The problem for most people who are overweight usually comes from eating high-calorie foods that the body cannot fully burn for energy, resulting in fat accumulation that causes weight gain.
When it comes to weight loss, the first thought often focuses on controlling diet and eating habits, whether it is abstaining, reducing, quitting, or choosing certain types of food, including following popular diet formulas. However, these trendy diet formulas may carry hidden dangers that can harm your health without you realizing it if you do not understand the guidelines and what to… watch out for!!
3 Weight Loss Diets You Should Know Well… Before Trying
1. Ketogenic Diet or Keto Weight Loss Formula focuses on eating 75% fat, 20% protein from meat, and the remaining 5% carbohydrates from various vegetables. This way of eating can also be called low-carb, high-fat (LCHF).
Weight loss by primarily eating fat may seem contradictory to the energy intake, so the amount must be controlled appropriately. When carbohydrate intake is limited to only 5%, the body needs to find another energy source, which is the fat consumed in large amounts.
When eating a lot of fat but lacking carbohydrates, the body enters ketosis, where fat from food and the liver is used as the main energy source for life. This causes stored body fat to be used as well, which is why weight decreases. However, we must not forget that the reduction of stored body fat does not always mean that blood fat decreases. On the contrary, eating a large amount of fat increases the chance of high bad cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. It is often found that people who are thin or have little body fat may have high blood fat, which can result from different types of food and body functions influenced by genetics.
Additionally, too little carbohydrate and sugar intake can disrupt the function of organs and endocrine glands that produce hormones, causing imbalances and abnormalities. Importantly, ketogenic dieting is not suitable for diabetic patients who require insulin injections, those with high blood pressure, or high blood fat.
2. Atkins Diet is a weight loss formula developed by cardiologist Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who researched it in 1963. He found that effective weight loss involves eating 80% protein and the remaining 20% from good fats (HDL) and carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits.
Actually, the Atkins diet is somewhat similar to the ketogenic diet in that it involves low carbohydrate intake to reduce insulin production, slowing fat accumulation and increasing fat energy use. However, in the Atkins diet, the body primarily uses energy from protein.
The downside of eating 80% protein is that the body may lack other nutrients, reduce nutrient absorption efficiency in the intestines, cause constipation due to low fiber intake, and increase the risk of intestinal and anal diseases, dry mouth, and bad breath.
3. Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a formula that allows eating everything but restricts eating to certain periods alternating with fasting periods. For example, IF 16/8 means eating is allowed for 8 hours, followed by fasting for 16 hours. During fasting, the body starts to use more fat due to lack of energy from carbohydrates and sugar.
People who do IF usually do not have problems with nutrient imbalance because they can eat normally. Fasting for long periods initially may lower insulin levels, causing fatigue, slower brain function, and sometimes intense hunger. However, after some time, the body adapts and can better use stored energy, improving fat metabolism. One study found that IF can increase metabolism by up to 14%.
Although it is relatively easy and has many benefits, IF may increase certain risks, such as irregular menstruation, sleep problems leading to hormonal imbalance, and for beginners, especially patients or those at risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, or thyroid issues, it is advisable to consult a doctor first. Medication doses, especially insulin injections, may need adjustment to align with eating and fasting periods.
Ultimately, whether abstaining, reducing, quitting certain foods, or fasting intermittently, we want you to know that extreme dieting with any method can cause health problems. Although weight loss has many benefits, if done incorrectly or if you have underlying health issues, the disadvantages may outweigh the benefits. You can check if you are on the right path by getting a health checkup to assess and determine… which path you should take to lose weight while maintaining good health.