Whether you’re trying to lose weight fast or shed those pounds in the long term, there are plenty of diet plans that can help you achieve your goal. With so many diet options out there, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and frustrated when it comes to choosing the best weight loss plan for you and your lifestyle. To help make your decision-making process easier, we’ve listed 10 of the most popular diets for weight loss below, along with some basic information about each one, so you can decide which one works best for you.
1) Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that forces the body into ketosis, a state in which it relies on ketones as energy. The idea behind this diet is that you will experience better mental clarity and elevated levels of energy while limiting your carb intake. This plan is particularly popular with those who have been unsuccessful with other diets.
2) Whole30
This is not a typical diet plan. Rather, it is a whole lifestyle that includes dietary and physical restrictions. The Whole30 program claims you will be healthier if you eliminate processed foods, sugars, grains, dairy, alcohol and legumes for 30 days. And best of all: no carbs!
3) Mediterranean diet
You may have heard about the Mediterranean diet as it’s been touted as one of the most healthy and nutritious diets. This diet focuses on loading up on fresh vegetables, herbs, legumes, fruits, and whole grains for your main course. These foods are then followed with some form of protein such as nuts or eggs. Topping everything off is a drizzle of olive oil or generous dollop of yogurt.
4) Paleo diet
The paleo diet is a type of diet that consists of eating meats, vegetables, and fruits with limited added sugars and processed foods. It eliminates all grain-based food from the diet (breads, cereals, pasta) along with milk, cheese, ice cream, legumes (peanuts), potatoes and alcohol. Some forms of the paleo diet also eliminate fruit juices and berries.
5) Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting, or IF, is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. Periods of fasting can last anywhere from twelve hours to several days. When combined with other healthy lifestyle choices like regular exercise and a balanced diet, IF is proven to help people lose weight in a healthy way.
6) Slow carb diet
This diet was designed for people who are trying to lose weight and control diabetes. The theory is that when you eat high-glycemic carbs your body quickly releases a lot of insulin, which results in a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. This increase in blood sugar can then cause hunger pangs because it’s activating an appetite center in the brain.
7) Two Week Diet
The Two Week Diet is a two-week weight loss plan that relies on eating low-calorie foods, such as raw vegetables, fruits, and other whole foods that are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals. The diet starts off with week one of 2,000 calories per day and ends with week two of 500 calories per day.
8) Cabbage Soup diet
The Cabbage Soup diet is a seven-day plan that promises you’ll lose up to 10 pounds. But the trick with this diet is that you have to eat very low calorie, so your body can’t store any of it as fat. The average person needs about 2000 calories each day, but on this diet, you’re supposed to eat no more than 500 for the entire week. There are two phases: During the first three days, you drink only cabbage soup.
9) The Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. The plan cuts out carbs and replaces them with other foods that are lower in carbohydrates, like vegetables and meat. For people who find it hard to stay on track with their weight loss goals, this could be a viable option as it has been found that by cutting out certain foods from your diet, you can improve your results.
10) Dash diet
The Dash diet, also known as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, was created by a doctor and aims for long-term weight loss by cutting sodium, cholesterol, and fat intake. It also helps prevent high blood pressure and lower the risk of stroke. The main tenets of this plan are lower caloric intake, heart-healthy eating habits, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, moderation with low-fat dairy products or healthful protein foods.