It seems everyone has an opinion on Healthy living these days. New Fad Diets get spread across social media sites like Facebook and TikTok. Why do these “effective diets” get so much attention? In large part it’s because they promise quick and easy results.

The truth is, personal fitness goals require two things: patience and effort. If you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll need to be persistent. If you’re looking to lower your cholesterol, you’ll have to be disciplined in the things you eat and the exercise you do each day. That’s not to discourage you, but rather to help you achieve what you really want: a healthier life. There are multiple reasons that you should kick the idea of fad diets to the curb for good.

1. Singular Solutions Aren’t Effective

Weight loss pills are one of the most popular examples of fad diets that promise results with minimal effort. Many pill manufacturers tell users that their miracle medicine will help customers lose weight without needing to exercise or eat healthy. Such claims prey on individuals desperate for a quick fix. Other methods might tell you to follow a basic workout plan that allows you to eat anything you want as long as you’re exercising regularly.

The reality is your physical fitness goals require more than just a pill, fancy diet, or trendy workout routine. All of these things can be helpful, but not by themselves. Eating healthy combined with regular exercise is essential. It can also be greatly beneficial to add in nutritional supplements like vitamins or ACV gummies. Eating healthy but not getting exercise won’t produce the results you’re looking for.

2. Some Fads Are Harmful

Trendy diets that spread on social media often appear to be effective. But for some people, they do more harm than good. Whether it’s juicing or another diet that focuses heavily on only one food type, there’s a chance you’re depriving your body of essential nutrients. Drinking celery juice can be beneficial, but if that’s all you consume, your body can ultimately suffer. Always consider the medical and scientific validity of the source when learning about these fads.

It’s helpful to have a good understanding of what your body needs and doesn’t need. Some people jump on a plan because it’s trendy, not because it’s helpful. A gluten-free diet doesn’t help you if there’s not a medical reason for you to avoid gluten. Study what your body’s daily nutrient needs are, then balance that with the juice cleanse diet you’re considering trying. Beware of those fads that can ultimately do your body damage instead of helping it.

3. The Financial Expense is Too High

Another unfortunate reality to think about when it comes to these trendy diets is the financial investment they sometimes require. Many diet plans will ask you to purchase something whether it’s a book, device, shake powder, supplements, or other product. These fads are led by people and businesses looking to make a buck instead of a true desire to help people be healthy.

Costly diets will often tell you you have to purchase organic foods or a certain brand in order to reach your health goals. While organic foods have their benefits, it shouldn’t be a requirement to be healthy. Expensive fad diets can be spotted easily if a company promises quick results for spending a certain amount on their products or services. If a brand or person is telling you their plan is the only one that works, be leary.

4. The Trend is Short-Lived

Too many of the fad diets that float around on social media aren’t sustainable. They might promise you’ll lose two pounds a week. They may be severely restrictive, telling you to get rid of all the food you currently eat and eliminate carbs from your diet. These ploys can not only affect your physical health but your mental health as well. Removing foods you enjoy completely forever will make you miserable in the long run.

The most beneficial diet plans will help you maintain long-term success. They go beyond quick weight loss to help you shed fat over time and learn to keep your weight at a healthy level. Sustainable plans involve lifestyle changes, not just a radical change in what you eat or drink. Healthy habits include more than the foods you eat, but also getting the proper amount of sleep and reducing stress.

5. Opposite Ends of the Discipline Spectrum

Fad diets are good at getting people to move to either end of the discipline spectrum. They often offer quick results with little effort promising consumers they’ll achieve results in a short period of time. If not that, they tell consumers they must drastically change what they eat, eliminating entire food groups such as meat or dairy. Fads encourage people that minimal effort will lose weight or that they must remove things they enjoy from their diet.

To obtain and maintain a healthy life, moderation and consistency are key. Eliminating things you love entirely from your diet will make you unhappy. Also, thinking you can lose weight without making any changes to your lifestyle is unrealistic. Balancing between eating well, exercising, reducing stress, and getting good sleep is important. It may mean you reduce a certain unhealthy food but not completely remove it from your diet.

The diet trends on Facebook and Tiktok and other sites can promise the world. They say you’ll get quick results. But just like any popular trends, even the flashiest diet plans won’t last forever. What’s important is making changes that will improve your health in the long-term. If the diet seems too good to be true, it probably is. Trust what the experts have said for years: eating well, exercising regularly, and getting good sleep is the most beneficial plan.