Worst Weight Loss Techniques: Beware the Cleanse Diets, Supplements and Yo-yo Dieting

With a combination of rising obesity rates, and the proliferation of unrealistic retouched bodies seen on social media, it is no surprise that more and more people are researching weight-loss diets and their options to lose weight. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Martin Jugenburg MD FRCSC, one of the top plastic surgeons in Toronto to set the record straight about plastic surgery and constantly challenging unrealistic expectations. 

There are many different types of diets, many different trademarked names for various diets that are being promoted on social media by various influences. Some are complete gimmicks, such as diet gummies and teas promoted by the likes of Kardashians and other celebrities who are paid to promote various diets and dietary aids, implying their bodies are the result of these ‘amazing’ dietary tricks. Others are diets based on more concrete scientific evidence. Many people, in a desperate attempt to find the next great thing that will make them lose weight quickly, jump on various fads that are in effect not only ineffective but actually bad for you.

Worst Weight Loss Techniques: Beware the Cleanse Diets, Supplements, and Yo-yo Dieting

Dr. Jugenburg often gets questions about sculpting the “perfect” body from patients who have been fooled by unhealthy crash diets, Instagram filters, and scam products. 

Cleanse Diets

Cleanse diets are among the worst diet methods because they are based on the myth that one needs to ‘cleanse’ their body.  However, unless you lost your liver and your kidney, your organs that filter out unwanted substances, there is no need for any cleanses.  These cleanses are also ineffective for weight loss.  Because these cleanse diets are often based on people purchasing expensive juices and supplements, the only long-term weight loss one can expect is in their wallet.

Dietary Supplements

Next in line would be all the dietary supplements and fat burners sold online and promoted by paid influencers to make it look like they use those supplements to attain and maintain their photoshopped bodies.  Laxative additives often lead to a quick small drop in weight, while hunger suppressants may decrease food intake.  None of these strategies have a long-term benefit and in fact, could lead to rebound weight gain.

Crash Diets

Yo-yo dieting is simply the worst thing one can do.  No matter what diet plan one tries, going on and off the diet creates the yoyo effect where an initial caloric reduction leads to a slower metabolism.  Then when a person increases their caloric intake while their body is in a slower metabolism, these calories are taken in, converted to fat, and stored, resulting in an increase in body fat content rather than weight loss.

What does healthy dieting look like?

There are many more different types of diets and fads out there.  However, for the purpose of weight loss, ultimately the only thing that matters is calories in vs calories out.  People often get carried away about what diet is the best and what are bad foods.  However, ultimately, what exactly you eat doesn’t matter for weight loss. It doesn’t matter whether your calories come from carbs, protein, or fats. Calories are calories and when you take in more calories than you need, you will gain weight. 

Low carb diets have the benefit of suppressing hunger and thus help with lowering one’s caloric intake, because very often weight gain is the result of habitual and emotional eating resulting in an excess of calories going in vs calories going out. Controlling one’s hunger and food intake is the first step one has to take. This is the most difficult step in all diets and the one that requires very strict self-discipline.

Once a caloric deficit has been achieved, it is important to remember that the human body is a very adaptive machine and it will slow down its metabolism to conserve energy.  Exercise, cardio, in particular, can help to maintain an active metabolism to continue to burn energy in a situation where the body would normally attempt to slow down its metabolism to conserve energy.  Daily cardio of even only a few minutes per day can help to kickstart your metabolism while you start out on your weight loss journey. In the long term, exercise to build muscle mass which burns energy, is a great way to maintain good metabolism.

Dr. Jugenburg reminds patients that although looking good can be an important step to feeling good, nothing is more important than taking care of your body. Crash diets and skinny teas are harmful and can lead to serious mental and physical health problems. When it comes to social media and photoshop, he urges patients to remember that these images aren’t an accurate representation of real life. The online world is a combination of lighting and photoshop. No one should base their beauty standards, and more importantly their health standards on it.

For ideas on healthy ways to lose weight, here are Health and Fitness Expenses Worth Paying For.