Which diet is best for weight loss | 3 min read

Different weight-loss diets focus on different things. Some weight-loss diets focus on reducing your appetite, while others restrict calories, carbs, or fat. Selecting a good weight loss diet is essential because a healthy weight is vital for good health. Watching how much you eat and what you eat plays central roles in maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight. 

All weight-loss diets claim to be superior, and knowing which ones are worth trying can be challenging. 

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting controls when you eat and not what to eat. However, it drastically limits your calorie intake on certain days of the week. It means you stop eating altogether, or almost wholly, for a certain period. Fasting usually lasts 12 to 24 hours, but sometimes it continues for days. However, in some cases, you may be allowed water, tea, coffee, or even a tiny amount of food during the fasting period.

Ways to do intermittent fasting are:

The 16/8 method: involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to eight hours, subsequently fasting for the remaining 16 hours.

The eat-stop-eat method: Involves 24-hour fasts once or twice per week on non-consecutive days.

The 5:2 diet: restrict your intake to 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week. You do not limit intake on the five remaining days.

The Warrior Diet

 You must eat small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables during the day and one huge meal at night.

Keto diet

“Ketogenic” is a low-carb diet (previously known as the Atkins diet). Its proponents insist you can lose weight by eating as much protein and fat as you like if you avoid carbs. 

 The diet instructs that you cut back most on the carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread. The keto diet is effective for weight loss because it reduces your appetite. However, the diet’s emphasis on fats is unsuitable for your heart and could lead to constipation.

Whole 30 program

The Whole 30 diet is a viral health movement increasing in popularity and encourages cutting out alcohol, sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, and additives from your diet for 30 days. It decreases inflammation and can cause weight loss depending on how many calories you eat. While the diet can produce weight loss, it was designed by sports nutritionists.

Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods people eat in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Spain, Greece, and Italy. People in these countries were exceptionally healthy and had a low risk of many chronic conditions. The Mediterranean diet encourages fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and heart-healthy fats. 

However, the diet restricts processed foods, added sugar, and refined grains. The Mediterranean diet is mainly recommended for people looking to improve their health and protect against chronic diseases like heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes.

Ways to follow the Mediterranean diet:

Eat mainly: Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, herbs, spices, fish, seafood, and extra virgin olive oil.

Eat-in moderation: poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt.

Eat rarely: red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, processed meat, refined grains, refined oils, and other highly processed foods.

Your lifestyle and habits directly affect your physical, mental, and emotional health. Choosing a diet that works for you and your body is essential. You need to nourish foods if you want a healthy body and mind. Most importantly, discuss your weight loss plan with your healthcare professional before starting any diet to determine if it suits your healthcare condition. Some diets may seriously harm your health.

Sources