Losing weight is supposed to be one healthy goal. It is a beautiful yet difficult journey to start with. It begins with the acknowledgment that indeed, your weight needs trimming. Then, you try to find a weight loss program that suits your lifestyle.

Next, you are accepting that the journey may take longer than quick fixes but is meant to stay. And then you stick to it until it becomes a habit, a part of your daily routine. This may sound ideal however, it is obviously slower.

Others involve products that may eliminate fat but have a gruesome effect on your body.

Here are samples of weight loss fads to avoid:

Diuretics

These are pills that are supposed to flush sodium and water out of one’s body. It is intended for other concerns though some are using it for weight loss. This is one dangerous step as it may damage your kidneys and make you dehydrated. Although, yes it may make you lose weight in no time, the damage it can cause is not worth your effort.

Caffeine supplements

Companies that make this tablet claim that since caffeine boosts metabolism and has fat-burning magic, this tablet is the answer to your weight loss difficulty. But they seemingly forgot to mention too that too much caffeine also causes anxiety, sleep problems, and rapid heartbeat. At the end of the day, relying on these tablets for weight loss is not worth the penny and effort.

Waist trimmers

Though an instant hit amongst millennial who want to find push-ups a punishment, this corset-like device may look cute but is actually dangerous. Though it is possible that you may achieve an hour-like body sometime in the future, sadly, your internal organs will have to suffer first. Wearing waist trimmers may cause acid reflux, impair breathing, cause heartburn and GI problems. If it really can push fat out your system is yet to be discovered.

Sauna suits

This was designed by companies to lure those who can’t stand hard work plus sweat, so they invented this device that is supposed to make you sweat by the ton with minimal effort. The risks include stroke, low blood pressure from overheating, unnecessary pressure to the internal organs and dehydration. This is just to remind us that indeed, there is no shortcut to exercising and sweating.

Tongue patch

Believe it or not, some are really that desperate that they are willing to undergo a procedure that involves putting a latch in their tongues to make chewing painful. The goal is to make you want to consume liquids only. This procedure guarantees fast weight loss but the repercussions include psychological and physiological risks. If weight loss is supposed to be a beautiful journey. Then there is actually no need to inflict pain in yourself.

Weight loss tea

This is being advertised as a magic potion that is supposed to eliminate fat. All you have to do is to drink as much as you can. Indeed, it is too good to be true. Like the previously mentioned caffeine tablets, there is the harm in succumbing to this because of a lot of reasons. One is that the safety in the manufacture of these products is quite unsure especially now that “diet teas” gained popularity. The consumption of inorganic teas which are potentially loaded with pesticides and consumed in large amounts can cause harm to one’s body. One thing more is the fact that its effect when it comes to weight loss is yet to be proven scientifically.

Here are easy tips to keep in mind when spotting a fad diet product:

Weight loss is based on taking pills, powders, special juices or herbs

You may now be wondering, “what’s wrong with all these?” Though they all are seemingly a healthy alternative, after all, herbs, for example, has been around for ages. The truth with these fads is that they are just gimmicks that will trim down your wallet and not your belly fat.

Some may even post danger to your health especially those that promise instant weight loss. Pills that are being marketed usually contain laxatives or diuretics that forces your body to eliminate. Though due to frequent visits in the toilet and dehydration, you may really lose weight fast, the effect it will have on your body is simply not worth it.

Drastically cutting back on calories

Again, is this not the way it should be, you may ask. Please read the sentence again and notice the word “drastically.” A healthy diet plan should not require or make you starve. Not only will hunger make you a bitter person, believe me, it will also have not-so-good- rebounds.

Scientifically, our bodies are not designed to shed off pounds of more than two to three per week. Here’s one fact to keep in mind, our bodies react to starvation by means of dumping water out of our system. So, when we starve ourselves, what we are actually losing is water and not fats. Still, it is better to stick to diet plans that are non-instant but are healthy and will surely last.

Skipping meals and replacing them with special shakes/drinks or food bars

The problem with this kind of fad is that you are missing out on specific food groups which are vital for your health. This scheme doesn’t support healthy weight loss and will have its repercussions later. Keep in mind that what you are aiming for is a healthy body. That is the main reason why you want to lose weight and not deprive yourself and binge-eat after. Another thing to consider is that there is no scientific proof that such meal replacements are enough to keep your vital organs properly functioning.

Weight loss plans that promise instant results

Like that of instant everything, instant weight loss has its fallback. If what you are about to adhere to is too good to be true, then I think it’s time to trust your guts and accept that indeed, satisfying results only come from hard work. Think of how long you gained the weight you want to shed, it took a number of months, right? So it is just fair not to expect your body to lose what it rained for months in a week.

Weigh loss plans that never mention lifestyle or change in mentality

This is the easiest to spot yet the hardest to recognize. One sure thing that makes a diet plan successful of true to its goal is the mention of a lifestyle change or a shift in mentality. The reason for such is that fads simply want a sale, an income. Whereas, real weight loss advocates of fitness instructors are aware that without a change in lifestyle, weight loss may turn to be something frustrating and endangering (health-wise).