Intermittent fasting involves eating only during specific hours and fasting for the rest.

Why it's Good:

• It helps you eat fewer calories without having to track every meal.
• Many people find they have more energy during the fasting periods after they adjust.
• It's simple; you don't need to plan complex meals or buy special foods.

Why it's Bad:

• Skipping meals can make you feel dizzy or tired, especially in the beginning.
• It can be very hard to stick with, especially if your daily schedule changes often.
• If you eat too much during your eating periods, you might not lose weight.
• Fasting might make you think too much about food, which can be stressful.
• You might not get enough vitamins and minerals if you're not eating balanced meals.
• Some people get headaches or feel grumpy when they are hungry.
• It can disrupt your social life, as meal times with friends or family might not fit your eating window.
• Drinking coffee or tea without sugar during fasting hours can be a big change if you're used to sweeteners.
• Long fasting periods can be really tough if you're used to eating whenever you feel hungry.
• It can interfere with medications that need to be taken with food.
• Intermittent fasting is not recommended for everyone, like kids, pregnant or soon-to-be pregnant women.
• Working out during fasting hours can feel harder than usual.

This approach can help with mindful eating and might simplify dieting, but it's simply not enough to lose weight, can be challenging to maintain, and might affect your mood and social life.

Juice cleansing involves drinking only fruit and vegetable juices for several days.

Why it's Good:

• It can help you kick-start a habit of eating more fruits and vegetables.
• Many people feel more energetic after a cleanse.
• It can quickly reduce calorie intake, which might lead to weight loss.

Why it's Bad:

• Drinking only juice can make you miss out on important nutrients like protein and fat.
• It's not a long-term weight loss solution and you will gain all the weight back.
• Juice cleanses can make you feel hungry all the time, which is uncomfortable.
• It might cause headaches and dizziness because you're not eating enough.
• Cleansing for a few days will weaken your muscles due to not getting enough protein.
• It could mess with your blood sugar levels because juices are high in sugar.
• This type of diet can lead to mood swings and irritability.
• Social events are harder to enjoy since you can't eat normal food.
• Long-term juice cleansing could lead to severe health issues due to micronutrient deficiencies.
• It requires a lot of preparation to juice all those fruits and vegetables.
• Cleanses are not recommended for everyone, especially not for kids, pregnant women, or people with certain health conditions.
• Some juices are very acidic and can hurt your stomach or make acid reflux worse.
• Without careful planning, you might still drink too many calories from the sugar in the juice.

Juice cleansing might seem like a good way to detox and lose weight quickly, but it can't make any real and long-lasting change and comes with many challenges and potential health risks, especially if done for too long.

On the keto diet, you eat very few carbs and replace them with fats.

You eat things like meat, eggs, and butter but avoid bread and sugar.

Why it's Good:

• Avoiding carbs means avoiding all ultra-processed calorie-dense foods that make most people overeat.
• Eating only meat, eggs, nuts, etc., makes it very hard to overeat.
• Your blood sugar stabilizes – since there are no carbs.
• It can make fasting easier.
• Less bloating.

Why it's Bad:

• Lack of carbohydrates sooner or later wrecks your hormonal balance and can cause very serious issues for women.
• The extreme food-type restrictions make it hard to maintain.
• Carbohydrates help sleep.
• Without tracking your meals, you're still not guaranteed results.
• Social events get a lot harder.
• Most popular dishes, even those high in meat, nuts, or eggs, tend to have some carbohydrates.

Low to no carbs can definitely work in the short term to eat more consciously, reduce bloating, and minimize ultra-processed foods, but the food-type restrictions, hormonal balance, sleep, and logistics will be a problem eventually. Also, without tracking, there is no guarantee of results.

A high protein diet ONLY focuses on eating lots of protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs, and beans.

It's popular for building muscle and helping with weight loss.

Why it's Good:

• Protein is absolutely essential for weight-loss and muscle building, so it's a great starting point.
• Keeps you feeling full longer, reducing the urge to snack.
• Boosts metabolism, which can help burn more calories.
• Stabilizes blood sugar levels, preventing big spikes and crashes.

Why it's Bad:

• Without tracking, it's easy to overeat, leading to weight gain instead of loss.
• Eating too much protein can still add up to a lot of calories.
• Only prioritizing high protein often means low carb, which can mess up your energy levels and mood.
• This sole focus usually means you're missing other essential nutrients.
• Ultra-processed "high-protein" foods can be calorie-dense and not as healthy as they seem.
• Protein alone isn't enough; you need to consider other food groups for a balanced diet.
• It's easy to ignore portion sizes when you're only focused on protein.
• It's hard to enjoy your favorite foods if you're only maximizing protein and don't know how much is enough.
• Too much protein can put stress on your kidneys, especially without enough water.

In short, while a high protein diet can help with muscle maintenance and fullness, using it as your only strategy for weight loss isn't enough. It can easily lead to overeating, missing nutrients, and not knowing how to fit non-protein dense foods in your diet.

On the Atkins or pure carnivore diet, you eat mostly or exclusively animal products, including meats, eggs, and sometimes dairy, while avoiding all carbs and plant-based foods.

Why it's Good:

• You consume high amounts of protein, which helps build and maintain muscle mass.
• The diet is very simple, with no need for calorie counting.
• Many people find it easier to feel full and satisfied with fewer cravings.
• Cutting out carbs can lead to quick initial weight loss due to water loss.
• Some people experience reduced inflammation and bloating.

Why it's Bad:

• Completely avoiding carbs leads to hormonal issues, impacting menstrual cycles and reproductive health.
• The lack of variety in food can make the diet boring and hard to stick to.
• Social situations become very challenging, as most meals include carbs or vegetables.
• Without tracking, you might still overeat, especially fatty meats, and not lose weight.
• Some people report decreased energy levels and poor performance in high-intensity activities.
• The restrictive nature of the diet can lead to feelings of deprivation and increase the likelihood of quitting or binge eating.

In short: While the Atkins or pure carnivore diet can lead to quick weight loss and reduced cravings initially, the complete avoidance of carbohydrates and extreme food restriction make it difficult to sustain. Without careful planning and tracking, it might not deliver the desired results and could lead to more harm than good in the long run.

Consuming a diet of only fresh fruits like apples, bananas, and berries while avoiding all other foods.

Why it's Good:

• Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
• Fruits are naturally low in calories.
• Eating fruit helps with hydration due to high water content.

Why it's Bad:

• Lack of protein leads to muscle loss over time.
• There is almost no fat in fruit, which is essential for brain health and hormone production.
• High sugar intake without fat or protein, even though it's natural sugar, causes blood sugar spikes.
• It's hard to stay full because fruit is low in protein and fats.
• Constant hunger occurs due to lack of nutrient variety.
• Energy levels drop without enough complex carbs and fats.
• It's difficult to get essential nutrients like B12, iron, and omega-3s.
• Social eating becomes difficult when you only eat fruit.
• Eating out becomes almost impossible because most meals contain more than just fruit.
• Long-term sustainability is very low due to the restrictive nature of the diet.
• Lack of balance in your diet affects mood and mental clarity.
• There isn't enough variety, making it easy to get bored and quit.
• Digestive issues like bloating or diarrhea occur due to high fiber intake.
• Weight loss isn't guaranteed because calories still matter.
• Too much fruit leads to overeating sugar, affecting overall health.
• An unhealthy relationship with food develops, focusing too much on restrictions.

In short: Eating only fruit increases vitamin intake and hydration in the short term, but the lack of protein, fats, and essential nutrients, along with issues related to sustainability, energy, and social life, makes it an ineffective, destructive, and dangerous option.

On the Paleo diet, you eat like our ancestors, focusing on meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits while avoiding grains, legumes, and processed foods.

Why it's Good:

• You eat whole foods, which are generally more nutritious.
• You avoid processed foods, which helps cut out empty calories and additives.
• You increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, boosting vitamins and minerals.
• It's easy to follow because you eat simple, natural foods.

Why it's Bad:

• Without tracking, there is no guarantee you'll get the results you want.
• Many Paleo-approved foods are calorie-dense, making it easy to overeat without realizing.
• Not all foods considered “Paleo” are necessarily healthy, leading to poor food choices.
• The diet is restrictive, cutting out entire food groups like grains and legumes.
• Many of our favorite foods, even if not the healthiest, are completely fine in a balanced diet but get cut out with the Paleo diet.
• Social situations become difficult when most common foods are off-limits.
• Paleo restricts dairy, which is a key source of calcium for many people.
• Without tracking, there's a risk of getting too much protein.

In short: Paleo works short-term to reduce processed food intake and boost nutrient-rich foods, but the food-type restrictions and social challenges make it difficult to maintain long-term. Without proper tracking and planning, results are always uncertain.