Pros and Cons of Structured Diets

A structured diet is one that tells you what to eat, what not to eat, how much to eat, and 
when to eat. It is easy to say all diets don’t work, or that diets work as long as you follow 
the instructions, but the simple fact is that they work for some people, and not others. If 
you’re wondering about the best approach to weight loss, here are some pros and cons 
of following a more structured diet.


Pros:

They are Easy to Follow

One of the reasons people like to do structured diets like Paleo, Keto, low-calorie, and 
others is because it tells you exactly what you need to do. This can make it a lot easier 
to follow in the beginning, especially when you feel like you want to start losing weight 
right away. 

You Know All the Rules without Second Guessing Yourself

Similar to this is the fact that you don’t have spend a lot of time second guessing 
yourself. This is probably the number one reason people go for “diets” as opposed to 
just switching to making healthier food choices. You know exactly what to eat, what not 
to eat, how much to eat, and sometimes even when you should be eating. 

It is Effective in the Short-Term

Structured diets are almost always effective, as long as you stick to the diet properly. If 
you want to start seeing those pounds come off now, this can be a good option for you.


Cons:

There are Bigger Restrictions

Naturally, the main disadvantage of a structured diet is that it is restrictive. You are 
usually given a list of foods you can eat, but also a list of foods you can’t. This creates a 
label for certain foods, where suddenly they become bad for you, and that can have 
some long-term repercussions.

It Might Not Last Long-Term

While you will probably see results pretty quickly with these diets, they might not last. 
Many people find that once they go back to their old way of eating, all the pounds come 
back on, they deal with binge cycles, and yo-yo dieting. This is why making a 
permanent lifestyle change is best if you want lasting results.

It Makes it Hard to Build a Healthy Relationship with Food

You also damage your relationship with food when you label certain foods “bad”. 
Suddenly, everything you eat becomes a test, where you figure out if you can eat it or 
not, have guilt or shame when you give in to cravings, and might end up gaining instead 
of losing.

The choice is always going to be individual, as many people do find diets help them lose 
the weight and keep it off.




