At 270 lbs., Melissa Burris of Buffalo, is looking to lose weight in the New Year. “I've been struggling with it for a while. I used to be 130 lbs.”
According to Registered Dietitian, Sheila Flavin, some fad diets are not the way to go.
We started with the Ketogenic diet which promotes a low carb, high fat and moderate protein regimen. Flavin said it helps lose weight. However, it isn't sustainable. “It promotes that all or nothing thinking: these foods are bad you can't eat these foods. These are good. You can eat a lot of them.”
Flavin said there are also side effects with the Ketogenic diet. “Your breath has an odd smell. Your thinking becomes fuzzy and people tend to be irritable because they hungry.”
Another popular diet these days is the Alkaline diet. “The diet is actually not that bad.” Why? It promotes a high fruit and vegetable intake.
The problem? Advocates claim it can change your PH balance and lower your risk of things like arthritis, osteoporosis and even cancer. “It's impossible to change the PH of your diet. You'll get very, very, very sick,” Flavin explained.
Finally, we asked her about the Raw Vegan diet, and again she said the system is flawed. “They said you lose some of the nutrients when you cook food. It’s the other way around.”
Instead, Flavin recommends living a healthier lifestyle to lose weight. That means getting more exercise, and eating less high-calorie foods. And you don't have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods to lose weight. “You can pretty much eat everything. You can go to that holiday party and have something. You have to learn to limit it and balance it,” she concluded.
Just some food for thought if you are like Melissa Burris and want to lose weight in the New Year.
