You've tried everything under the sun: low-fat, no-fat, low-carb, low-calorie – so why are you still gaining weight? The world of dieting is filled with shortcuts and quick fixes but do they actually work?
Missing the first meal of the day might seem like an easy way to lose weight but US researchers say that eating breakfast, far from adding on pounds, actually stabilises blood-sugar levels thereby regulating hunger and energy – so it really is the most important meal of the day. Porridge, which is low on the GI scale, is one of the best breakfast choices.
Too much denial
Have you fallen into the diet denial trap, refusing to succumb to even a square of chocolate? Dr Wendy Doyle, from the British Dietetic Association, points out that denying yourself a little of what you fancy will only make you miserable – and often leads to an inevitable binge. Take Dr Doyle's advice and allow yourself at least one small treat a week.
Missing meals
Skipping the odd meal is bound to take a few pounds off, right? Wrong – as an expert from Weight Watchers explains: "When we skip meals our blood-sugar levels drop which in turn increases our desire for sweet foods." So by skipping lunch, you'll find it even harder to resist eating more at dinner time, and what's worse you'll have a major craving for pudding too.
Boring diet options
Many snacks come in diet and low-fat varieties but how good do they taste? According to research findings reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, familiarity can breed dislike when it comes to reduced-calorie foods. Eat too many and you're less likely to enjoy the taste of your food – causing you to crave something else to munch.
Low-fat, no-fat
It seems like the perfect solution – cut out all the fat. But according to Isabel Del Los Rios, author of The Diet Solution Programme, you'll only end up gaining weight. "The right kind of fat is essential to the body and without it, your body can not metabolise the fat you don't want." So that muffin top will stay firmly in place.
Fast fat-burning
at burning pills mean we need less exercise to burn off those calories, right? Not according to Isabel Del Los Rios, who suggests that the artificial boost leaves us with a "lazy metabolism". And when you stop popping the pills, your usual metabolism is "on vacation" – allowing fat to move right back in.
Not so miracle slimming pills
Gareth Williams, Professor of Medicine at Bristol University, points out that obesity drugs such as Alli have minimal impact because people have unrealistic expectations, thinking that pills do the work without the need to make necessary lifestyle adjustments. "All these preparations are peddled as miracle answers to what is an intractable lifelong problem," he says, when the real solution is healthy eating and regular exercise.
Ditching the dairy
Slimmers have been avoiding dairy for years but have we been too hasty? A 2009 study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, revealed that those who ate a low-calorie diet along with five daily dairy servings lost more weight, body fat and abdominal fat than those consuming three dairy products on the same low-cal diet. Just keep an eye on portion size.
The low-carb crash
Cutting out carbohydrates like bread, rice and pasta might seem like a quick fix but those low blood-sugar levels can leave you light-headed and weak. And that's when the temptation to binge sets in – do yourself a favour and grab some complex slow-burning energy with each meal and stay fuller for longer.
Calorie crash diet
Restrict your calorie intake severely and the pounds will drop off – but how long for? The American College of Sports Medicine says the minimum calorie-intake for women is 1200. Eat much less and your body goes into starvation mode and the metabolism (your weight loss friend) slows down. As soon as you begin eating again, that slower metabolic rate means you'll pile it all back on… with interest.
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Subject: 10 diet shortcuts that don't work 
Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:27 am