It is not surprising that many people wonder why fad diets are bad when they seem to get results. You will find many sites on the internet claiming significant weight loss in just a few days. That type of weight loss is always temporary. It is usually 90% water which will be put straight back on as soon as your body rehydrates, which it must do if you are not going to suffer severe health problems or die.

Other fad diets are not so obviously crash diets with outrageous claims but they are over hyped diet plans that tend to be fashionable for a while and usually make a lot of money for the inventor in associated product sales. In the best cases these are good nutrition plans which will help you lose weight, but which you could probably have gotten for free from your doctor. In the worst cases they will prove so difficult to follow that you will give up after a week.

The Bad Part of Fad Diets

1. Diets that promise quick and easy weight loss are usually based on eating more of one food type and none of another. These do not give the benefits that you would get from a balanced diet. They may suggest you take supplements but many supplements are not absorbed by the body unless they are taken along with the foods that the diet has banned. After a few weeks, if you stick to it that long, you may begin to develop nutritional deficiencies.

2. Fad diets are often boring and over restrictive. After the novelty of the first day or two, you will not enjoy your meals. You will then start to crave food constantly and will break the diet. You may even feel guilty, thinking it is your fault that you did not lose weight.

3. Most fad diets do not follow recommendations of the American Heart Association and similar bodies for fat levels in the diet. Often the diet will recommend high fat foods and low carbs which if taken long term, could result in heart disease. The promoters may tell you that the diet is only intended to be followed for a short time. But you probably will not reach your goal weight in that time, and then what? You either continue with a plan that is not good for your health, or stop and probably gain back what you lost.

4. Many fad diets do not help you to incorporate enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your weight loss program, or give you the variety of foods that your body needs.

5. Quick weight loss diets are just a temporary solution and do not help you to make permanent changes to your eating habits. Permanent changes are the only way to remain at your target weight once you reach it. Fad diets encourage yo-yo diet-binge cycles of fast weight loss and equally fast weight gain. This is worse for your health and your self esteem than if you had stayed overweight all the time.

Whatever the publicity materials may say, these diets will not help you in the long term. The best way to sustain weight loss is to eat a varied and healthy diet, do not overeat, exercise regularly and avoid fad diets.

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Vegetarian Pyramid Diet

The Vegetarian Pyramid Diet reflects an all plant and all vegetable diet which will help you lose weight as well as have increased energy. When your diet consists only of high sugar and fat content coupled with animal fats from meats this creates a difficult problem when your trying to lose weight at the same time.

Take a cue from the Food Groups above on the Vegetarian Food Pyramid.  The foods at the bottom of the Pyramid are what you can eat lots of and the foods at the top you should eat less of in your healthy diet.

The Perfect Dinner combination is actually very economical for Meal Planning when you include the following:

Whole Grains-Common Whole Grains are: rolled oats, brown rice, whole wheat flour, sprouted grains, buckwheat.

Whole Grains do not include corn of any type because 100 percent of the corn produced in the USA is genetically modified and unlabeled.

What are Whole Grains? Whole Grains contain the parts of the grain were made naturally before food companies took them out.  This includes: Bran, the Germ, and the endosperm -this may sound unpleasant but these are the most nutritious packed parts of the grain.

Beans

These are your colorful variety of Vegetable Protein and High Fiber vegetables: Red Kidney, Black Beans, White Navy Beans, Chick Peas, Black Eyed Peas, and Lima beans.  There are many types of beans to add to your diet for healthy proteins -see our Hummus Recipes.

Vegetables

All vegetables are good for your health from tomatos, green beans, broccoli, lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, sprouts, and any type of dandelion greens.  Sea greens are also very helpful especially to prevent thyroid diseases.

All of these ingredients will Prevent cancer, and alkalize your body which is your best defense mechanism against diseases.

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The Mediterranean Diet explained in simple terms is a diet that works as it has for centuries -just follow the Diet Pyramid from bottom to the top it is simple and easy to use. The portions and daily intake of food groups is clearly outlined to help you lose weight with the proper amounts of fats, oils, grains, water and exercise.

TAGS: Diets that Work, Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, Mediterranean Diet, diet plans, weight loss diets.

Leave your comments below-what is your diet plan and what diet works for you?