9 red flags to beware of before starting a new diet and how to lose weight healthily, according to dietitians

• The British Dietetic Association has shared nine red flags to look out for in new year diets.
• Avoid diets that promise rapid weight loss or claim they will "detox" you, the BDA said.

The British Dietetic Association has shared a list of nine diet red flags people should beware of when looking to improve their nutrition and health in 2023 and beyond.

The body of registered dietitians is encouraging people to say "no thank you" to fad diets that are often promoted around New Year's Eve because many of them aren't sustainable and lead to yoyo dieting, muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and metabolic adaptation, which can lead to more weight gain in the future.

"For many people the new year is a good opportunity to set goals and intentions, including to improve health. However, new year's resolutions that focus on weight loss as a primary outcome can often lead to yoyo dieting or weight cycling, which can be detrimental to health," registered dietitian and BDA Spokesperson Marcela Fiuza said in a press release.

"New year's resolution diets can also be triggering for those with eating disorders and can lead to disordered eating," she said.

Lose weight healthily and sustainably

If you want to lose weight healthily and sustainably, nutrition professionals recommend including a balance of protein, carbs, and fat in your diet, not over-restricting by enjoying all foods in moderation, and eating in a calorie deficit — without dropping calories too low. To ensure you lose fat rather than muscle, resistance train and make sure you're eating enough protein.

To spot potentially harmful diets, look out for the following red flags, the BDA said:

1. A magic bullet for weight loss

If a diet claims to offer a magic bullet that will result in weight loss without any real lifestyle change, it's likely a fad and to be avoided, the BDA said.

2. Rapid weight loss

If a diet promises drastic weight loss in a short period of time, it's likely to be unsustainable. The BDA said to avoid anything that claims you will lose more than two pounds of body fat per week.

3. The word 'detox'

Supposed detox diets like juice "cleanses" can lead to nutrient deficiencies and are unnecessary because our bodies detox naturally via the kidney and liver, as Insider's Erin Brodwin reported.

4. Everyday ingredients replaced with expensive supplements

You don't need "superfoods" or supplements to eat a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet, so be wary of any diet that calls for you to replace normal foods with niche ingredients.

Supplements should supplement a healthy diet, not replace it, registered dietitian Angie Asche, an expert nutritionist at Centr, previously told Insider's Gabby Landsverk.

5. Eating only one type of food

If a diet tells you to eat only one type of food, whether that's fruit or meat, it's to be avoided, the BDA said.

6. A lack of scientific supporting evidence

If someone promoting a diet can't link to a body of scientific research to support the claims and philosophy, and relies solely on a few personal stories as "evidence," steer clear.

7. 'Fat-burning' foods

Some diets claim certain foods, like grapefruit or green tea extract, will burn fat, but this isn't true, the BDA said. The only way to lose fat is to eat in a calorie deficit, consuming less energy than your body burns over the course of the day.

8. Severely limiting entire food groups

If a diet tells you to cut entire macronutrients like carbs or fat, or specific foods like bread or chocolate, it may not only be unbalanced from a nutrition perspective but could also be too restrictive to maintain. Banning foods can make you more likely to crave them and less likely to stick to your diet, research suggests.

9. Influencer promotion

If an influencer is being paid to promote a diet, be skeptical as they might only be doing so for the fee. "Always be extra
critical when you see '#Ad' and dig into the evidence they provide," the BDA said.