7 Fad Diets That Might Actually Work

Losing weight could be a bit of a challenging task, especially if you are in your middle years. However, fad diets are very promising when it comes to weight loss. Some controlled studies have proved particular fad diets have produced high-quality weight loss results. Additionally, these diets are full of nutrition and are suitable for sustainable living. 

Given underneath are some fad diets that work miraculously.

Atkins Diet

Atkins is a low-carb diet most favored for weight loss across the world. It gets its name after the cardiologist Robert Atkins who created this diet in the early 1970s. He claimed that it would produce rapid results without starving. 

The initial two weeks are broken down into the induction phase, limiting carbs to 20 grams per day without imposing restrictions on protein and fat intake. Your body starts converting fat into ketones during this phase and uses these compounds to draw energy from it. 

Then in the later phase, you have to add carbs little by little. You increase five grams at a time to maintain your weight. Closed group studies reveal that the Atkins diet is more beneficial in weight management. Moreover, it also impacts heart disease risk factors positively. 

South Beach Diet

Dr. Arthur Agatson started this diet, and he is also a cardiologist like Dr. Atkins. Dr. Arthur emphasized a balanced approach to sustainable weight loss over dieting. He was pretty impressed with some of the components of the Atkins diet. However, he was more concerned about the restriction of less consumption of fats. Consuming fats can increase the risk of heart diseases, and this was his primary concern. 

He introduced a modified version of the Atkins diet that involved low-carbs, low-fats, and high-protein foods; he named it after studying medicine in South Florida. The diet phase is low in carb, low in fat, and becomes more flexible in stages two and three, which means you can have some categories of unprocessed foods combining them with the foods full of proteins. Dr. Arthur proposes that consuming protein-rich foods can burn more calories during the digestion process than carbs or fats. Additionally, proteins are responsible for releasing a hormone that reduces hunger pangs and can keep your stomach full for a more extended period. 

A collective review of 24 studies revealed that foods rich in protein, low-fat, significantly reduced weight, retained muscle mass than low-fat, and regular protein diets. South Beach diet also led to fat triglycerides retention in a better manner. Several other studies again proved that the South Beach diet resulted in a weight reduction of about 11 pounds in pre-diabetic adults. They also experienced better fasting insulin level tests and an increment in CCK, a hormone responsible for feeling full for a long. 

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is called a fad diet, which can reduce weight if followed religiously. It lowers the insulin level and shifts the body’s fuel source from sugar to ketones. These combinations are prepared from fatty acids and consumed by your brain and other organs for energy requirements. You are in a ketosis state when your body doesn’t get carbs to simmer and switches to ketones. 

Contrary to Atkins and other low-carb diets, ketogenic diets don’t gradually increase their carbs. Despite that, they put the intake of carbs very low to make sure believers of these foods remain in ketosis. Positively, ketogenic diets naturally contribute less than 50 grams of total carbs each day and repeatedly less than 30. A detailed analysis found that ketogenic foods boost weight and fat and reduce inflammatory markers and disease risk factors for overweight people. 

A two-year regulated study of 45 obese adults documented that people on a ketogenic diet subsided 27.5 pounds and lost approximately 29 inches from their waists. It’s certainly more than the low-fat group. However, both groups are calorie-restricted. The best part of this diet is not deliberately calorie-restricted; it stimulates the reduced intake of calories. A ketogenic diet supports suppressing appetite, so naturally, you feel full, and calorie intake becomes less.

The Paleo Diet 

This diet is the food that the hunters used to eat in ancient times. Paleo is appraised as a fad diet because it restricts various foods comprising dairy, grains, and legumes. Additionally, some critics reflected that it is not practical or possible to have the exact similar diets that our forefathers used to eat. Despite that, the paleo diet is a relatively balanced and healthy way of consuming foods that remove processed foods and motivates its supporters to have a considerable range of plant and animal foods. 

Vegan Diet

People who want to lose weight prefer a vegan diet. Vegans do not consume animal products, so others denounce them. Many people who don’t know about the vegan diet’s benefits claim an extreme or unbalanced diet. Vegan diets can be full of nutrition or less nutritious; it all depends on the types of food you incorporate into your diet. 

It’s practically impossible to lose weight if you eat a significant amount of processed foods and drink sugary beverages. However, a vegan diet is based on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables and can give you faster and better results in tremendous weight loss. The vegan diet also reduces the risk factors for heart diseases. 

The Zone Diet

Dr. Berry, an American biochemist, is the creator of the famous zone diet. He introduced it in the mid-90s. It is categorized as one of the fad diets as it includes a restricted proportion of protein, fat, and carbs and is considered ideal for weight loss and overall health. It has three portions: 30% healthy protein, 30% fat, and 40% of high-carb foods. Bear in mind this diet is consumed in specific intervals with well-defined bits. 

The zone diet reduces inflammation, which paves the way for a faster and easier weight reduction. Studies prove that the Zone diet is a significant contributor to reducing weight, blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and inflammation. A study rolled out in a controlled environment for about six weeks with obese adults revealed that the people who ate the zone diet lost more fats than the other groups. This group also experienced a 44% reduction in fatigue. The Zone diet is said to increase omega 3-fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids, anti-inflammatory compounds. 

The Dukan Diet

By observing the beginning stages of a Dukan diet, you will realize why it is a fad diet. It was developed in the 1960s by a French doctor, Pierre Dukan. This diet involves four stages; it begins with the attack phase and consists of lean protein foods. High protein intake will considerably reduce appetite while simultaneously promoting metabolism. Other foods are part of each further stage until the stabilization phase, in which there is no strict bounding for certain types of meals and food, but vegetables and high protein foods are necessary. Once you have reached the final stage, you will follow the diet from the attack phase strictly once a week. As drastic as this diet may appear to you, it is helpful for weight loss. 

The Bottom Line

Fad diets play a vital role in reducing weight quickly. Although some believe that fad diets are less nutritious, several believe that these are very effective and worth trying. Suggested above are some excellent fad diets that emphasize balancing nutrition and at the same time make sure that you are not starving because depriving your body of the food is not an effective and sustainable way of weight loss.