If you think weird fad diets are just a modern phenomenon, guess again. Bizarre fad diets have been around for centuries and though each one is unique in its own strange prescriptive way, they all claim to help you lose those extra pounds extra fast! In this blog, we wanted to take a moment to discuss 5 of the weirdest fad diets out there. We’ll point out why they ultimately don’t work, how they can actually be detrimental to your health, and provide you with proven dietary practices you can rely on to help you lose weight and feel better – the healthy way!
Bring on the weird and let’s get started.
Werewolf Diet
This diet requires fasting for 24 hours during every new moon and full moon phase, allowing you to only drink water, fruit juice, or vegetable juice. This amount of fasting really won’t make much of a difference in your weight as you’ll mostly be losing water weight and interrupting your normal eating patterns in this way just signals your body to store more fat. On top of that, depriving your body of macronutrients like protein and fat will just make you hungry and likely to binge after the fact.
Instead:
You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight. Making a habit of eating healthy, balanced meals and establishing an exercise routine is the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off.
Baby Food Diet
The rules for this diet are pretty simple (and super gross) to follow: replace two meals per day with a couple jars of baby food. The strategy here is to severely restrict calories and, sure, baby food is pretty nutrient-dense, but it by no means contains the nutrition a healthy adult requires – one major one being fiber!
Instead:
It may sound silly, but the act of chewing is really important, both physiologically and psychologically in feeling sated.
Fiber is also an incredibly important nutrient for your overall well-being. Foods abundant in fiber aid in proper digestion, nutrient absorption, and heart health!
The Ear Stapling Diet
The Ear Stapling Diet is a weird riff on acupuncture, where tiny staples are surgically implanted into the cartilage of the inner ear, stimulating nerve pressure points that are supposed to control hunger. Ouch!
Instead:
There are way better (and less medieval) ways to redirect bad habits into new healthy ones. It’s all about awareness and having a plan. Get more tips on breaking bad habits and sticking to a healthy routine in our Healthy Habits series.
The Hot Dog & Tuna Diet
A.K.A. The Military Diet — involves restricting your intake to less than 1000 calories per day using low-nutrient foods like hot dogs, canned tuna, crackers, and coffee to somehow send your metabolism into overdrive, thus shedding 10 pounds in as little as 3 days.
Instead:
Regularly consuming low-calorie foods that are filled with preservatives and loaded with sodium can lead to all kinds of health problems.
Opt for nutrient-rich foods and tracking calories and macros using a fitness app so you can hit your targets in a nutritious way.
The Cabbage Soup Diet
Like cabbage soup? Well, on this diet you can eat as much cabbage soup (that’s cabbage, water, onions, and seasoning) as you want. Of course, it’s also the only thing you can eat on this diet. Not to mention, following this diet is a recipe for gastrointestinal distress!
Instead:
Cabbage may be a nutritious component of any meal or snack, but it can’t provide everything you need to stay healthy. Opt for eating a variety of veggies, plant-based fats, and proteins to keep your taste buds and your body happy!
We’re always adding fresh, new items to our rotating menu and supporting your needs with great advice and tools to keep you on track.
Tell us about some of the wildest fad diets you’ve heard of – we’d love to hear from you!
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