As college students, we all have a lot of priorities to worry about, school work, relationships, jobs, so most of the time exercise gets pushed to the bottom of our “To-Do” lists. So, when skipping the gym happens every week, it may seem that turning to a fad diet is the quickest and easiest healthy remedy for your body. Run Your World looked at several popular fad diets and dieters’ experiences after completing them.

– The Paleo Diet: This diet consists of eating the same way the Paleolithic civilization used to. Concentrating on a high protein diet, it is unrealistic to do this in today’s society because times are just different, which makes the diet complicated, hard to follow, and not as effective as it may seem.

– Juice Cleanses and Liquid Only Diets: These liquid only diets can be dangerous for the dieter since it is not only low in calories, but also in proteins. The severity of these diets can sometimes be dangerous.

Although these diets might seem attractive if you are considering starting one, we have listed 3 common reasons why you may want to reconsider:

• Only Temporary Results:

The weight lost during these diets is only temporary. Once that weight is lost, a dieter is most likely to return to their old bad eating patterns and habits, causing them to regain the pounds they quickly lost (with maybe a couple additional ones).

• Too Drastic:

These fad diets do not teach you how to fix bad eating habits. The quick loss of weight can often be too boring, restrictive, and hard to follow for a long-term. In order to have actual results, a diet needs to be a long-term lifestyle change, which includes physical activity and a balanced diet.

• Nutritional Issues:

Since a diet will restrict you from eating certain types of food, it can also lead to a serious alimentation deficiency. Contrary to what the popular opinion is, not all fats are bad for you; some of them are actually essential. Carbohydrates for example, if consumed wisely, can be a significant source of energy.

Whether you want to lose weight, eat healthy, or simply feel more confident about yourself, fad diets are not the answer. Instead of just telling you what not to do, Run Your World wants to give you the keys to feeling great about yourself! And the first one is within the long-term changes. Sit down and establish a simple plan:

Do not cut certain types of food. Try to balance them. The right amount is the most important.

Try to be active every day or at least three times a week. No need to become an Olympic athlete, but the more active you are, the more benefits you will see.

Feel good about yourself. The feeling of being healthy varies upon anyone. Find what brings that feeling to you!

Ever tried one of these fad diets, or are you considering starting one? Comment below or tweet us @RunYourWorldLUC about your experience with popular dieting.