We’ve all seen our fair share of wacky diets… and chances are we might have fallen victim to a weird cleanse or exercise fad. Here’s a countdown of the five most wacky ways to lose weight!
10. Master Cleanser
Created by Stanley Burroughes in 1976, this ‘cleanse’ is still practised today. Also called the lemonade diet, it entailed drinking a mixture of hot water, lemonade, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days. Dieters are allowed to drink water and a laxative herbal tea as well. With no protein or carbohydrates, the diet can’t sustain you for very long. It re-emerged in popularity around 2005 again (after Beyonce lost 20 pounds from the cleanse), proving that even the dumbest diet ideas can come full circle.
9. All fat diet
Believe it or not, in Nordic countries, the fat diet is revered and highly popular, with cooking shows and entire food stations devoted to this ideal. The diet consists of eating protein high in fat, and skipping carbs entirely. Think of it as an extreme form of Atkins that can’t be good for your arteries.
8. Quidditch
The sport inspired by the Harry Potter series has popped up on University campuses, but now, taking local intramural leagues by storm. While the game might be a little bit silly, Quidditch can be a great cardio workout while you seek for a snitch.
7. Drumstick workout
Imagine a zumba class, but with weighted drumsticks that you smack and bang in the air and on the floor. It’s called pound, and is only a few years old. Combining cardio, cross-fit and pilates, the workout can be intense, but likely very noisy, though it may be a good way to anger your neighbours below you.
6. The Cookie Diet
Eating cookies and losing weight? Sounds like a dream come true. In 1975, Dr. Siegal created a special cookie formulated with amino acids to suppress appetite. Dieters are allowed 4-6 cookies in addition to small, light meals. You can still buy them online here.
5. Backwards Running
Supposedly, running backwards burns more calories and relieves joint strain and improves balance, as well as burning a fifth more calories. Also called retro running, the workout started to be popular in Japan, but is growing in North America. If you can get over the weird stares… it’s free and easy to do.
4. The Tapeworm Diet
In the 1950s, opera singer Maria Callas allegedly dropped 65 pounds by taking a parasitic pill. It might be fun to joke, “If only I could get a tapeworm to lose 20 pounds fast,” but in Asian countries, people are still going to that extreme.
3. Cyclaoke
You’re spinning and gaining speed, while belting out Demi Lovato’s latest single. That’s right, Cyclaoke combines spinning and karaoke. This workout is supposed to get you working at a good heart rate and distracted from the hard work, but is more embarrassing, especially if you’re off-key.
2. HCG Diet
This is one of the newest, and most controversial diet trends… Created in 2011, dieters take HCG, a pregnancy hormone, along with a strict 500 to 800 calories a day.
1. Prancersize
This video has made a recent comeback on YouTube with views at almost seven million. The workout consists of gracefully hopping and skipping as you move your arms from side to side. The benefits of this workout are a mild cardio exercise, while looking like a complete fool. Leave prancing to horses.
