Several nutrition tips are circulating on the popular TikTok platform. From cabbage soup to baby food to apple cider vinegar, there’s no shortage of crazy tricks on social media, and it can be difficult to tell the real from the fake at times.
“It’s interesting because that content is everywhere,” explains Lisa Young, nutritionist and author of the book Fed Up, Lose Weight. It ranges from counting calories to intuitive eating that goes against traditional diets.”
If the expert advises TikTok users to use the techniques that suit them best, we still have to be careful when venturing onto the platform.
Here are the most popular diets.
1. Counting calories
Around 1.8 billion views are associated with the hashtag #CalorieCounting. The hashtag #CalorieDeficit has nearly 9 billion views.
Content creators associated with these trends recommend that women consume 1200-1500 calories and men 1500-1800 calories.
Although this weight loss strategy is effective, it hides several problems.
“It encourages a sense of lack,” says Lisa Young. According to the expert, this method forces people to focus more on calories while neglecting the importance of diet.
2. Chlorophyll water
On TikTok, the hashtag #ChlorophyllWater collects 254 million views. Chlorophyll enthusiasts believe that adding chlorophyll to drinking water helps in weight loss in addition to cleansing the body and improving the complexion of the skin.
Ms. Young is skeptical about this method. “You will get chlorophyll if you eat plant products. You are free to drink chlorophyll if you wish. You just have to be aware that it is not a miracle cure.
2. Baby food
Over 17 million people viewed content related to eating baby food for weight loss. It is recommended that adults replace their meals with infant puree.
“You will lose weight, but it’s not a healthy diet in the long run,” explains Lisa Young. Baby food does not contain much protein. It won’t give you the nutrients you need.”
3. Military Diet
The hashtag #MillitaryDiet managed to garner 31 million views on TikTok. His followers claim to have lost up to 10 pounds in a week.
It’s called the “military diet” because it requires iron discipline. Participants are asked to consume up to 900 calories 3 days per week and eat a normal diet 4 days per month.
During the three days of restrictions, the only foods that will be accepted are coffee or tea, grapefruit, bananas, apples, green beans, broccoli, carrots, peanut butter, eggs, canned tuna, meat, brown bread, crackers, cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese Limited quantities of ice cream.
The nutritionist considers this method to be very bad. “You can lose a lot of weight with it very quickly. However, you will not be able to maintain this weight. It will even make you fat when you get back to normal.
4. Cabbage Soup
Grandma’s favorite food is taking TikTok by storm as the hashtag #CabbageSoupDiet racked up 7 million views on the platform.
Some people use this diet, which consists of white cabbage and low-calorie vegetables, to initiate healthy dietary changes. Others adopt it to lose weight quickly.
“One of the advantages of this diet is that it allows you to consume a lot of fluids and fiber,” says the expert. You can’t keep it up for long because it doesn’t have enough protein and fat.
5. Lemon coffee
Smashing half a lemon into your coffee in the morning would burn fat and prevent bloating, according to a recent trend on TikTok.
The hashtag #LemonCoffeeChallenge has almost 7 million views on the platform. #LemonAndCoffee raises almost 6 million.
“There’s nothing magical about lemon coffee,” argues Lisa Young.
“If you drink normal coffee instead of a frappuccino or a pumpkin latte, you lose weight,” explains the expert. It’s the same when you eat Greek yogurt with berries.”
–According to the New York Post