Most of us have read or listened to a number of celebrities credit certain weight loss diets for their bodies. Some of these celebrity diets sound a bit doable (if need be), while others leave you wondering if you can even survive a day on that. The other thing is, normal people like you and I would never come close to achieving the results these Hollywood bodies get within a short time, mostly because we don’t have round-the-clock dieticians, personal fitness instructors or afford the said nutrition on a daily basis, not to mention the rumored plastic surgeries. Regardless, can these celebrity diets that are responsible for Hollywood’s ‘hottest bodies’ be used for long-term weight loss, or are they just a gimmick?

Leading experts on treating obesity say people wanting to lose weight should be careful of relying on fad diets and celebrity weight loss advice, and instead, focus on understanding and changing the bad habits pushing their calorie intake too high.

There’s no Formula for Fast Weight Loss

Dr. Mohammed Al Hadad, the Head of the Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Centre at Healthpoint in Abu Dhabi, says many people are tempted by diet plans that seem to promise a magic formula for quick weight loss – often made popular by celebrity diets and whatever they endorse, as well as social media influencers. Two current diet trends that may not suit everyone, according to the good doctor, are the ketogenic or ‘keto’ and Palaeolithic or ‘paleo’ diets, which most of us have tried. And while some of these diets can offer fast results, he notes that many people will find they are not sustainable.

“Fashionable diets work because they give us a set of clear rules that remove the most calorie-heavy foods from our plates, without us needing to think for ourselves – we just follow the rules given to us,” Dr. Al Hadad explains. “The problem is that you can’t keep following those rules forever, and not just because you become bored. These plans are not nutritionally balanced, and in the case of extreme high-protein, high-fat diets popular at the moment, they can cause long-term kidney or cardiovascular damage.”

Healthy Relationship with Food is Key

Dr. Al Hadad is not against trying a fad or celebrity diets, as long as it isn’t too extreme in its advice. However, he says short-term results must be backed up by a long-term plan, based on a balanced diet, with an enjoyable mix of nutritious foods, eaten in moderation. This is particularly important when dealing with childhood obesity, which can at times grow into adulthood. A child’s diet must be diverse enough to provide sound nutrition for a growing body, while at the same time encouraging a healthy relationship with food that will last a lifetime.

“It’s essential that we understand enough to make our own decisions about food, know what a healthy diet looks like, and see where we go wrong in our everyday habits. That includes looking at how much we eat, and what types of food, then making better choices based on this learning. That’s the way to achieve a sustainable lifestyle change and maintain good health.”

YOU’LL LOVE: Cheat Sheet on How to Eat Healthy Without Dieting

Lack of Knowledge

The doctor states that lack of knowledge is often the biggest barrier to weight loss. Many people don’t understand the nutritional or energy content of different foods, or the mechanics of how the body stores unused energy as fat and they try to follow the celebrity diets blindly.

“People often tell me they don’t eat very much, but they still can’t lose weight, or they keep getting fatter,” says Dr. Al Hadad. “They blame their metabolism, but the real problem is that they don’t understand how many calories can be hidden in small amounts of food and drink. There is too much sugar in their diet, including as refined carbohydrates or in fruit juice, and in processed foods that we think of as savory rather than sweet. People also give themselves a few more treats, maybe a chocolate bar in the afternoon, which they don’t remember eating. Learning about healthier alternatives and changing those bad habits, even just a few small details of what we eat, can make a surprisingly big difference.”

Be Aware of That Morning Muffin

As an example, the doctor describes what used to be his own morning ritual – a coffee and muffin on his way to work. That routine was responsible for a disproportionately large part of his calorie intake each week, for very little nutritional benefit.

“A coffee and a muffin seem like a fairly harmless treat, but a large caffè latte can easily have around 200 calories and a muffin can have around 400. That’s 600 calories just there, which is over a quarter of what I needed for the whole day, five days a week,” he explains.

“The same sized black coffee is less than 20 calories, and some fruit will have probably 100 calories or so. Just switching that snack to an Americano and banana cuts out somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 calories every week. Almost anyone who struggles with their weight can find small changes like this across their diet without resorting to unachievable celebrity diets.”

DON’T MISS: The Diet Dilemma: Do Fad Diets Really Work?

The Intermitted Fasting Trick

As for those who struggle to control how much they eat, as well as what they eat, Dr. Al Hadad suggests placing limits on where and when we have meals and snacks. To help maintain his own weight, he uses the intermittent fasting approach, whereby he avoids eating during specific time periods. This is one of the few celebrity diets that can be achieved, with Hollywood royalties like Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lopez admitting to following it.

While some people pick whole days – one or two each week – for fasting, the doctor follows an 8-16 diet, keeping all meals within eight hours of each day and fasting for the other 16. “It’s a trick that works for me and for many other people, but it’s not necessarily for everyone,” he says. “Some people find it leaves them without energy, so need to have regular, healthy snacks, and it can be inadvisable for people with some medical conditions, such as diabetes.

Celebrity Diets or Not…

“In the end, the most important thing is to find a weight management plan that works for you, and one that will help you maintain a healthy weight for life. That’s where a generic diet falls down – it isn’t built around you.”

What are the weirdest celebrity diets that you’ve heard of or tried? And did they work? Share your sentiments in the comments below.