6 Popular Weight Loss Methods You Should NEVER Fall For

Let’s call out some BS within the fitness industry, shall we? Never EVER fall for these 6 popular weight loss methods.

*Note: This post includes several Amazon affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link (at no extra cost to you). Please read full disclosure here. Also, I am not a doctor or dietician. I am a personal trainer. It’s always best to speak with your doctor before making any changes to your diet and/or lifestyle.

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I lost 60 pounds naturally

First of all, I feel that I should establish at least a little bit of credibility before I begin. I am in no way an expert, but my name is Maddie, and I lost 60 pounds as a teenager.

I lost the entirety of the weight by being conscious of my portion sizes while doing casual strength training; no alternative methods were involved. Not only did I lose the weight, but I’ve also been able to maintain the loss for years.

I’m now an ACE certified personal trainer, and eventually, I plan on developing a health coaching business. Overall, I have a huge passion for helping others reach their health-related goals!

Learn more about me and my story here.

What influencers fail to tell you

Just like anything, health and fitness is a business, so naturally, there will be some very dishonest (or possibly just uneducated) people lurking on the internet.

It isn’t uncommon for these people to sell and promote useless or even harmful products and plans to their uninformed audiences because it generates them an income—great for the influencer but not-so-great for you.

But hey, today I’ll be sharing and explaining some common misconceptions regarding fat loss methods. My goal is that you’ll be able to make your own informed decision when contemplating a purchase of any sort of diet product or plan.

Ever thought of trying a juice cleanse?

To keep things simple, juice cleansing is the nicer term for a starvation diet.

Following through with a juice cleanse will surely make you lose weight in the short term; you’re essentially depriving your body of the food it needs by being in an extreme calorie deficit, but it isn’t in any way a healthy nor sustainable approach to long-term fat loss.

Most people will gain back all of the weight they end up losing when doing this diet. However, that’s all part of the plan: companies hope you’ll come crawling back to them and buy more of their useless product.

It’s a vicious cycle, and it’s honestly so sickening. Please, please, please don’t ever fall for the appeal of juice cleanses.

“Apple cider vinegar will do all of the work for you…” Yikes.

I’m in no way trying to bash apple cider vinegar, but let’s be real here, it will not work as some magical weight loss drink.

Sure, it might make a microscopic difference as a few studies show it will, but you shouldn’t rely on it to reach your fat loss goals. I’m guilty of trying this method before I lost weight, and I’ll be 100% truthful—it tastes like crap.

A good ol’ calorie deficit is your best and most proven-to-be-effective bet.

What about diet pills & fat burners?

If you’re looking for weight loss methods without exercise, weight loss pills definitely aren’t what you’re looking for. According to the Mayo Clinic, these prescription drugs are meant to be used alongside diet and exercise, and they are only given to a certain qualifying group of people.

Although, there are some diet pills that are not FDA-approved and do not require a prescription (just a tad sketchy if you ask me).

This info was taken straight from FDA.gov,

“The FDA has found weight-loss products tainted with the prescription drug ingredient sibutramine. This ingredient was in an FDA-approved drug called Meridia, which was removed from the market in October 2010 because it caused heart problems and strokes.”

On top of this scary fact, the FDA says they’ve found several other dangerous substances hidden within these weight loss supplements. Even if these did work great, no pill can outdo a crap diet. You’d still have to put in the work regardless.

“But I heard green tea reduces belly fat!”

Would you look at that: another myth. Green tea has a ton of health benefits, but in no way does it actually work to reduce one’s belly fat.

People need to understand this: as long as you are consuming fewer calories than you are burning throughout the day, you will burn fat regardless of the food you’re consuming (not recommending this, but you could eat donuts and McDonald’s every day while still losing weight).

However, just keep in mind that body fat can’t be spot reduced in any scenario.

Low-calorie diets & restrictiveness

Looking for sustainable, long-term weight loss methods at home? Well, let me tell you, restrictive low-calorie diets aren’t the way to go. Believe me, I’ve been there a time or two.

These diets sound great and look great in theory. I mean, who doesn’t want to cut pizza and all other “bad foods” out of their diet and lose weight as fast as possible? But the truth is, restrictiveness and eating too few calories leads to excessive binge-eating in many people, including myself.

And in some cases, low-calorie diets serve as a precursor to other EDs such as anorexia and bulimia.

On top of this, extreme weight loss methods such as intense calorie cuts never make for long-term fat loss. Most people who are initially successful with low-cal diets gain the weight back quickly. It’s really all about balance.

Excessive exercise belongs on this list, too

Trying to exercise your way to success is never a good idea. Typically, people will exercise in the form of cardio to shed off those extra pounds, and there is no doubt that cardio can aid you in achieving your fitness goals.

However, it’s not something you should ever rely on completely. Excessive exercise can be a symptom of a developing or current eating disorder as well. Overall, exercise should always come second to healthy eating when trying to lose weight.

(RELATED POST: 7 Awesome Tips You MUST Know for Strength Training to Lose Weight)

The takeaway

I say we stick to the one method that’s been proven over and over again to be both safe and effective in the long-term: a proper calorie deficit (there are weight loss calorie calculators available online, just know they aren’t 100% accurate) accompanied by a reasonable amount of exercise.

I know, it’s the most boring and straightforward answer out there, but the evidence doesn’t lie: this method works and it is SAFE.

Forget the fad diets and the “too good to be true” weight loss methods; they are a huge waste of your time and money, and they could potentially be harmful to you and your health.

Balanced, non-restrictive eating habits in the form of a calorie deficit will never fail to deliver the results you’re looking for.

This post featured 6 popular, but awful weight loss methods.