To celebrate National Nutrition Month, The Houstonian Club’s nutrition expert shares three reasons to stay away from fad diets and what to do instead.

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, March 8, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Promising fast results and easy weight loss, fad diets are tempting. It is also hard to resist celebrities who glamourize the hype of a quick fix or friends and family who have seen rapid results. Although many of these diets are vastly different, they all have one thing in common: they offer a temporary solution to what is a lifelong problem for many.

“I help my clients understand that although fad diets may work in the short term, they often come with long-lasting effects, and they don’t address the problems that led to weight gain in the first place,” says The Houstonian Club’s dietitian, Denise Hernandez, MS, RD, LD. “At The Houstonian Club, I teach that eating nutrient-dense foods coupled with lifestyle changes is a sustainable and healthy way to keep weight off.”

During March, National Nutrition Month, The Houstonian Club invites everyone to make informed food choices and develop healthy eating habits. In line with this goal, Hernandez shares three reasons to stay away from fad diets and offers suggestions of what to do instead.

Metabolism Disrupter
Most fad diets promote disordered eating patterns, where certain macronutrients (carbs, fat) and therefore calories are restricted. Since our bodies are programmed to work at a specific metabolic rate, the restriction of calories disrupts our body’s homeostasis. While some body fat is lost, so is lean body mass (muscle mass). The result of a restrictive program is less body fat and a slower metabolism, making it easier for people to gain the weight right back.

The Fix: Find a dietary approach that helps achieve weight loss while maintaining lean body mass. Usually, this approach is nothing more complicated than managing portion sizes, limiting junk foods, and getting more movement throughout the day. Another important aspect is to divide weight and body composition goals into cycles. For example, instead of losing 50 pounds in one drawn-out process, lose ten pounds at a time, with some diet breaks in between. Breaking up weight loss in this way maintains lean body mass and protects your basal metabolic rate.

Not Sustainable
Since these diets are very restrictive, most people cannot continue eating that way for more than six weeks to a few months. This restriction also leads to binging on the foods that have been limited throughout the program.

The Fix: To make an approach more sustainable, individuals should change the most manageable diet behaviors. As each goal is met, move on to more challenging behaviors. Anyone will become discouraged if a goal is too hard to reach, but “stacking your victories” makes sustaining the process easier.

Promote Obsessive Food Behaviors
The extreme nature of fad diets creates an unhealthy relationship with food leading to guilt or shame for breaking diet rules.

The Fix: Remove morality from foods and food choices. When food is categorized as “good” or “bad,” it is assigned a moral value which can result in negative emotional responses when we eat “bad” foods. Almost everyone eats between 21-28 meals per week; therefore, individuals will reach weight loss goals if 16-22 of these meals stay within dietary guidelines. The 80/20 rule makes it easier for those struggling with this.




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Located in the heart of Houston, The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa just celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2020. It is a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star, urban retreat located adjacent to the city’s iconic Memorial Park, and minutes from downtown, the Galleria, and Energy Corridor. The Houstonian is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts, and consistently provides guests with attentive and highly personalized service in an authentic manner. Guests at The Houstonian Hotel may relax and rejuvenate on a 27-acre oasis, with floor-to-ceiling wooded views in its newly renovated guest rooms, four onsite dining restaurants, and a classic hotel bar. The hotel has 33,890 square feet of Indoor Meeting Space and 87,349 square feet of Outdoor Meeting Space with a “Houstonian Experiences” menu for corporate and social groups, meetings, and celebrations. The 175,000 square-foot Houstonian Club offers state-of-the-art equipment, over 160 weekly group exercise classes, aquatic programs, an indoor tennis facility, a resort pool with a rockslide, sports lap pool, and a quiet garden pool. At 26,500 square feet, the new Trellis Spa at The Houstonian is now the largest luxury spa in the state of Texas. From the outside, it resembles a magnificent European Villa with statuesque architecture and luscious gardens. On the inside, soothing, nature-inspired hues complement a grand, light-filled reception and hallway, leading to all-new redesigned, sophisticated interiors where guests may enjoy hours of undisturbed relaxation. Trellis offers a new outdoor Soaking Pools and Garden experience with open-air cabanas, a scenic treetop dining room, renovated treatment rooms, indoor Reflection Pool, and tranquil lounging areas. Solaya Spa & Salon by The Houstonian opened in February 2020 in the prestigious Highland Village of River Oaks in Houston. The Houstonian also opened Sage ‘n’ Bloom Floral Studio at The Houstonian in July 2020, providing bespoke floral services for weddings and celebrations, client experiences, and corporate installations.

One of Houston’s historic gems, the property is known for its grace, comfort, and unparalleled guest experience.
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Gabi De la Rosa
The Houstonian Hotel Club & Spa
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