As a clinical nutritionist, I have seen firsthand the adverse effects that fad diets can have on people’s health. Fad diets are often unsustainable and restrictive, and they usually don’t meet people’s nutritional needs.
This can lead to a number of health problems, including weight gain, nutrient deficiencies, and an unhealthy relationship with food.
Why Fad Diets Never Work in the Long Term
Fad diets typically make unrealistic promises about how quickly and easily you can lose weight. They often involve cutting out entire food groups or severely restricting your calorie intake. This can lead to short-term weight loss, but it is usually unsustainable. Once you stop following the diet, you are likely to regain the weight you lost, and sometimes even more.
Another reason why fad diets don’t work in the long term is that they don’t address the root cause of weight gain.
For most people, weight gain is a complex issue influenced by many factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and medical conditions. Fad diets do not address any of these underlying factors, so they are not a sustainable solution for weight loss.
How Fad Diets Sabotage Your Ability to Maintain a Healthy Weight
Fad diets can sabotage your ability to maintain a healthy weight in a lot of ways. First, they can lead to unhealthy eating habits. When you severely restrict your calorie intake or cut out entire food groups, you are more likely to experience cravings and binge eating episodes.
This can make it challenging to develop a healthy relationship with food and maintain a sustainable diet.
Second, fad diets can lead to nutrient deficiencies. When you don’t eat a variety of nutritious foods, you risk not getting the nutrients your body needs. This can lead to many health problems, including fatigue, weakness, and impaired cognitive function. Nutrient deficiencies can also make it difficult to lose and maintain a healthy weight.
Finally, fad diets can lead to weight regain.
Once you stop following a fad diet, you are likely to regain the weight you lost, and sometimes even more. This is because fad diets do not address the root cause of weight gain.
The Importance of a Root Cause, Diagnostic-Led Approach to Nutrition
Practicing precision nutrition is an approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying factors that are contributing to a person’s health problems. This approach is essential for sustainable weight loss and overall health improvement.
Nutrition counseling can help you identify the root cause of your weight gain and develop a personalized plan to address it. They can also help you create a sustainable diet that meets your individual nutritional needs.
The Value of a Clinical Nutritionist Versus a Dietician
Clinical nutritionists (CNSs) and registered dietitians (RDs) are healthcare professionals who have training in nutrition. However, there are some critical differences between the two professions.
Clinical nutritionists have a master’s degree or higher in nutrition from an accredited institution. They have also completed advanced training in clinical nutrition, which includes coursework in biochemistry, physiology, and pathology.
This training gives clinical nutritionists the knowledge and skills to identify and address nutrition-related health conditions.
RDs have a bachelor’s degree in nutrition or a related field from an accredited institution. They have also completed an accredited dietetic internship and passed the national credentialing exam for RDs. RDs are qualified to provide nutrition counseling and education, but they are not qualified to diagnose and treat nutrition-related health conditions.
If you are looking for a healthcare professional who can help you address the root cause of your weight gain or other nutrition-related health problems, you should see a clinical nutritionist.
Nava Can Help – All of the Nutritionists are Clinical Nutritionists
Fad diets are a quick-fix solution to a complex problem. They are often unsustainable and restrictive, and they can lead to a number of health problems, including weight regain, nutrient deficiencies, and an unhealthy relationship with food.
If you are serious about losing and maintaining a healthy weight, you need to take a root cause, diagnostic-led approach to nutrition. This means working with a clinical nutritionist to identify and address the underlying factors contributing to weight gain. A clinical nutritionist can also help you create a sustainable diet that meets your individual nutritional needs.
Get started today and schedule your comprehensive wellness consultation with a Nava Clinical Nutritionist.
Nour Amri is a Licensed Integrative Nutritionist, a Certified Nutrition Specialist, and a Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist. She earned her Master’s degree from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She also received her certification for mind-body medicine facilitation from Georgetown University School of Medicine. In her approach, Nour applies the principles of Integrative and Functional Nutrition, which emphasize healthy eating personalized to the client’s genetics, environment, lifestyle, and health concerns.