Anyone who has been through fad and extreme diets knows that they don't work. If you haven't and don't know what a 'fad diet is, it is basically any diet that makes you take extreme measures, and is not something you can sustain for the rest of your life. Many people feel these types of diets are the only way to make and 'actual' change....this couldn't be further from the truth!
If you are being asked to cut out food groups, or take your calories extremely low, then you are on a fad diet. Well you might be wondering what the issue is with these diets... the issue is they leave you feeling unwell. How are you expected to perform well in the gym and live an active lifestyle if you are constantly lethargic and feeling low?
Restricting the foods you love and enjoy just because someone else did to achieve the results they wanted doesn't mean it's what you have to do in order to achieve results. Read that again.
This is why we teach the value of macronutrients + calories. Think of it this way; If you know how much food you need to maintain, lose or gain weight and you know how much you are consuming each day then you can be flexible dieting! If you have the knowledge about how to track your food, then you have the ability to diet while eating all the foods you Love and not being so restricted that you feel the need to binge. Basically, you are following a diet that you could do for the rest of your life with no consequences!
And because I know many of you are thinking it...let me put your mind at ease. No you will not need to track calories for the rest of your life, but the point is that while you are, your quality of life is not being sacrificed. (And you might even be surprised to find you enjoy having more knowledge and control of what foods you choose to eat). You are able to eat out for birthdays, events or even just because you feel Like it without being stressed about your diet. This is something we feel strongly about, you shouldn't have to miss out on living life.
You will also avoid damaging your relationship with food. Many women who go on fad diets, where they cut out major food groups, are then scared of certain foods for the rest of their Life! (A client of ours used to feel terrible if she had pasta or bread because she believed the myth "Carbs are bad"). The anxiety that this causes around food is not worth the 'quick fix' or limitation. By using a sustainable and long-term method (like flexible dieting). you can maintain a healthy relationship with food, feel energized every day and work your diet around your life, not the other way around!
Our biggest problem with other diets is the restriction it puts on someone. Although you may be able to eat rice, chicken and broccoli for 8 weeks straight what happens when you have a chance to deviate from your plan? You get a taste of the things you've missed and next thing you know you are back to square one starting all over again.
Our biggest advice is to learn to calculate your TDEE. From here you can decided if you want to lose weight (cut), gain weight (bulk), or maintain weight. Tracking your macros right off the bat comes with a learning curve, but if you give it a chance and stick with it the results will be right behind you.
xx Knott Twins