Written by Tess Williams, Weight Loss Coach
Tess Williams is a certified metabolic Health Coach and founder of Revive Health Coaching. Specialising in helping women over 30 create sustainable habits for weight loss and integrative wellness, she empowers her clients to build strength and achieve long-term health without restrictive diets or extreme workouts.
Are you tired of trying every new diet trend only to find yourself stuck in the same frustrating cycle? Have you become an honorary member of "diet culture," as you're always chasing the next quick fix? Do you feel like a failure? You are not alone!
Weight loss can feel like an uphill battle, especially when popular diets promise quick fixes but rarely deliver lasting results. As you age, your body and metabolism change. This makes it even more important to use strategies that fit your unique needs.
In this article, I will explain what a fad diet is. I’ll also cover why we fall for them, why they often fail, and how they affect metabolism and energy levels. I’ll share how to let go of these diets for good and create lasting healthy habits.
What is a fad diet?
A fad diet is a trendy weight-loss plan that promises quick weight-loss results. Many of these diets push for strict limits or unhealthy eating habits that are tough to maintain.
These diets often promote a "magic solution." This may mean skipping entire food groups or using shakes or pills.
Fad diets look tempting due to their big promises and quick success stories. Yet, they seldom offer lasting results.
They often overlook key factors like nutrition, long-term health, and natural age-related changes. Fad diets tend to prioritise quick fixes over long-term health improvement.
Fad diets can be harmful. They may slow your metabolism, disrupt hormones, and lower muscle mass. A better choice is to make small, realistic habit changes. These changes focus on long-term health success.
Here are five popular fad diets that have gained attention over the years:
Keto Diet: This high-fat, low-carb diet pushes the body into ketosis. In ketosis, the body burns fat for energy instead of carbs. It works well for quick weight loss, but it is hard to keep up. It might also cause a lack of nutrients.
Paleo Diet: This diet focuses on eating like our ancestors. It includes whole foods like meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits and cuts out grains, dairy, and processed foods. It encourages unprocessed foods. Yet, it can be restrictive and lacks strong scientific backing.
Atkins Diet: A low-carb plan. The process starts with a strict phase that limits carbs. It adds carbs back in increasing amounts over time. Critics say that while it can help with weight loss, the early phases might be too extreme. This could lead to nutrient imbalances.
Raw Food Diet: It focuses on eating only raw and unprocessed foods. Followers believe cooking kills vital nutrients and enzymes. It focuses on whole foods, but it can be hard to stick to. This may cause nutrient gaps, especially in protein and B12.
HCG Diet: This diet pairs a very low intake of only 500 calories daily with HCG hormone supplements. It claims to speed up metabolism and help burn fat. HCG supplements are very controversial. They are both ineffective and unsafe for weight loss.
Some of these diets may work in the short term. Others do have therapeutic benefits. Many of these diets often lack science-backed results.
A balanced, long-term approach to nutrition and lifestyle is safer and more effective. It’s also important to practise and include healthy habits.
Why do we fall for fad diets?
People keep falling for fad diets because they promise quick and easy results. Influencers show off striking "before and after" photos. This makes people believe that transformation happens overnight. But what happens after the initial four weeks? The weight comes back, cravings intensify, and old habits return.
Many fad diets provide strict rules that seem clear and easy. This can attract people who feel overwhelmed by too many options. They often focus on cutting out whole food groups. This can create the illusion of quick results, usually from losing water weight.
The diet industry makes money by keeping people stuck in a cycle of losing and gaining weight. This way, they create repeat customers. Fad diets fail to address the root cause of weight gain, which lies in lifestyle habits and mindset.
Sustainable weight loss happens when you build healthy habits and stay consistent. It’s not about chasing the latest trend.
Why are fad diets so unsuccessful?
Fad diets can be too strict and hard to stick with. They often ignore your changing nutritional needs as you age. They focus on quick fixes. These can slow your metabolism, disrupt hormones, and make you feel tired.
They often build a negative view of food. This can make you feel guilty about eating cake or ice cream. As a result, it creates anxiety and stress when making food choices.
Severe restriction puts your body in survival mode. This makes it hold onto fat instead of burning it. It's also important to note that quick weight loss can lead to muscle loss. That's the last thing we want as we age.
More muscle helps your body use energy better. This lowers the chance of storing fat. It also helps keep us mobile and prevent a decline in bone density.
Having a healthy relationship with food is so important. It means you can be flexible and in control of your eating while nourishing your body. You can have a treat meal now and then without ruining your progress!
What is diet culture and why is it ruining your health?
Diet culture is a belief system that praises thinness. It links self-worth to how we look and pushes restrictive eating as the way to health and happiness. Diet culture can be very overwhelming. It promotes unrealistic beauty standards and quick-fix diets. These diets rarely work in the long term.
Diet culture harms not only your confidence but also your health. Extreme dieting and food restrictions can slow your metabolism. They can also disrupt your hormones. This may leave you feeling tired or stressed all the time. Labelling foods as “good” or “bad” adds to the problem.
Many diets overlook natural hormonal changes like perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. They also ignore muscular and bone changes such as sarcopenia and bone density decline. Plus, they often ignore a slowing metabolism.
Embrace a sustainable health and wellness approach. Focus on strength, mobility, whole foods, connection, and mindset. Avoid the diet culture trap.
Related: Why You Are Struggling To Stick To A Diet? And How To Stop Dieting Forever How do fad diets affect metabolism and energy levels?
Fad diets can slow your metabolism. They often involve cutting calories. When we cut our body's energy, it adapts by lowering its metabolic rate. This means it burns fewer calories during rest. It also breaks down muscle for fuel and holds onto fat stores.
Very low-carb or calorie diets can mess with hunger and stress hormones like leptin and cortisol. This disruption may cause increased cravings, fatigue, and brain fog. Many people feel sluggish, irritable, and tired when they lack essential nutrients. These nutrients are important for maintaining energy levels.
After years of strict diets and muscle loss, weight loss gets tougher with age. It's important to focus on creating healthy yet sustainable eating and movement habits.
Say goodbye to fad diets. Six practical tips for success
1. Understand your changing metabolism
As you get older, your metabolism slows down. This happens due to lower muscle mass, hormonal changes, and changes in your lifestyle. Eating like you did in your 20s can cause weight gain, low energy, poor mood, nutrient gaps, and muscle loss.
Your body needs healthy foods, balanced macronutrients, and a mix of foods in the right amounts. This supports your energy and health.
Get to work and learn how muscle mass, age, hormones, diet, and exercise affect your metabolism.
2. Stop the yo-yo dieting cycle
Yo-yo dieting is the cycle of losing and gaining weight. It happens because of strict diets that are hard to stick to. These diets can lead to many negative outcomes, including nutrient deficiencies, metabolic slowdowns, muscle loss, and a negative relationship with food. As expected, this cycle becomes both physically and mentally draining.
Focus on enjoying your favourite foods in moderation while building healthy habits.
3. Focus on balanced wholefood nutrition
Balanced nutrition means eating in a way that provides all the nutrients your body needs to thrive without feeling deprived. Choose unprocessed foods that have a low human interference score (HISS). The Human Interference Scoring System is a novel food-based classification system that is based on the existing NOVA method.
Include lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbs. Also, incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet whilst cutting down on processed foods.
4. Embrace small, sustainable habits
Sustainable weight loss and health isn’t about overhauling your lifestyle all in one go; it’s about making small changes that add up over time. Small habits are easier to maintain, and if you stay consistent with them, you will see results in the months and years to come.
Create a daily habit that will be beneficial for your health and well-being. I recommend reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.
5. Prioritise strength over scales
Muscles are more metabolically active than fat, meaning they burn more calories even when they are at rest. As we get older, keeping or building muscle is key. It helps our metabolism, bones, mobility, and strength.
An added benefit is the change in your appearance. By focusing on building strength instead of being obsessed with the number on the scales, you’ll achieve a healthier, longer, and more mobile life!
Add 2-3 weekly strength sessions into your exercise regime!
6. Ditch the “all-or-nothing” mindset
The all-or-nothing mindset—the idea that you must be perfect every day; otherwise, you have failed. This is one of the biggest lies and barriers to long-lasting success. Life happens; life is busy, and we need to accept that.
The consistency over time yields significant rewards. If you miss a workout or indulge in a treat, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that you won't see the results.
Get to know the 80/20 rule and figure out how to incorporate it into your lifestyle.
Related article: Outsmarting The Weight Loss Industry – How To Burn Fat Without Dieting
If you're a busy woman over 30, tired of strict diets and tiring workouts, it’s time for a new approach.
I help women transform their lives by building simple, lasting habits that suit their lifestyles. No fads. No fluff, just real, lasting results.
Follow me on Instagram or apply for my 12-week coaching programme, Transform with Tess, and take the first step towards a healthier, happier you.
Read more from Tess Williams
Tess Williams, Weight Loss Coach
Tess Williams is a certified metabolic health coach and founder of Revive Health Coaching, dedicated to helping women over 30 achieve sustainable weight loss and vibrant health. After transforming her own life from unhealthy eating and drinking habits, fatigue, and self-sabotage to a balanced, thriving lifestyle, she now inspires others to do the same. Her straightforward approach focuses on building practical habits that fit seamlessly into hectic schedules. Passionate about holistic wellness, she empowers women to improve their nutrition, exercise, and mindset for lasting results.
