Trendy Diets
Confessions
I have a confession to make.
It is embarrassing to say…. but I have a problem with following fad/trendy diets.
Yes, haha xD
From Keto, Intermittent Fasting, Slow-Carb, OMAD/Warrior I have tried too many. There are many more, even more extreme that I would not dare to delve into.
However well they have worked for me one thing is for certain: There is no one size fit all diet. I am glad that these handful of eating protocols work for me. They are nifty tools to implement for the short term that I will keep them in the back of mind (or a notebook somewhere) as plans to get back to my ideal body shape if I ever let myself go.
Personally I probably couldn’t sustain eating like that over the long term for a number of reasons:
- For diets restricting certain food groups you become too focused on the food. Demonizing certain food groups
- Too much of going out of your way to find suitable replacements or substitutes for X kind of food item for meal prep and groceries runs.
- Possible nutrient deficiencies (When following certain food group restricting diets) I have not experienced this, but it can be a cause for concern for people who do something extreme like Vegan or Carnivore
- Signs of Depravation and cravings, which are clear signals that the diet isn’t working out you. This often lead to breaking the diet, cheating and binging.
- Also developing this addiction of switching over diets when you don’t see results after diminishing returns. This sounds similar to being “Addicted to quitting” like some smokers have
- Difficult socially! During normal times it was difficult to find viable restaurant/menu options with family or friends that fit a person’s special diet needs. I am not much of a foodie, but limiting social interactions from large gatherings is no fun. Especially at a stage in life where a young person wishes to meet new people and grow their network.
The realization
For the past 3 months since stay at home order started I continued to follow Tim Ferris’ Slow-Carb diet. This worked out decently for me. I enjoyed meal prep, having a batch of the same food to go to. It took away the extra effort to think about what to eat next. During quarantine I wouldn’t fuss too much over what I ate anyway.
The problem I had with Slow-Carb was the the epic cheat day we are supposed to have once a week.
After binging on the cheat day I could be able to lose all the excess weight gained (from a combo of volume of food, water weight and) by the end of the week after returning to the normal eating schedule.
However, I noticed I started looking forward to this day more and more.
Often, I binged too hard to the point of feeling ill and nauseous, at the end of the day and morning after. This was too extreme for me. This was a clear sign that this style of eating would not work out for me short or long term.
Especially during the cheat day where we bake and make many delicious foods… I could only enjoy them all on one day. Normally afterward there is plenty of food leftover that could last weeks! Restricting myself to only one day wasn’t enough, nor did we have enough fridge, pantry space for the food, goods, treats uneaten.
I became too fixated on eating as much as I can on that day to get my fill in.
The alternative
While I will implement Keto + IF for a quick manipulation of my body for rapid fat loss and mental performance bio-hacking I have come to realize I do enjoy my carbs (rice, noodles, baked goodies) a lot that I can’t forego them for too long.
Although Slow-Carb is a fun way to take my mind off meal deciding and having glorious indulgent cheat days, that isn’t a feasible way to think continue eating. Particularly the perspective of food on cheat days.
What I have found effective for my own weight management with a balance of eating what I like in moderation is essentially intermittent fasting, eating a similar protein rich lunch everyday but treating myself to a small goodie in the afternoon. Followed by a very light dinner. In a sense it is intermittent fasting but being very mindful of what I put in my body, but allowing some leeway in the day to enjoy something in moderation.
Then on the day that was the Slow-Carb diet cheat day I would break my fast a little earlier to enjoy more varied foods. Cheating to an extent, but no where near before as I am satisfied throughout my week. This is useful so that my body won’t get too used to fasting everyday so I wouldn’t plateau.
The conclusion
I feel that this is what I am finding that works for me that seems to be a happy middle ground.
So in a way I have merged all these elements from the diet fads I’ve followed:
- From setting a strict time of eating, it cuts away the need to eat and prepare food so often - Fasting
- Eating less carbs throughout the day, focusing on better quality whole foods and more protein - Slow Carb or Keto
- Giving myself a break once a week but not over binging
A specific method of dieting to achieve fitness goal is probably necessary in the early stages. Once you’ve achieved that goal it becomes a state of maintenance and simply living. At that point it is about finding the way of eating that works for you.