I have a lot of friends who have either tried fad diets or have mentioned more than once the thought of trying one out. I’ll admit it, I have even considered trying one or two out, although I quickly abandoned the idea after realizing how hungry I get after working out. If you don’t know what a fad diet is, I looked up a few definitions to provide you with, and this one was my favorite for its use of the word “dubious”: “A nutritional regimen, generally of an extreme nature, intended to produce results more quickly than a traditional diet-exercise combination; often of a dubious nature.”

The problem with fad diets is that they work very effectively to lose weight for a short duration of time but are very ineffective in the long run. They often cut out a specific aspect of a person’s diet such as carbs, fats or sugars. Depriving yourself of one of these items can lead to either an overcompensation of different types of nutrients (for example, you exchange less carbs for more fat) or a binge.

Also, one must consider the sustainability of a fad diet. First, eliminating any kind of nutrient from your lifestyle puts you at risk for illness. Second, let’s examine the paleo diet. The basic principle of a paleo lifestyle is that if a caveman can’t eat it, you can’t eat it. This means no processed grains (the main reason I didn’t try it was that I wouldn’t be able to eat cereal) and no ice cream. So will this diet help you lose weight? Yes. But is it realistic that you can go through your entire life like this? Maybe if you’re super committed. But I mean … ice cream.

Fad diets also lead to yo-yoing, which I know just from observing others. I’ve seen people on fad diets lose the weight they were looking to lose, but when they go off of their diet and back to their usual diets they return back to where they started. For this reason, it’s best not to diet but instead to eat for a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle.

A healthy diet includes lean proteins (like chicken and turkey), complex carbs (like whole wheat), fruits, veggies and healthier fats (such as fish, avocados, nuts and olive oil). Healthy eaters also limit the amount of unhealthy saturated fats (such as fried foods) in their diets. Notice I used the word “limit” not “eliminate.”

Let’s be real, eliminating unhealthy foods from your life altogether is flat out demoralizing. Plus, it’s much easier to stay on track with your nutrition and reach your goals whether they’re maintenance or weight loss if you know you have a yummy trip to Five Guys waiting for you at the end of the week or a little chocolate treat waiting for you in your lunch box every day.

The trick to being healthy depends on portion size as well. Remember kids, moderation, not deprivation. I’m not going to recommend any particular expert-suggested portion sizes for you all because the information is out there if you want it and because you are all growing. You all need very different things in your diet, and I’m not going to make you all fit into some perceived healthy cardboard cutout. But, a few good universal tips include filling up on a salad before a meal or ordering the kid’s size. I usually order the kid’s size when I go out for ice cream or need a fry fix — that is, unless it’s a day to celebrate!

Also, try not to drink your calories. Water is always a good calorie-free option and is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle!

A healthy diet depends a lot on logic as well. You need to eat everything in balance and eat more things that are healthy than unhealthy. Also, it’s simple math: If you eat more calories than you burn, you are liable to gain weight, but if you eat less calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight. At this point though, I feel it necessary to mention that starvation is never a healthy way lose weight.

At the end of the day, what you need to remember is that food is not the enemy. Eating should be a pleasurable experience, and you should always have the mentality that you’re fueling your body with the necessary nutrients to make it run as efficiently and productively as you want it to, not depriving yourself.

Until next time, bon appétit!