The TRUTH about those viral TikTok diets! Health expert reveals the fads that are actually effective and which ones you should avoid – from calorie counting to eating baby food
- Nutritionist Lisa Young has revealed the viral TikTok diets you should avoid
- She discusses cabbage soup diet, baby food diet, counting calories and more
- The New York dietitian noted that these diets can lead to disordered eating
A health expert has debunked the wildest diets seen on TikTok and even revealed the ones that may actually help you shed off the pounds.
Lisa Young – a registered dietitian nutritionist at New York University and author of best-selling book Finally Full, Finally Slim – has broken down the weight-loss trends that have been swirling around the video-sharing platform.
People have gone to extreme lengths to lose weight – from only eating baby food to meticulously counting every last calorie in their diet – and many of them have gained popularity through social media, despite experts warning against them.
Lisa has now given her verdict on six popular fads, revealing which ones you should steer clear of and the diets that actually help you achieve your weight-loss goals.
Speaking to the New York Post, Lisa cautioned those looking to drop the number on the scale to be weary about the diets they see online.
She noted that these diets can lead to disordered eating.
‘There comes a toll when we just try every single diet and fail. “Failing is when you gain it back, lose weight and not a success – keeping it off is a success,”‘ Lisa added.
Stop doing the math! Calorie counting and remaining in a calorie deficit can lead to ‘deprivation’
The first diet the nutritionist explained was the classic and well-known fad that sees viewers counting every calorie
Counting calories or being in a calorie deficit – which is the act of burning more calories than you eat – are the most popular diets shared on TikTok
The first diet the nutritionist explained was the classic and well-known fad that sees viewers counting every calorie.
Counting calories or being in a calorie deficit – which is the act of burning more calories than you eat – are the most popular diets shared on TikTok.
The hashtag #CalorieCounting boasts 1.8 billion views, while the hashtag #CalorieDeficit clocks up a whopping 8.7 billion.
The diet notes that both men and women should eat less than they are burning.
For women, who are advised to eat 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day, and men, who are told to consume 1,500 to 1,800 calories, this can be an effective method of shedding weight.
However, there are many cons to it, including it not being a sustainable way to drop the pounds and keep them off.
The hashtag #CalorieCounting boasts 1.8 billion views, while the hashtag #CalorieDeficit comes in at a whopping 8.7 billion
Lisa advised viewers to instead focus on eating more ‘fruits and vegetables, protein and healthy fats’
Lisa explained this was because the diet ‘promotes a feeling of deprivation.’
In addition to leaving you feeling hungry, it can cause you to get wrapped up in the total amount of calories you are consuming rather than proper nutrition.
This means you are often stripping yourself of a healthy and well-balanced meal that can actually contribute to your fitness goals.
Lisa advised viewers to instead focus on eating more ‘fruits and vegetables, protein and healthy fats.’
‘It’s not magic’: Chlorophyll water boasts more than 250 million views on TikTok, despite being ‘ridiculous’
Another TikTok trend that viewers praised for helping them see a lower number when looking at the scale was chlorophyll water
The hashtag #ChlorophyllWater has garnered an overwhelming amount of popularity on TikTok, with more than 254.5 million views
chlorophyll is the $hit #chlorophyllwater
Another TikTok trend that social media users praised for helping them see a lower number when looking at the scale was chlorophyll water.
The hashtag #ChlorophyllWater has garnered an overwhelming amount of popularity on TikTok, with more than 254.5 million views that see users putting a couple drops of the compound found in green plants that gives them their color to help them shed weight.
Many people on the video-sharing platform have praised the plant compound for its ability to aid in weight loss, detox the body and even improve acne.
However, Lisa told the New York Post she doesn’t buy the fad, calling it ‘ridiculous.’
‘If you eat plants, you’re gonna get chlorophyll, [but] if you want to drink chlorophyll, go for it. It’s not magic and people need to realize that,’ she explained.
The one pro to this trend is that people convince themselves to drink more water, which can help aid in weight loss and improve the appearance of the skin.
Leave it for the babies! Don’t take part in the diet that sees people eating a dozen jars of baby food a day to shed pounds
Many people are so desperate to shed some weight off that they will even turn to baby food to help them achieve their goals
There are more than 14 million views on the video-sharing app of people eating baby food to lose weight
Many people are so desperate to shed some weight off that they will even turn to baby food to help them achieve their goals.
There are more than 14 million views on the video-sharing app of people eating baby food to lose weight.
The trend convinces people to consume nearly a dozen jars of baby food throughout the day to replace full meals.
And while replacing protein-filled and nutrient-rich meals with baby food will help you shed some weight, it won’t help you keep it off.
‘Traditionally, baby food is going to be low in protein and fiber [and] it may not give you the right nutrients,’ Lisa told the New York Post.
In addition to not helping you stay fit for an extended period of time, this diet can be detrimental to your mental health.
The dietitian explained following this diet will ‘control’ your life and isolate you from friends and family, especially when deciding where to go for lunch.
Restriction and dedication? Never follow the military diet because it the weight you lose won’t stay gone
Similarly to the other trendy diets, the military diet will help you shed weight fast, but you will gain it back just as quick
The hashtag #MilitaryDiet has garnered a whopping 31.2 million views, with followers claiming they lost up to 10 pounds a week while restricting their calories for this fad
Similarly to the other trendy diets, the military diet will help you shed weight fast, but you will gain it back just as quick.
The hashtag #MilitaryDiet has garnered a whopping 31.2 million views, with followers claiming they lost up to 10 pounds a week while restricting their calories for this fad.
This diet sees people consuming just 800 to 900 calories per day for three days, followed by four days of eating normally.
The name of the trend comes from the dedication it takes to continue the diet.
On the first three days, you are only allowed to eat caffeinated coffee or tea, grapefruit, bananas, apples, green beans, broccoli, carrots, peanut butter, eggs, canned tuna, hot dogs, meat, whole wheat bread, saltine crackers, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and ice cream in small amounts.
And while you would drop pounds, Lisa explained it was an unhealthy way to go about bringing the number on the scale down.
She said: ‘It’s designed to help you lose a lot of weight, you know, in a short amount of time, which you’re not going to keep off. It might actually lead you to gain even more weight than you initially lost.’
‘You’re not getting protein, you’re not getting fat’: Cabbage soup diet will never help you shed off the weight for good
The cabbage soup diet first originated in the 1980s and has now found its way onto many For You Pages
The diet sees people consuming soup that is made from white cabbage and low-calorie vegetables
The cabbage soup diet first originated in the 1980s and has now found its way onto many For You Pages.
The clips shared under the hashtag #CabbageSoupDiet have amassed more than seven million views.
The diet sees people consuming soup that is made from white cabbage and low-calorie vegetables.
While following this trend, people also make sure to consume other low-calorie foods throughout the day.
And just like the other diets shared on social media, it is not sustainable or nutrient-rich.
Lisa told the outlet: ‘You’re not getting protein, you’re not getting fat — it’s very low calorie. So it is not something that you want to do for the long term. It’s also super, super restrictive.’
‘There’s nothing magic’: A cup of coffee and half a lemon won’t help you achieve your weight-loss goals
Although most people prefer creamer in their coffee, TikTok users are suggesting viewers squeeze half a lemon into their caffeine instead
The hashtag #LemonCoffeeChallenge has garnered more than 6.9 million views, while #LemonAndCoffee amassed 5.8 million views
This diet sees you using your daily cup of joe to help you drop the number on the scale.
Although most people prefer creamer in their coffee, TikTok users are suggesting viewers squeeze half a lemon into their caffeine instead.
The hashtag #LemonCoffeeChallenge has garnered more than 6.9 million views, while #LemonAndCoffee amassed 5.8 million views.
And while many fitness influencers swear by the citrus coffee, expert note it’s not as lovely as it seems.
Lisa noted that this combination is by no means ‘magic’, but it can cause you to lose weight if your usual cup of coffee is a frappuccino with extra whip.
She told the New York Post: ‘If you are having coffee with lemon instead of a frappuccino or instead of a pumpkin spice latte [then] you will lose weight. But you’ll also lose weight if you have a Greek yogurt with blueberries.
‘There’s nothing magic in the coffee or in the lemon that’s going to lead to weight loss on its own.’
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