subject: Does the Twinkies Diet Really Work? Fad Diets vs. Lifestyle Changes [print this page] Does the Twinkies Diet Really Work? Fad Diets vs. Lifestyle Changes
Let's say you have an event coming upa high school reunion, a wedding, or some other big social to-doand you want to try the twinkies diet so that you can lose a few pounds and look fabulous.
But should you try a crash diet to lose a few pounds, or should you instead aim for an overall change in your diet and lifestyle, one that might embrace low sodium recipes and healthful, unprocessed foods?
There are huge differences between fad dieting and long-term weight loss. Here are the things you should know when it comes to choosing how to lose weight and keep it off.
Basics of a Fad Diet
A fad diet is usually characterized by two things: extreme eating behavior and promises of short-term weight loss. These diets embrace eating one type of food, such as twinkies, grapefruit, or cabbage, to promote weight loss. These diets usually promise a loss of anywhere between 2 and 5 pounds per day.
Fad dieting is popular because it promises quick weight reduction without much commitment in return. Anyone can eat nothing but twinkies for a few days, right? Especially if you don't have to really change your overall lifestyle.
But fad diets, if they do work, only work for a short period of time, and the weight will always return. In fact, you may gain back more than when you started.
Basics of a Healthy Weight Loss Plan
A healthy diet plan shows you how to reduce weight by targeting two key areas: what you eat and how much exercise you take. A healthy weight loss plan will instruct you about proper nutrition, portion control, and eating right for your metabolism.
A good diet program will also encourage you to seek out means of getting exercise, so that you become leaner and stronger as you lose weight.
Healthy diet programs require long-term commitment from the dieter. You may see a loss of 1-2 pounds per week, so this is not about short-term weight loss.
A good diet is more about becoming healthy and educated about food, rather than crash dieting to fit into a certain size.
Is It OK to Indulge?
Healthy diets also allow you to indulge on occasion. On the other hand, fad diets require you to stick to the plan. So a healthy diet program will recognize the need for balance and will allow you the occasional dessert, drink, or other indulgence without the threat of wrecking all your hard work. This makes a healthy eating program much easier to follow in the long-term than a fad diet.
Whole Foods vs. Processed Foods
So, are whole foods better for you than processed foods? In a word, yes. Processed foods contain high amounts of fillers, sodium, and other additives than can contribute to weight gain and health problems in the future.
Processed foods also leave you feeling hungrier than whole foods, because they are low in fiber. Whole foods help you feel satiated for a longer period of time, which can help keep you from binge eating or staying hungry between meals.
So what is a whole food versus a processed food? Well, the more your food is "processed" before it reaches your plate, the more it becomes a processed food.
For example, you could choose to have an apple for a snack. Or you could choose to have a small bag of fruit snacks, which are made with a tiny amount of fruit juice, a lot of sugar, and some gelatin along with a truckload of preservatives.
The apple is obviously the better choice. High in fiber, minerals, and vitamins, it gives you the nutritional value you need without the empty calories of a processed food.
