The 9 Best Diets To Help You Lose And Maintain Weight, According To The RDs

Lose weight and keep it off

The decision to lose weight should be a personal one. However, if you're hoping to drop the number on your scale, it's understandable that you'll want to choose an effective diet plan that will help you get there. Of course, what worked for your cousin may not be right for you. The best diets for weight loss share some common features: They involve eating fewer calories than usual and exercising regularly.

Most diets that restrict calories or impose structure on eating can help you lose weight, but there are other factors that influence our diets, such as food and drink preferences. Flexibility in the way we eat healthy living prevents you from getting sick again

A diet for long-term weight loss should have a structure around food, but allow flexibility in preferences and likes and dislikes Must include nutritionally healthy foods that are mindful eating techniques and behavior modification strategies In order to reach and maintain a healthy weight, you must eat sustainably in the long term It is important to stay healthy so you can avoid eating disorders, obesity, depression, and even heart disease

You must make sure you are getting adequate nutrition and that means getting the recommended daily intake of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fats and covering all the bases Nutrition expert agrees that it is easy to overemphasize calories She says, “Good sustainable weight loss is so much more than that.” ."

When deciding on a diet that can do all of the above for you, you will have to consider your personal tastes, lifestyle (for example, time constraints) and whether you have free time to prepare meals and maintain good eating habits Once you know your needs, you can narrow down Your options for choosing the right diet for you

Are you ready to try a new weight loss diet? Nutritionists say these.

1. Flexible diet

One of the main benefits of a flexible diet is that it's...flexible and doesn't involve counting calories. It encourages a mostly vegetarian diet while allowing you to eat meat when the mood is agitated. "A flexible diet includes all food groups, while at the same time encouraging more vegetarian meals, which in many cases are lower in calories," says Gans. You should not feel deprived of this plan.

There are no real calorie restrictions on this diet, although The Flexi Diet recommends that you aim for 1,500 calories per day.

How does this help you lose weight: Cording says that focusing on eating more vegetables, fruits, and plants, in general, should help you naturally consume fewer calories. The fewer calories you eat, the more weight you will lose. There is also data to back this up: One review found that followers of the Flexi-diet had a lower BMI than people who ate more meat.

2. Volumetric diet

Volumetric scales work exactly the way they sound - they focus on the volume or amount of food while encouraging you to eat nutrient-rich foods. The idea is to make sure you eat foods rich in fiber and water, such as fruits and vegetables. So you should follow the signs of satiety and not the number of calories in your meals. "It focuses on low-calorie foods and healthy servings," Angelone says. "This system includes regular meals and snacks so that you do not feel hungry."

How does this help you lose weight: “Focusing on healthy foods that make you full should help you consume fewer calories, which leads to weight loss. One study concluded that this is definitely a good way to try: There was a clear association between eating low-calorie, nutrient-rich meals and losing weight.”

3. WW (formerly Weight Watchers)

WW has been around for a long time, and the company has had plenty of props for its points-based approach to food. You get a certain number of points each day and you try to eat the food that you stick to. "It's a lifestyle," Cording said. "They do a great job educating people about portion sizes and how to budget their food."

How does this help you lose weight: Gans says responsibility is beneficial for weight loss. "For some people, tracking their food through a personalized results program makes them more responsible and more likely to diet," she said. Research has also supported the diet's effectiveness in weight loss. One study found that people were 10 percent more likely to lose 10 percent of their body weight in the six months of World War II than those who didn't.

4. Keto Diet

The keto diet is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. By limiting your carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams per day, this diet plan helps stimulate ketosis, a process by which your body burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. "People who lose weight on the keto diet eliminate many of the foods they previously ate and, by default, burn fewer calories," Gans explains.

How does it help you lose weight: “This diet eliminates most carbohydrates, including foods that people tend to eat in abundance — bread, pasta, rice, crackers, chips, pizza,” Angelone says. “Weight loss will be followed by constant fatigue. I have noticed that water weight is part of the initial weight loss. Just keep in mind that you will often need to stick to a keto diet or a low-carb diet to maintain these results, and this is not for everyone.

5. Vegetarian Diet

A plant-based diet is not a safe way to lose weight, but it may be beneficial if you eat a lot of meat. There are many different types of plant-based diets, but most avoid meat while allowing things like eggs and dairy with a heavy emphasis on plant-based foods.

This diet eliminates meat that contains a lot of fat. “Vegan diets eliminate cheese and other high-fat dairy products. This is especially effective for people who eat a lot of meat, burgers, and cheese.

How does this help you lose weight: Simply cutting out meat won't automatically lead to weight loss - especially if you don't replace it with nutrient- and fiber-rich foods for satiation.

  But following a vegan diet, the right way can definitely lead to weight loss. One study found that overweight and obese people who followed a plant-based diet for six months lost an average of about 26 pounds. 

6. Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is based on the lifestyle of the people who live in the Mediterranean region, which includes Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. It's great for plant foods and whole grains, along with healthy fats (consider: avocado, fish, and nuts). The diet also allows for one glass of red wine per day, but advises followers to limit red meat intake.

How it helps you lose weight: Basically, the Mediterranean diet is designed to help followers stay healthy. But research has shown that people who go on a diet can lose up to 10 percent of their body weight within 12 months. "It's a way of life and it has a lot to do with your daily habits and what you eat," Cording said. “It is also good for satiety and emphasizes walking and being active as part of dying. 

DASH diet 7.

The DASH diet was originally created to help people lower blood pressure. It contains fruits, vegetables, low-fat and low-fat dairy products, and low-sodium foods while reducing saturated fat and cholesterol. "This program is a balanced diet plan," Gans said. Cording says he's a big fan, too, noting that it's similar to the Mediterranean diet

How it helps you lose weight: "By following this diet, you'll be eating so many plant foods that you won't have much room for other foods, like high-fat meats and cheeses," says Angelone. Studies also show it can lead to weight loss: A study of obese adults found that those who followed the DASH diet lost weight and reduced body fat — and lowered blood pressure.

Mediterranean diet 8.

Cording says the Atkins diet is similar to the keto diet in that it's low in carbohydrates. Followers are encouraged to limit carbohydrate intake - which includes limiting high-starch vegetables and high-sugar fruits - and focus on foods rich in nutrients and fiber. "We encourage you to eat fat, and people can get excited that they can eat certain 'unlimited' foods for other diets," Cording said.

How it helps you lose weight: Restricting carbohydrates also means cutting out many processed foods, including snacks like chips and crackers, along with cereal, bread, pasta, and rice. "Some of the primary weight loss processes are water weight loss because the body has to consume some carbohydrates that retain water in the muscles," she said. But like the keto diet, you really need to limit carbs to make the weight-loss sustainable.

9. The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet focuses on eating foods with a low glycemic index, which means it won't raise your blood sugar. The diet is low in carbohydrates and high in protein and healthy fats, but not low in carbohydrates. "This diet is based on eating lots of vegetables, fish, eggs, chicken, turkey, and nuts without starch, but full-fat dairy," Angelone says.

How it helps you lose weight: Reducing your intake of carbohydrates - especially if you eat a lot of them - can definitely lead to weight loss. "They're also great at keeping blood sugar stable, which helps reduce snacking rush," Cording said. She adds that the diet also encourages a lot of home cooking — this can reduce the risk of false calorie sources on your plate.