Rujuta Diwekar On Why Traditional Diets Beat Instagram Trends For Weight Loss

2. Food based dietary guidelines – Traditional diets are healthy for people and the planet. They are inexpensive, easy to cook and digest and most importantly carry all nutrients including protein, fibre, magnesium, etc.

3. Insta trends – are best stayed away from as one magic ingredient is going to be replaced by the next viral one. The magic is in the process and not in the viral reels, cures or hacks.

Let’s decode this

Ritika Samaddar, regional head – south zone, nutrition and dietetics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, said that a traditional high-fibre diet is incredibly helpful when losing belly fat. “Soluble fibre found in whole grains like oats and pulses mixes with water to form a viscous gel-like substance that helps remove excess fat and sugar from the body, particularly aiding in reducing abdominal fat,” she told indianexpress.com.

According to her, replacing fats and carbs with protein helps to lose weight in a healthier way, as it operates at the hormonal level. “It reduces the hunger hormone ghrelin and boosts the appetite-reducing hormone GLP1,” Samaddar said.

When we consume proteins, more calories are burnt to metabolise and digest protein — known as the thermogenic effect of food, she added.

Sadhna Singh, Senior Fitness and Lifestyle Consultant at HereNow Official, also explained that extreme diets often create rapid weight loss initially because they drastically reduce calorie intake, but most of that early loss comes from water, glycogen, and muscle mass rather than sustainable fat reduction.

“From a metabolic standpoint, the body interprets prolonged restriction as a stress response, which can slow metabolic rate, increase hunger hormones, and make long-term adherence difficult,” she pointed out.

Singh reiterated that repeated cycles of restrictive dieting are particularly concerning because they can impair muscle preservation, disrupt hormonal balance, increase fatigue, and contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food. Over time, this pattern may also increase the likelihood of binge eating and weight regain, often leaving individuals metabolically worse off than before.

“Meaningful visual and metabolic changes typically emerge over three to six months of consistent training,” said Singh. Thus, staying motivated requires shifting focus away from daily scale numbers to performance markers such as increased strength, improved endurance, and better overall health.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.