What do you picture when you think of old-school weight loss? A lot depends on your age or what movies you’ve seen.
For some people, it’s the image of the old “fat jiggling” machines. For others, it's diet pills, a rebranded Instant Breakfast drink called “Slender”, or Metrecal.
Most of these fads and oddities were nothing but marketing ploys, designed to take advantage of people who were desperate to shed some pounds.
But a few of the old-fashioned weight loss methods were based on science, and still work to this day.
6 Old-School Weight Loss Fads (that actually work)
1. Group Fitness
In the 50s girls would Hula Hoop or do “calisthenics” together. In the 80s it was aerobics classes. And today it’s Zumba, or Barre, or P90X.
No matter what type of exercise you’re doing, there is definitely power in working out together. You form bonds of friendship and keep each other committed to the goal.
2. Cottage Cheese
Though it's been joined by other high protein dairy foods – think Greek yogurt and Kefir – cottage cheese is still a favorite that works for weight loss.
One serving is low in fat and has 13 grams of protein. Mix it up with some fruit or spread it on some Ezekiel toast for a snack that keeps you full.
3. Cut Your Sugar
Though we don’t eat cyclamates anymore. If you remember that artificial sweetener was all the rage before the US banned it in 1969. No surprise, even today artificial sweeteners are terrible for your body.
That doesn’t mean that white sugar is any better.
One of the best things you can do to help yourself lose weight is to eliminate sugary snacks and drinks.
Tweet4. Eat Whole Foods
One thing that dieters from decades ago didn’t have to deal with was the surplus of processed foods.
Though some did exist, it wasn’t nearly as prevalent as it is today. By turning to whole foods like fresh produce, you can cut out unnecessary salt, fats, and sugars.
5. Keep a Food Journal
One of the biggest diet ideas to make it big in the 1960s was the idea of tracking your food, and it still works today.
It’s hard to understand why you’re not losing weight if you’re not keeping track of what you’re eating. Counting calories doesn’t work but writing down the things that you’re eating throughout the day will give you better insight into your triggers.
6. Cook Your Own Meals
Today we call it meal prep, and we think it’s something new. But back in the old days, people indulged in take-out a lot less.
They went to the market regularly and cooked their own meals. Doing that helps you manage what is going into every meal.
You can substitute healthier ingredients, control portion size, and keep things healthy. When you pack your own meals, you get rid of the temptation of the cookie by the cash register or the bag of potato chips as a side dish.
If you're tired of gimmicks and ready to get back to the basics (that really work) then check out my Fit Rise program. It does exactly that!
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Thanks for sharing this with your friends and I invite you to leave a comment below too. Which old-school diet trends stand out in your memory?
