So it’s March and our mild Vancouver weather has proven to be quite the delight. I was even wearing a T-shirt the other day! What?
In the words of today’s texting youths today, that’s totes cray cray.
Getting all this nice weather might be getting you thinking about summer plans earlier than usual, and for most that means some much needed outdoor times, and for others, it means specifically the beach (Wreck Beach anyone?)
And because of this, most will start thinking they need to work on their beach body. For some that could mean gruelling new exercise regimes and weird fad diets that either don’t work, or make you lose weight at an unhealthy rate (what they don’t tell you is that you gain it back with a vengeance right after you get off it).
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all about supporting people on their health journeys, but fad diets are anything but. They don’t support people on a healthy path or create a healthy relationship with food. Fad diets promise quick results in a very small amount of time, and although this is the obvious appeal, the long-term effects they can have on your body are usually not taken into account.
So let’s take a look at all the things that inevitably go wrong…
Malnourishment
When you restrict your body from its normal caloric intake over a long period of time, it can deprive your body of its essential nutrients leading to severe malnourishment. Carbs and fats are not the enemy, people! In fact, they are quite essential in keeping you alive.
Dehydration
Most of the weight that you lose when you drop weight too quickly tends to be water weight, which leads to dehydration. Water is pretty essential, most of our bodies are made up of it, so it’s not a good idea to lose any.
Metabolism
Not eating enough food can actually slow down your metabolism. Your body will hold on to the few calories that you eat on your fad diet and, as a result, when you get off the diet and start eating like a normal human being, you’ll gain all your weight back plus more. More often then not, fad diets actually make you gain weight long term.
Muscle Loss
Fad diets often claim that you don't have to exercise in order to lose weight. This combined with the malnourishment of the diet means that the weight you're losing might be muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat and is just as easily lost. If you lose muscle mass, you'll have a lot of trouble keeping weight off.
Basic tips for healthy weight loss
The only effective long-term weight loss plan is to have a balanced and healthier lifestyle. Beware when a diet offers you quick results, a lot of major health hazards tend to be ignored when people want results fast. Sound too good to be true? It probably is!
• Some sort of regular exercise regime is necessary, even if it’s just walking 30 minutes around the neighbourhood every day. Not only will this help you to maintain healthy weight (which is different for everyone-we are not made from cookie cutters!) exercise also releases endorphins, which will make you feel great! And you should feel great, because you are awesome!
• Changing the types of foods that you eat as opposed to eliminating them is a good, gradual way to ease into a new healthy diet and can be helpful to motivate and encourage you. Sugars, bad fats and refined foods can easily be replaced with some whole food choices (note: complex carbs will fill you up and reduce appetite).
• When you feel hungry, drink a glass of water instead of reaching for a meal. You may find that you are actually thirsty instead of being hungry. Say whaaat? Try it, the results could surprise you.
• Avoid distraction while eating. Turn off the TV, put away your tablet or iPhone. Stay in the moment to avoid overeating. Eat slowly, Chew your food. Be mindful.
• Focus on what you eating and not what you are avoiding.
• Allow yourself to indulge once and a while. This is what we refer to as the 80/20 rule. Do this without guilt or judgment.
Recipe: Kale Chips
Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika and/or other herbs and spices of your choice
Directions
1. Rinse kale and let dry out completely (kale must be bone dry!).
2. Rub oil and sea salt onto kale.
3. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes until crisp (do not let brown, kale will be bitter).
4. Season with paprika or any other of your favorite spices.
