Volume 12 Issue 5
The word, “fad” can be defined as an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object’s qualities – a craze. In short, it’s something that quickly becomes popular and then disappears as fast as it came. Fads can be tied to all sorts of things: clothing, hairstyles, toys, dances, etc. I mean who can forget shoulder pads, perms, beanie babies, and the Macarena?
With all the different fads that come and go, the one that I have the most trouble getting behind is a fad diet. Nobody wants his or her long-term health to be dependent on a trend that disappears as fast as a boy band. But these diets have been popping up for centuries. In the early 1900’s Horace Fletcher came up with the “chewing craze” diet, insisting that you could eat as much as you like as long as you chewed each mouthful a minimum of 100 times.
Over the next 100+ years, there have been an endless variety of weight loss wonders that have gained traction. More recently, options such as the South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins Diet, and Paleo Diet have risen in popularity. Many dieters have tried them all in search of a rapid weight loss “quick-fix” that doesn’t require them to exercise. Just as many find it difficult to continue eating a restricted diet for a lifetime.
Now it’s time for my moment of truth. I recently tried the Keto diet in preparation for our family’s trip to the beach. The Keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that works by putting your body into a metabolic state called ketosis which makes it more efficient at burning fat for energy. Let me say this, for a guy whose favorite foods are chips, bread, and pretty much any desert under the sun, it was a daunting task to stay on this diet. The good news is that after eight weeks I lost almost 15 pounds. The bad news is that after my strict new “beach diet” consisting of fried foods and ice cream, I gained the majority of the weight back in just a fraction of the time.
Regardless of how we choose to do it, we should make it our goal to be the healthiest version of ourselves. Our community offers a vast range of fitness options that can make sure our quest for a healthier lifestyle isn’t just another fad! Your town. Your Life. Your Magazine.
Click on the cover to see the virtual edition.
