Weight Loss 2016: Popular FAD Diets Review

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Feb 09, 2016 04:52 AM EST

Fad diets are very popular among individuals trying to lose weight. These strategies are known to have quick results but not lasting. If you are interested in fad diets, learn more here.

Here are four popular FAD diets and their corresponding review per NHS.

5:2 Diet 

This stands for intermittent fasting. According to The 5:2 Fast Diet, this diet doesn't mean that one has to stop eating. It just means that one has to reduce the amount he eats for a quite short period of time. Eat normally for five days and diet two days a week.

The good thing about this is, sticking to a two-day restricted diet is attainable and leads to greater reductions in body fat, insulin resistance and other chronic diseases. However, one still needs to make healthy food choices and be physically active for those days when he does not follow a diet restriction. Overall, 5:2 diet is a simple way of reducing calorie intake.

Alkaline Diet

This diet recommends cutting on acid-producing foods like meat, wheat and grains. They follow the 80/20 rule, which means that one should consume 80 percent fruit and vegetables, and 20 percent grains and proteins. Although this diet has several healthy eating advices, the body regulates the same acidity levels (pH balance) regardless of diet. This diet lacks the evidence in supporting its campaign about maintaining the body's ideal pH balance.

Slim-fast diet

This is a low-calorie meal replacement diet. The plan is convenient and straightforward because the products provided take the guesswork of portion control and calorie counting.

However, it does not educate people about their eating habits and change their behavior. One might gain his weight back if he stops using the products. Overall, this will be a good start to lose weight but you should sustain your weight loss by learning about healthy eating and not relying on their products alone.

WeightWatchers Diet

This is based on the ProPoints system, which gives a value to foods and drinks based on protein, carbs, fat and fiber content. It is essentially a calorie-controlled diet but there is no limit to the fruit and most vegetable consumption. The good thing here is that you can eat and drink anything you want as long as you stick to your points allowance but working on the point system is tedious and the diet is pricey, per U.S. News.

This program is generally well-balanced and includes a great network of support. However, one has to make the connection between the point system and calories to avoid gaining his weight back, in case, he decides to leave the programme.

Have you tried any of these diets? Share your experience below.

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