A lot of research and careful planning are required before embarking on a diet. After all, you want to find the right diet, not just any diet. And if you want to lose weight, you should follow the best diet that works with your lifestyle.
According to dietitian Amanda Beaver, R.D.N., of Houston Methodist Wellness Services, “eating a nutrient-rich diet can make us feel better and more energized, and it lets us know we are taking steps toward a healthier life.” However, the myriad of “miracle” diets out there—keto!—can make your head spin when you start looking into the most effective strategies for weight loss. paleo! 5-minute fast! Naturally, each of these has a dedicated following on Instagram, where they rave about how great it is to give up carbs, sugar, meat, and dinner. It may be difficult to choose one to try.
How to Select a New Diet
Choosing a new diet is a significant decision, and it can be difficult to find the appropriate one for you. “It’s important to remember that good weight reduction is a long-term commitment,” says Keri Gans, M.S., R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. “There is no magic bullet. When selecting a diet, choose one that is all-inclusive rather than one that focuses on removing meals, especially ones you enjoy.”
Amanda Holtzer, M.S., R.D., a Culina Health nutritionist, advises asking yourself the following question before embarking on a new diet:
- Is this diet something you can stick with? That is, can you do it continuously, seven days a week? She asserts, Because if you don’t, you’ll probably gain the weight back as soon as you stop doing it.
- Is this diet restrictive enough? According to Holtzer, it will be difficult to adhere to a particular diet if you feel depleted. She asserts, “Those cravings will eventually prevail.” This kind of circumstance frequently results in overindulgence or even binges.
- Will you be able to continue living your life there? According to Holtzer, it is essential to consider whether your diet will permit activities such as eating out with friends, getting ice cream on occasion, and sipping mimosas at brunch. She states, “This ain’t the one if you think you’ll have to put your life on hold to follow this diet correctly.”
- Are you going to get enough food? According to Holtzer, you should ask yourself this as “the most important” question. She cites diets that require you to limit yourself to 1,200 calories as examples of the type of diet that is not the best. Keep in mind that you will regain your weight as soon as you stop eating that way, says Holtzer.
“A good match will have numerous components to it that become part of your lifestyle, not something that you will be counting the days ’til it is through,” Gans concludes.
How long should you stick to a diet before branching out?
Sure, you might pick a diet that isn’t suited for you the first time. So, how much time should you give it? “Not for very long,” adds Holtzer. She suggests checking in with yourself on a regular basis to assess how you’re feeling on a new diet. According to Holtzer, here are a few things to think about:
- How well have you adhered to the diet?
- What you excelled at
- What you might have done better
- Whether or not you are happy with your meals and snacks
- How much you think about food while on a diet
- How much the diet affects other aspects of your life
According to Holtzer, “Even if you finish day one of a diet and the answers to some of these questions indicate that this diet may not be right, I would say it’s time to call it.” “Even if you finish day one of a diet.” Life is too brief to live on a diet that restricts it. However, you can reevaluate every week if you think daily check-ins are too much, she adds.)
You shouldn’t stick with something that doesn’t feel right, and Gans agrees. She states, “You are on the road to success if you are losing one to two pounds each week.” However, the time to switch is right away if you’re losing weight but believe you can’t keep up because it’s so hard.
In general, Gans suggests keeping these things in mind: The diet that doesn’t feel like a diet is the best.” The plan recommends getting enough sleep and regular physical activity, as well as teaching you about portion sizes, healthy cooking techniques, and healthy dining options. Actually, the best diet is a lifestyle, not a diet.
We asked a panel of dietitians to sort through some of the most talked-about diets and talk about the good, the bad, and the ones that make people hungry. Here are their suggestions for the top 15 to think about and 4 to ignore.
1. The Mediterranean Diet
According to Jessica Cording, R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers, there are a few reasons why this diet consistently wins. It has a lot of fiber, which helps with digestion, she says. It also lowers cancer risk and improves heart health. According to Cording, the Mediterranean diet is full of healthy fats and “tends to be low in unsaturated fat,” so it encourages you to eat more nutritious foods and avoid unhealthy options.
Mediterranean diets are based on the heart-healthy lifestyles of Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. They include avocados, olive oil, nuts, fish at least twice a week, a lot of beans, fruit, leafy greens, whole grains, and even red wine every day. Cheese can be eaten in moderation, but red meat should only be eaten once or twice a week.
How it works to lose weight: Although the primary draw of this diet is its numerous health benefits—it can lower your risk of both chronic disease and cognitive decline—it can also help you lose weight if you consume no more than 1,500 calories per day. Either the traditional Mediterranean diet or a low-carb version can help you lose 5-10% of your body weight in a year, according to studies. And that weight stays off: a recent British study found that people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet were twice as likely to keep off large amounts of weight. Because the food is so good, this diet is easy to keep up! declares Beaver.
2. The DASH Diet
Although a few books have used the low-sodium Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet as a basis for a weight-loss diet, the DASH Diet was made to help people control their blood pressure without using drugs. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are emphasized in DASH, as are low- or no-fat dairy products, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol.
How it works to lose weight: This diet will undoubtedly benefit your health, and if you adhere to DASH’s heart-healthy guidelines and cut back on calories, you can lose weight and lower your blood pressure. The DASH diet helped obese older adults lose weight and reduce body fat, among other health benefits, according to a recent study. According to Meridan Zerner, R.D., a dietitian at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, “DASH is one of my favorite diets.” You are getting the heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory, high-fiber benefits, and you can lose weight if you follow a calorie-controlled, individual plan.
3. WW (previously Weight Watchers) (formerly Weight Watchers)
Because it has been around for so long, your grandmother probably tried Weight Watchers when she was trying to lose weight after having a baby. You are given a Points budget in the most recent version based on your preferences for food and activity (foods receive points based on calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein), and you can eat whatever you want within that range. Additionally, you can consume zero-point foods, which include the majority of vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins like fish, tofu, beans, eggs, and chicken breast. For digital support and a point-tracking app, weekly memberships start at $5.29; In addition to the app, paying $13.83 per week grants you unlimited access to workshops and a personal coach. Additionally, the program can be tailored to meet the requirements of individuals with various forms of diabetes.
How it works to lose weight: WW has consistently proven to be safe and effective for losing weight. According to a 2013 study, dieters assigned to WW were more than eight times more likely than those trying to diet on their own to lose 10% of their body weight in six months. According to Zerner, there is a lot of evidence that using a tracking app can help you lose weight. She adds that once you internalize which healthy foods are low or zero points, it is simple to maintain weight loss even if you stop tracking every meal.
4. The Vegan Diet
Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy, eggs, and honey, going one step further than the traditional vegetarian diet. While many people choose this way of life for environmental or ethical reasons, some vegans also use it to lose weight. Additionally, going vegan is now easier than ever thanks to the new era of plant-based meats.
How it works to lose weight: Being vegan on its own won’t necessarily help you lose weight. After all, potato chips, pasta, and candy can all be considered vegan foods without being particularly low in calories or healthy. You can lose more weight than vegetarians or omnivores if you eat high-quality vegan food like leafy greens and plant-based proteins, according to Beaver. The intriguing finding of a 2020 Australian study is that vegans and vegetarians are more likely than paleo dieters to stick with their diets over time because they are motivated by ethical and moral beliefs rather than just weight loss.
5. Flexitarian Diet
According to Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., a nutritionist and the author of The Flexitarian Diet, “the vegan diet takes vegetarianism one step further than the Flexitarian diet does.” Despite the fact that it allows you to indulge in hot dogs at a ballpark or turkey at Thanksgiving, this diet is strongly pro-plant. Although the five-week plan in Blatner’s book provides approximately 1,500 calories per day, there are no strict calorie restrictions.
How it works to lose weight: You can lose weight and improve your health by increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant proteins in your diet and sticking to the low-calorie plan. According to a recent review, those who ate a flexitarian diet had lower rates of metabolic syndrome than those who ate meat frequently.
6. Intermittent Fasting
The intermittent fasting plan can be followed in a number of different ways: Some people eat whatever they want five days a week, while the other two days they eat a very low-calorie diet (usually less than 500 calories); Others limit their daily calorie intake to eight hours. For instance, eating whatever you want from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and not eating for the remaining 16 hours.
How it works to lose weight: According to Zerner, you will lose weight by consuming fewer calories overall. He also points out that there is some evidence that this diet can also increase your metabolism rate and have other beneficial effects on your health. Intermittent fasters lost about the same amount of weight as regular calorie-restricted dieters, according to a meta-analysis conducted in 2015.
7. Volumetrics DIet
Volumetrics was developed by Penn State University nutrition professor Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., who has earned a reputation as one of the best diets on the market. This is a straightforward tactic: Eat the foods that give you the most nutrition for the fewest calories. There are four categories of foods, from the least energy-dense (fruits, vegetables without starch, broth-based soups) to the most energy-dense (cookies, chocolate, nuts, and butter); Dieters plan their meals to include as many foods with a lower calorie density as they can.
How it works to lose weight: The calculations are straightforward: the more weight you lose, the fewer calories you consume. Weight loss was significantly linked to low-energy-density diets, according to a 2016 study.
8. Plant-Based Diet
A plant-based diet doesn’t have any super-strict rules, like a flexitarian diet: The majority of the time, you just focus on eating whole foods that come from plants, with room for the occasional piece of chicken or scrambled egg. You are basically reversing the standard American diet, which places a large chunk of meat in the middle of the plate and a few vegetables on the side. Now, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and whole grains take center stage, and beef, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy only make brief appearances when you really want them.
How it works to lose weight: Compared to animal products, plant-based foods typically contain more fiber and less fat, keeping you full for fewer calories. Adults who followed a plant-based diet for six months lost an average of 26 pounds, according to a large study.
9. The New Mayo Clinic Diet
The highly regarded medical organization known as the Mayo Clinic developed the Mayo Clinic Diet, which is specifically intended to be a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix. The diet is based on a simple food pyramid that emphasizes eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while avoiding sweets and some fats.
There are two phases to the diet. First, there is a phase lasting two weeks that teaches you to break five common ones and introduces five healthy habits to help you start losing weight. The second phase teaches you more about healthy food choices and portion sizes as well as how to get active. It is meant to be followed for the rest of your life.
How it works to lose weight: The Small Change Diet author Keri Gans, R.D., says it’s important to focus on lifestyle changes for both weight loss and weight maintenance. It teaches you about food choices and portion sizes without excluding any food groups, and it also includes daily physical activity, all of which could help you lose weight, according to her. Not to be missed: According to the Mayo Clinic, you may lose up to 10 pounds in the first two weeks and one to two pounds in the second phase, depending on your previous lifestyle.
10. Noom
A subscription-based app called Noom keeps track of a person’s exercise and food intake. It provides daily calorie goals and assists in categorizing foods as potentially beneficial or detrimental to weight loss goals. Coaches are synchronized with app users to assist them in their weight loss journey. The technology is very user-friendly, and it offers one-on-one support,” claims Cording.
How it works to lose weight: According to Cording, the accountability component is “really helpful.” Gans concurs. It will help you stay within your daily calorie allowance if you are truthful and log everything you eat and drink on the Noom app,” she says. Additionally, it emphasizes low-calorie, high-nutrient foods and offers a one-on-one messaging coach, both of which are useful weight loss tools.