Hyped Weight Loss Strategies That Don't Last

There are a lot of fad diets out there. That’s not anything new. Ever since there has been a need for losing weight, there have been drastic, odd and extreme ways of attempting to shrink down the body with as little time and effort needed as possible.

The following are some of the top weight loss strategies that simply do not last. There are many reasons to explain why they’re not effective or why they provide results only over the very short term. That said, they can all seem convincing enough that millions of people take part in them every year.

These weight loss fads are likely worth skipping – or at least discussing with your doctor – in favor of a healthier strategy that will produce more long-term benefits.

• Cleansing teas – There are hundreds of these teas on the market that promise to “cleanse” the body in order to produce weight loss benefits. That said, it’s important to note that there isn’t a single product that can cite scientific proof from large studies published in peer reviewed medical journal. Moreover, other than saying that they help to rid the body of “toxins” in general, they cannot identify and prove that they remove any specific unwanted substances. Any effects these products have are not a matter of losing body fat. Instead, they may help the body to temporarily shed fluids from the tissues. This can make it appear as though weight has been lost, but it is merely a dehydration effect. Once the body is rehydrated, the weight returns.

• Water pills – Also known as diuretics, these pills work in the same way as most cleansing teas. They flush out fluids from the tissues, which simulates fat loss, though no fat has been burned away. Then, when you rehydrate, your weight returns to normal again.

• Spa wrap treatments – Believe it or not, this is yet another case of shedding water and not fat. In this case, you are wrapped up in a type of plastic or similar material and then you are made to sweat, typically be sitting in a warm room or even a sauna. This causes you to lose a significant amount of water from your body by way of sweating, reducing your size and weight, though without decreasing your amount of body fat.

• Cigarette smoking diet – This is an extremely unhealthy fad diet which encourages smoking due to the appetite suppression and increased metabolism often associated with the habit. However, that effect is temporary and most people who practice it end up regaining the weight while they become addicted to smoking. This situation only worsens as the body becomes much less healthy, it becomes more challenging to live an active lifestyle and among those who attempt to quit, many gain weight in the process.