Fast Diet or Healthy Diet – There are at least two programs to lose weight, namely fast diets, and healthy diets. It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of these two diet patterns so that you not only get the ideal body weight but also maintain the health of your body.
Until now, there are still many who question which is better: a fast diet or a healthy diet. A “fast diet” is a diet program that targets fast and strict weight loss.
Fast diets usually emphasize eating rules at certain times, but some focus on limiting certain foods.
Meanwhile, a healthy diet focuses more on implementing a healthy lifestyle. This results in gradual weight loss, but the dietary changes that are implemented tend to be easier to maintain.
The Facts Behind Fast Diets
It was previously mentioned that fast diets promise significant weight loss in less time. One of the fast diet patterns that many people know is intermittent fasting or intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting focuses on setting or limiting meal times, not what is eaten. That is, you are only allowed to eat at certain times. For example, if you don’t eat at all for 12 hours, you can only eat again as usual 12 hours later.
In addition to intermittent fasting, there are also fast diets that are carried out by drastically reducing the amount of calorie consumption. If you choose this method, you can start by reducing your meal portion by at least half of your usual meal portion.
To provide maximum results, you are advised to exercise regularly for 30 minutes every day. Even though it promises fast weight loss, you should also know that this diet has a risk of side effects.
Side effects include headaches, fatigue, constipation, irritability, hair loss, and irregular menstruation. Fast diets also tend to be difficult to maintain and can make you gain weight back (yo-yo dieting).
The reason is the habit of consuming calories in small amounts while on a diet can make the body’s metabolism slow down. This has the potential to make the weight gain return after the diet is stopped. Strict diets are also prone to causing health problems, such as malnutrition.
The Facts Behind a Healthy Diet
Unlike fast diets, healthy diets do not promise quick weight loss, but gradually. The target for losing weight with a healthy diet is 0.5–1 kg a week.
A healthy diet emphasizes changes in diet and lifestyle, which include:
- Eat healthy, nutritionally balanced meals
- Reduce consumption of high-carbohydrate foods
- Increase consumption of protein foods, but low in saturated fat
- Avoid consuming fast food or processed food
- Choose healthy snacks over snacks that are high in salt and sugar
- Increase consumption of vegetables and fruit
- Get used to eating foods that are processed by boiling or baking rather than frying
- Get used to eating slowly
- Set bedtime well so you don’t stay up late or don’t get enough sleep
- Consume at least 8 glasses of water every day
- Do regular exercise and be active
A healthy diet is a diet that is followed by adopting a healthy diet. In addition, the diet that you follow is included in the category of a healthy diet if the calories and all the nutrients your body needs are met properly.
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that a healthy diet tends to be better than a fast diet. However, you still have the freedom to decide which diet to choose, without putting aside the risks that can arise.
How to Run a Healthy Diet
This could be a general question: how do you maintain a healthy diet that lasts a long time?
1. Eat Lots of Vegetables and Fruits
This is one of the healthiest diets. Vegetables and fruit are packed with nutrients (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber) and help maintain a healthy weight by keeping you full longer.
2. Consume Whole Grains
Whole grain foods, including whole grain bread and crackers, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and barley, are highly recommended. Whole grain foods have fiber, protein, and B vitamins to help you stay healthy and full longer.
3. Eat Protein Foods
Protein-rich foods include legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, soy drinks, fish, shellfish, eggs, poultry, lean red meat, low-fat dairy, low-fat yogurt, low-fat kefir, and low-fat cheese, as well as foods low in sodium.
4. Limit Processed Foods
Highly processed foods are foods that are prepared from their original food sources and have lots of added ingredients. During processing, important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber are often removed, while salt and sugar are added.
5. Making Water the Main Drink
Water supports health and promotes hydration without adding calories to the diet. Sugary drinks, including energy drinks, fruit drinks, and flavored coffees, have a lot of sugar and little or no nutritional value.
6. Avoid fruit juices, even if they are 100 percent fruit juices
Although fruit juice has some of the benefits of fruit (vitamins, minerals), it has more sugar and less fiber. Fruit juice should not be consumed as a substitute for fruits.
Not Just Origin Fast
Body weight is a balance between calories consumed and calories burned. You can lose weight if you eat low-calorie foods and burn more calories than you consume.
You will gain weight if you eat more calories than you burn. Adding in physical activity allows you to burn more calories than just dieting. Any healthy diet or weight loss plan that includes regular exercise is recommended over a diet that is simply pursuing quick weight loss.
By eating a healthy diet and exercising, you can also keep your bones, muscles, and heart strong and reduce your risk of developing several diseases. Even if you don’t necessarily lose weight, you will be healthier and feel and look fitter.
Reference:
Kids Health.org, Is It Possible to Lose Weight Without Exercising?
Heart and Stroke.ca, Healthy Eating Basic
Healthline, How to Lose Weight Fast: 3 Simple Steps, Based on Science
Medical News Today, What are the benefits of eating healthy?
Innovative Health and Wellness, 5 Reasons Why it is Important to have a Balanced Diet
