Fad Diets
What Diet is the "Best" Diet?
I feel like a broken record talking about diets all the time and constantly repeating myself → the “best” diet for you is the one that works best for YOU.
But like always, I get questions like:
“Should I do keto?”
“Thoughts on a carnivore diet?”
“Veganism seems to work for a lot of people, should I do it?”
“What’s the best fasting method?”
And so on…
In this post, I’m going to give you the pros and cons of the most popular fad diets and you can determine what works best for YOU.
What is a Fad Diet?
A fad diet *can* work for people in their own ways but the issue is that they are usually a short-term fix and can over time become unsustainable.
Fad Diets are generally:
Rigid in structure
Diets that promise quick fat loss or miracle results
Diets that usually cut an entire food group/types of food
Diets that provide short-term changes vs lifestyle changes
Diets that can be unsustainable long-term
A diet that labels foods as Good or Bad
When a diet exhibits the qualities above, downstream effects can become an issue. You can get what you are promised in the short term, but long term you can be left with disordered eating, a bad relationship with certain food/food groups, vitamin deficiencies, organ issues, and a plethora of other things.
Now, this does not mean they do not work or that they can’t be sustainable, they absolutely can be. The issue is typically when they become cult-like and we start throwing rhetoric like “this is the best and only way” as a blanket statement for all people regardless of goal.
We shouldn’t think of diets as absolutes, they are just tools to reach goals and promote good health. A diet doesn’t need a name or a set of rules to work!
5 Popular Fad Diets
What they are…
Potential benefits of the diet
Potential drawbacks of the diet
Carnivore
You eat meat and nothing else. That’s really about it, we really don’t need much more of an explanation. Some of the “forefathers” of popularizing this diet model have made some modifications like adding some fruits and other sources, but many, many people take “carnivore” as literally as possible.
Pros:
The diet completely eliminates any and all processed food
The diet is rich in nutrient-dense foods as animal protein sources are the best sources of essential vitamins and minerals
Has been known to reverse some autoimmune disorders
For many, they find they are more full and have better appetite control
The diet is loaded with protein which is typically a good thing and does promote muscle growth*
This diet can work excellent for those with insulin resistance/blood sugar/diabetes to improve insulin sensitivity and even reverse type 2 diabetes
Some people notice better energy levels and focus by eliminating all carb sources
(*albeit not as fast as with carbohydrates as mentioned immediately below)
Cons:
Missing out on carbohydrates which have direct benefits for building muscle and athletic performance
Does NOT magically make fat loss happen without a caloric deficit no matter how many people try to convince you it does
You are limited to 1 food group—meat
Cortisol (the stress hormone) can be elevated
Depletes electrolytes so you will have to be much more cognizant of proper hydration
Keto
Low-carb, high-fat diet. Very similar to Carnivore, could even consider Carnivore a version of a keto diet, but with keto, we aren’t limited to just meat as long as we stay under daily carb allotments (in most cases under 50g of carbs a day. A standard keto diet (which many actually don’t do, though they think they do) is actually 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. But, I’ll be lenient and loose with the definition and lump more high-protein keto diets into this.
Pros:
Big initial losses in weight resulting from losing water weight from the depleted glycogen (carbs/glycogen store 2.7g of water per 1g of glycogen)
For many, they find they are more full and have better appetite control
It can be very easy to follow due to the simplicity of the diet model (just keep carbs as low as you can or under 50g)
Can help improve insulin sensitivity and reverse/improve/help manage pre-diabetes/diabetes
Some have better energy levels and more focus throughout the day
For some medical conditions like epilepsy or some cancers, ketogenic diets can provide major improvements in the condition
Typically full of very nutrient-dense food
Can improve certain fitness activities, mainly endurance, by becoming fat adapted
Cons:
Again, with zero/low carb, you are going to sacrifice rate of muscle growth and athletic performance (for many sports comparatively to diets with more carbs)
Again like Carnivore, cortisol can become elevated
Eliminates an entire macronutrient group which can lead to a poor relationship with some foods
Some people genetically do not handle a diet high in saturated fats and this can cause lipid profile issues
Does NOT magically make fat loss happen without a caloric deficit no matter how many people try to convince you it does
Most people who go on keto cannot shut up about being on keto (I joke… but also so serious)
Intermittent Fasting
You don’t eat at all for a period of the day (or the week).
e.g. 5:2 fasting → eat normally for 5 days a week, fast for 2 days. 16:8 fasting → fast for 16 hours in a day, eat within an 8-hour window.
Basically, anytime we are purposely extending the window in which we are not eating and having a designated window where we can eat.
Pros:
Can be excellent for portion control and give flexibility because you have a very shortened eating window (can’t eat as much if you’re spending most of the day not eating)
Can help provide more free time by not having to worry about cooking meals or eating most of the day
Some people have better mental clarity and focus when fasted
Longer fasts over 24 hours can have very nice health benefits like improving gut health and autophagy (clearing out of old, damaged cells and tissue)
Food tastes way better when you’re fasted
Cons:
For some, this can lead to binge eating when your eating window arrives
Does not increase the rate of fat loss outside of your relative caloric deficit
Can be hard to fit all of the calories you need if you don’t have a big appetite and can’t fit in all your food
Will slow the rate of muscle growth because of less frequent muscle protein synthesis
Some people cannot think or focus when they become too hungry
Paleo
Eating like a caveman” (the Paleolithic era). This diet consists of whole foods that would only be found naturally growing or alive in nature. This is actually one of the best “fad diets”, but that said can still have its own drawbacks, especially with flexibility.
Pros:
The diet consists of a balanced macronutrient array of whole foods (could really stop here)
By eliminating processed foods, many people improve certain medical ailments, feel better, and have massive weight loss
Cuts out excess “empty” calories (sodas, cakes, etc.) which goes hand in hand with massive weight loss
You will have more satiety because the foods are more filling and nutrient-dense.
Cons:
Still creates restrictions by not allowing any foods that aren’t “naturally growing or found in nature” which can again create a bad relationship with foods and dieting
Just because everything’s coming from nature and the food is “clean” it again, does NOT magically make fat loss happen without a caloric deficit
Veganism
The practice of eating only food not derived from animals and avoiding the use of other animal products. I’m going to be honest, I don’t really have much positive to say about this and really the only way I’d ever recommend this on if you morally and ethically do not want to use or eat animal products. I’m trying to be as objective and unbiased as I can, but I really don’t have much.
Pros:
I don’t have much for this, gonna be honest.
It can provide weight loss (again, if in a calorie deficit)
There is some literature showing potentially better lipid profiles, lower risk of disease, and outcomes for mortality
High in fiber
If you are conscious about animals, think that eating them is inhumane, you can live freely knowing “no animals were harmed” in the making of your vegan option
If you are eating a Standard American Diet, the switch over can provide immediate health benefits by cutting out many processed food… albeit there are many, many, many garbage processed vegan products—often alternatives to regular non-vegan food
Some people do respond very favorably to the diet
Cons:
Often lacks essential nutrients (macro and micro) often received through animal products—protein becomes much harder to get as well as vitamin B12
There’s essentially no flexibility → almost everything has some form of animal product in it (though there are more and more options popping up).
Eating out at restaurants becomes even harder because of the above. (again, there are *some* options, just very limited)—this can also be a “pro” though
(Edited because some can’t use context or common sense) Many vegan food alternatives are a mimicry of animal products… but the taste isn’t up to par & nutrients are not matched—plus some are just simply highly processed with vegetable oils or loaded with estrogenic compounds.
Putting It All Together
As you can see, I actually have many positive things to say about many of the, what is considered in most circles, “fad diets”. This is because there are many, many ways to get the job done, and if you enjoy eating a certain way, by all means, go for it.
This was not meant to be a hit piece (sorry to the vegans though), I see validity in all diet models.
The main point I want to highlight is the fact that all things have pros and cons, and we don’t need to be binary in our thinking about diets. The reality is, as I say until I turn blue in the face, all diet models are a TOOL to reach a desired outcome.
Of course, we want to eat as healthy as possible, but we can do that through various means. We can even be cyclical or periodically use every single diet model that exists—there are no rules beyond:
The diet is helping you reach your goals
You enjoy the diet and can adhere to it
The other main point I want people to take away is considering the way we view food and our relationship with it. Again, we are human, we want to indulge in novelties and experience different foods and food cultures. We do not need to feel bad that we don’t eat perfectly 100% of the time, hardly anyone does.
We don’t need to label food “good and bad” but rather “eat more of this and less of that”. This is why I am a fan of an 80/20 or even 90/10 philosophy with food. 80-90% of the time eat healthy, nourishing whole foods, but also be a human and enjoy foods that we consider “unhealthy” occasionally. This will be more than enough to be in great health as long as we’re taking care of the gym, sleep, stress, etc.
So, I leave you mostly with a challenge to your thinking about diet—I do not want to persuade or dissuade you from any diet, rather I want you to really consider the place you are coming from when making dieting decisions.
To each their own.
#WAGMI
Your friend,
- BowTiedOx
DISCLAIMER
This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol. These are opinions from a Cartoon Ox.
Awesome article, MY BRUDDAH!
Can't agree more. The diet wars are overwhelming. I have researched several diets (e.g., keto, IF). And its clear that there is no one diet for everyone. And you need to choose a "diet" that you can stick to about 80% of the time.