Gimmick Diets
These are the promoted “wonder” diets with secret ingredients . . . So often the masses are lead to believe that the miracle cure or magic secret ingredient has been found, only to discover (the hard way) that there is no such component or secret. In the meantime the author and discoverer of this secret diet has smiled all the way to the bank. I am sure that not all of the authors purposely mislead the trusting followers, but the fact remains that these diets are mostly little more than gimmicks.
People follow them not because they sound safe and logical, but because it gives hope to those whom have lost all and desperately need some. The fact that it makes promises of instant results, make it so much more attractive and gives hope where all was lost.
These diets ranges from the Banana diet, Pasta diet to Beverly Hills diet, Fit for life diet, Grapefruit diet and the Israeli Army diet. There have even been diets to promote sexuality – how they promote weight loss I am not sure, since these diets are loaded with creams and other energy-rich ingredients. Be it as it may, the list of available gimmick diets is endless and there are always followers. These diets claim successes for various reasons. Some claim that certain foods have magical fat burning abilities, whilst others state that certain foods and the combination thereof allows for essential cleansing and detoxification. There are also those claiming to act as appetite control mechanisms and you will magically not be tempted to eat.
Will you loose weight: Yes you will loose weight. By limiting the dieter to specific foods or types of food, they are restricting the energy intake of the dieter severely. For example, if you are told that you can have as many fruits as possible in a day, the probability of you having more than 8 – 10 fruits is small. Even if you have slightly more, you will still cut your energy intake by at least half of your normal daily intake. Please be aware though that these diets have the same weight loss effects as the others discussed due to its unbalanced natures. You will first loose water and then muscle mass. The actual fat loss will be minimal.
Effects on the body: Ketones can be formed due to the lack of essential carbohydrates and sufficient energy. This as discussed leads to headaches, dizziness, nausea and bad breath. Permanent muscle damage and organ damage can occur. In most cases these diets are hopelessly deficient in basic nutrients for good heath and the normal functioning of the body. This can lead to mal-nutrition and if continued for too long, serious deficiencies. These diets also influence the metabolic rate by slowing it down, due to the lack of nutrient and energy intake. Individuals on these vastly low calorie diets will often also have no or little energy to do anything more than the maintenance of basic metabolic functions.