1. Long-Term Low Carb Diets

Surely low-carb diets work right? Yes, but only to a given point. Too long on too few carbs and the body adjusts its metabolic rate. The key to getting the results you want using a low-carb diet is to alternate between low-carb days and more moderate carb days to keep your body guessing. Over time, any diet (even a low carb diet) can cause you to plateau.

2. Obscure Super Foods and Supplements

Between goji berries, spirulina, and maca root, it can be confusing with all the super foods these days. But if you’re loading your morning green smoothie with a bunch of different supplement and super foods thinking you’ll lose weight, you might want to think again. Most super foods and supplements are a waste of time and money, and while there is evidence that a few of them offer health benefits, overall you’re much better off investing in fresh produce, whole grains, and lean cuts of meat.

3. Juice Fasts and/or Cleanses

Juice fasts and cleanses have been popular for a while, and they actually date back to the early 1970’s when vegetarianism and other Eastern culture philosophies became popular in the United States. Remember the only reason you’re losing weight from a juice fast is because you’re consuming an insanely low amount of calories. Juice fasts and cleanses might help you lose weight in the short term, but you’ll easily gain all this weight back once you resume your normal eating habits.

4. Detox Diets

Similar to juice fasts, detox diets operate on the claim that your body is full of toxins that are making you slow, sluggish, and overweight. The fact of the matter is this isn’t true! Unless you have a liver or kidney condition, most people’s livers and kidneys do an excellent job of removing waste from the body periodically so there is no buildup on toxins. Detox diets are basically a low-calorie plan for temporary weight loss. Rarely does long term weight loss result from them.

5. Cutting Food into Smaller Pieces

I remember hearing from a friend back in the day that cutting my food into smaller pieces would help me lose weight. This is by far one of the oldest (and dumbest) tricks in the book. Sure, taking your time, eating slowly, and chewing your food properly can help facilitate digestion and help you feel full on less food. But by no means does your food suddenly have a lower calorie content when you chop it up a certain way. Save you time and energy and invest in plant-based foods that are going to help you maintain your weight no matter which way you cut them.

6. Not Eating after 8 PM

Sure, there is some truth to this statement. Most people who eat late at night aren’t munching on carrot and celery sticks. So if you tend to crave sugar or salt late at night, it probably is a good idea for you not to eat past 8 pm. But what if you work late and often 9 pm is the only time to eat dinner? Usually it doesn’t matter when you eat, but rather what you eat. Thus, eating a balanced dinner of lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fat can be a perfectly appropriate meal, even if you’re eating it after 8 pm. As long as you steer clear of junk food, eating past 8 pm shouldn’t lead to weight gain.

7. Any Meal Plan below 1,000 Calories

Ultra-low calorie meal plans are a sure fire way to destroy your metabolism. Instead, try to space meals 2-3 hours apart. This will rev up your metabolism and keep hunger and cravings at bay. Moreover, crash/low-calorie diets might work temporarily, but like other fad diets, as soon as you go back to your normal ways, you’re bound to gain the weight back.

There really isn’t any secret or magic pill to weight loss. It all comes down to eating whole, unprocessed foods that are natural and full of nutrition. What are some of the craziest diet fads you’ve heard of? Did you try any of them? Did they work?