you can throw basically anything into it. Just because you limit your portion doesn’t mean you lose weight.
Every effective diet is based on a caloric deficit, which helps the body burn stored fat reserves.
The box diet pays off if it is prepared by catering experts. The diet can be ordered on specialized websites, where menus are compiled by a nutritionist.
Will it help you lose weight?
If the diet is regular and is created by a professional dietitian, then yes. Box diet companies offer an individual menu based on quality ingredients.
The small downside is that you get food ready, so you don’t learn to think about food yourself. Once you stop taking the prepared food, you can easily slip back to overeating and eating unhealthy.
A caloric (energy) deficit is a condition in which the body absorbs fewer calories than it expends. Due to the caloric deficiency, excess weight can be effectively lost.
All modern reduction diets work with a caloric deficit, only they differ in the way it is achieved. You can find a so-called low-carb diet, which reduces carbohydrate intake, or a low-fat diet, which focuses on reducing fat consumption.
In other words: energy expenditure must always exceed income. The body compensates for this deficit by starting to burn its fat stores.
Three steps to achieving and maintaining a slim figure
- Healthy and balanced diet
Diet deprived of excessive consumption of sugars and too fatty foods. Prime plays vegetables and proteins, ie meat and eggs. - Physical activities
Regular exercise is important for the body, not only in terms of weight loss. Physical activity helps against stiffness and also maintains proper bowel function and patency. - Strong will
We bring it to an end, but maybe it should come first. Long-term sustainable diets take time. Weight loss often comes right away, but in small portions.
Don’t expect to lose a third of your weight in a month. However, a properly set diet complemented by exercise can work wonders. It is important to persevere and not give up.