The Best Diet Plans — Weight Loss, Sustainability and one diet to avoid.

 

The Best Diet Plans — Weight Loss, Sustainability, and one diet to avoid.

 

• Each year, it is estimated that nearly half of all American adults try to lose weight.

• Changing your diet is one of the most effective ways to lose weight.

• The sheer number of diet plans available, on the other hand, may make it very hard to get decided to start because you are unclear which one is most suitable, sustainable, and successful.

• Several diets aim to suppress your appetite to minimize your food intake, whereas others advise you to limit your calorie and carbohydrate or fat intake.

• Furthermore, many provide health benefits in addition to weight loss.

Here are the top diet plans for losing weight and improving your overall health. 

1. The Mediterranean Diet

This mostly plant-based eating approach was named the No. 1 overall diet by U.S. News & World Report in 2022, and registered dietitians like Amy Gorin, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in Stamford, Connecticut, support that choice.

Gorin praises the Mediterranean diet, which is high in whole vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, legumes, and a small amount of red wine and dairy. The Mediterranean diet's emphasis on whole, plant-based foods over highly processed junk foods or fast foods may increase your likelihood of sticking with it.

Aside from weight loss, eating like Italians, Greeks, and other Mediterranean Sea people has health benefits (the diet's inspiration). According to Gorin, this approach also benefits heart and brain health. 

A previous review, for example, published in the journal Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, suggested that a Mediterranean diet, especially when combined with exercise and followed for more than six months, was associated with less weight gain. 

The study included 16 randomized controlled trials involving 1,848 people who followed a Mediterranean diet and 1,588 people who served as controls.

2. WW (Weight Watchers)

WW is a noteworthy weight-loss program in the world. Also called 

Weight Watchers.

While it does not restrict any food groups, people on the WW plan must eat within their daily point allowance to achieve their ideal weight.

This is how it works: WW is a point-based system that assigns a monetary value to various foods and beverages based on their calorie, fat, and fiber content.

You have to adhere to your daily points if you want to reach the weight you want,

Lose weight: Several studies have found that the WW program can help you lose weight.

A review of 45 studies, for example, discovered that people who followed a WW diet lost 2.6 percent more weight than those who received standard counseling.

Furthermore, people who adhere to WW programs are more successful at maintaining weight loss over time than those who adhere to other diets.

Another advantage is that WW allows for flexibility, making it easy to follow. This enables people who have dietary restrictions, such as food allergies, to adhere to the plan.

3. Vegetarian diets

There are numerous reasons to become a vegetarian, including environmental and ethical concerns.

According to a previous review of 12 randomized controlled trials involving approximately 1,150 people, another potential benefit of eating plants instead of meat is weight loss. 

Indeed, the Mayo Clinic notes that when portion size and food quality are considered, a vegetarian diet can aid in weight loss because the foods you'll eat (including whole foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based protein) contain fewer calories and fat but are more filling than foods found in the standard American diet, or SAD. 

The SAD diet is high in processed and packaged foods that are high in salt, sugar, and saturated fat.

Another reason to become a vegetarian is to improve your health, and science backs this up. 

According to Jeanne Tiberio, a registered dietitian in Salem, Massachusetts, "when carefully planned," a vegetarian diet is a fantastic diet because it is high in nutrient-rich plant foods and low in saturated fat. 

A vegetarian diet was linked to a 25% lower risk of heart disease and an 8% lesser risk of cancer in a meta-analysis published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition in November 2017.

A word of caution: If you have a family or personal history of eating disorders, you may want to avoid this approach (and any other restrictive plan, for that matter). 

According to a previous study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, some people use a vegetarian diet to justify food restrictions to lose weight.

 There can be many advantages to going vegan, but be cautious and ask yourself where your motivations lie before making this decision.

4. Alternate-day fasting

Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy that alternates between fasting and eating periods.

There are several methods, such as the 16/8 method, which involves reducing your daily calorie intake to 8 hours per day, and the 5:2 method, which involves reducing your daily calorie intake to 500–600 calories twice per week.

How it works: Intermittent fasting limits the amount of time you can eat, which is a simple way to reduce your calorie intake. This can lead to weight loss unless you compensate by overeating during permitted eating times.

Weight loss: According to a review of studies, intermittent fasting causes 3–8% weight loss over 3–24 weeks, which is a significantly higher percentage than other methods.

According to the same review, this way of eating may reduce waist circumference by 4–7%, which is a marker for harmful belly fat.

Other studies have discovered that intermittent fasting can increase fat burning while maintaining muscle mass, which can improve metabolism.

Other advantages: Intermittent fasting has been linked to anti-aging effects, increased insulin sensitivity, improved brain health, decreased inflammation, and numerous other advantages.

5. low carbohydrates diets

Low-carb diets are among the most popular methods of losing weight. A few examples include the Atkins diet, the ketogenic (keto) diet, and the low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet.

Some varieties have a lower carbohydrate content than others. For example, very-low-carb diets, such as the keto diet, limit this macronutrient to less than 10% of total calories, whereas other types limit it to 30% or less.

Low-carb diets restrict carbohydrate consumption in favor of protein and fat.

They typically contain more protein than low-fat diets, which is important because protein can help you control your appetite, boost your metabolism, and maintain muscle mass.

In very low-carb diets like keto, your body begins to use fatty acids for energy instead of carbs by converting them into ketones. This is referred to as ketosis.

Weight loss: Several studies have found that low-carb diets can aid in weight loss and may be more effective than traditional low-fat diets.

For example, a review of 53 studies involving 68,128 participants discovered that low-carb diets resulted in significantly more weight loss than low-fat diets.

In addition, low-carb diets appear to be quite effective at reducing dangerous belly fat.

Other benefits include: low-carb diets may reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and blood pressure levels, according to research. They may also aid in the improvement of blood sugar and insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

6. The DASH

The DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a meal plan designed to assist in the treatment or prevention of high blood pressure, also known clinically as hypertension. It focuses on eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats while limiting salt, red meat, added sugars, and fat.

Although the DASH diet is not a weight loss diet, many people claim to have lost weight while on it.

Here's how it works: The DASH diet recommends specific servings of different food groups. Your daily calorie intake determines the number of servings you are allowed to consume.

An average person on the DASH diet, for example, would consume 5 servings of vegetables, 5 servings of fruit, 7 servings of healthy carbs such as whole grains, 2 servings of low-fat dairy products, and 2 servings or less of lean meats per day.

Furthermore, you are permitted to consume nuts and seeds 2–3 times per week.

Weight loss: According to research, the DASH diet can help you lose weight.

An analysis of 13 studies, for example, discovered that people on the DASH diet lost significantly more weight over 8–24 weeks than people on a control diet.

Other advantages: The DASH diet has been shown to lower blood pressure and several risk factors for heart disease. It may also help with recurrent depressive symptoms and reduce your risk of breast and colorectal cancer.

Finally

While all of the diets listed above are effective for weight loss, the one you choose should be based on your lifestyle and food preferences. This increases the probability that you will stick with it in the long run.

And if you are asking which diet to avoid, well Carnivore diet is one of them.

7. Carnivore's diet

The carnivore diet necessitates a high intake of meat (along with some eggs and fat, like cheese). 

There's also a popular version in which you only eat beef. Don't even think about it, says Gorin, although you can find success stories of carnivore dieters online. 

"This is not a sustainable and not a healthy diet, and there are many healthier ways to lose weight " " This diet contains saturated fat that raises your risk of high cholesterol levels, but it also excludes a lot of really healthy foods," Gorin adds. 

This includes fruits and vegetables, which are known to aid in weight loss and disease prevention.

Net result: Eliminate this diet or, if you're serious about trying it, make sure to consult with your healthcare team first.