If you want to improve your diet, the best thing you can do is adopt healthy habits that you don't mind maintaining in the long term. Following diets such as the Mediterranean diet or the flexitarian diet can improve your health and help you lose a few kilos. Research also suggests that following an eating plan such as the Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The DASH diet, also known as dietary methods to stop hypertension, was originally created as a way to treat high blood pressure, but it can also help you lose or maintain weight.
If your current diet includes a lot of red meat and butter, following the DASH diet can help change your weight. Lean proteins and low-fat dairy products are less calorie-dense and may contribute to an overall calorie deficit and subsequent weight loss, Seid says. A flexible plan uses a variety of foods from all major food groups. It includes vegetables and fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds.
For example, a review of 53 studies with 68,128 participants revealed that low-carb diets achieved significantly greater weight loss than low-fat diets (5). An initial 2-week phase designed to initiate weight loss by introducing 5 healthier habits and encouraging 5 common and less healthy habits). However, the Mayo Clinic advises users to expect to lose about 10 pounds of weight during the first 2 weeks and up to 2 pounds during the second phase. While the creators tell followers of the diet to expect to lose around 10 pounds during the first 2 weeks, more research is needed to fully understand its health benefits.
Every year, new fad diets appear with the promise that drastically changing your diet can help you lose weight. The flexitarian diet is a less strict version of a plant-based diet that allows for minimal consumption of meat and animal products. For example, a review of 45 studies revealed that people who followed a World War diet lost 2.6% more weight than people who received standard counseling (2). The weight management program emphasizes daily behavioral changes for long-term weight loss and uses a color-coded system that prioritizes foods based on caloric density, assigning users a “calorie budget” based on their personal goals).
A review of 13 studies involving more than 3000 people found that diets rich in low-calorie density foods led to greater weight loss. But, just like the ketogenic diet, you really need to continue to limit carbohydrates for weight loss to be sustainable, Gans says. Keep in mind that just because a diet can help you lose weight doesn't mean that it can help you keep it off or develop healthy habits that prevent you from regaining it. The Volumetrics diet was created by Pennsylvania State University nutrition professor Barbara Rolls and is intended to be a long-term lifestyle change rather than a strict diet.
In addition, studies show that exercising on a low-calorie diet is more effective in promoting weight loss than dieting alone (4). Choosing the right diet plan to lose weight depends on your lifestyle, goals, and what makes you feel good). Successful weight loss requires a long-term commitment to making healthy lifestyle changes in terms of diet, exercise and behavior.
