5 BEST DIETS FOR WEIGHT LOSS IN 2023

Milina

24 Oct, 2021

Turning the calendar page to a new year is often a signal that it's time for a new beginning—and that has never felt more welcome than in 2021. After nearly a year of staying at home, stressing out, and bingeing on baked goods and Netflix, many of us are looking forward to getting active, getting healthy, and losing all those quarantine pounds in the coming year.Eating a nutrient-rich diet can make us feel better and more energized, and it lets us know we're taking steps toward a healthier life,says Houston Methodist Wellness Services dietitian Amanda Beaver, RDN.It is something we can actually do after a year that has been completely out of our hands.

1-Diet of the Mediterranean

Mediterranean-style diets, which are based on the heart-healthy lifestyles of Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, include healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil, nuts, and fish at least twice a week, as well as plenty of beans, fruit, leafy greens, and whole grains, and even a daily glass of red wine. You can eat cheese in moderation, but red meat should only be consumed once or twice a week.

How it works for weight loss:

Though the primary appeal of this diet is its numerous health benefits—it can lower your risk of both chronic disease and cognitive decline—it can also lead to weight loss if you limit your calorie intake to 1,500 per day or less. According to studies, following either a traditional Mediterranean diet or a low-carb version of it can result in weight loss of about 5-10% of body weight over a 12-month period. And the weight stays off—a recent British study discovered that people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet were twice as likely to maintain their weight loss.This diet is simple to follow because the food is delicious!

2-The DASH Diet

The low-sodium Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet was created to help people control their blood pressure without the use of drugs, though it has been used as the basis for a weight-loss diet in a few books. DASH focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat dairy, while limiting saturated fat and dietary cholesterol.

How it works for weight loss:

You will undoubtedly improve your health with this diet, and if you restrict calories while adhering to DASH's heart-healthy guidelines, you can lose weight and lower your blood pressure. A recent study of obese older adults found that those who followed the DASH diet lost weight and body fat, among other health benefits.

3-WW (formerly Weight Watchers)

is a diet company that has been around for so long that your Grandma most likely tried it when she was trying to lose baby weight. MyWW+, the most recent version, sorts you into a color-coded program that assigns you a certain number of points per day (points are assigned to foods based on calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein)—you can eat whatever you want within that range. You can also eat as many 0-point foods as you want (most fruits and veggies and lean proteins such as fish, tofu, beans, eggs, and chicken breast fall into this category). Memberships for a point-tracking app and digital support begin at $3.22 per week.

How it works for weight loss:

WW has consistently been shown in studies to be effective at safely losing weight. According to a 2013 study, dieters assigned to WW were more than eight times more likely to lose 10% of their body weight in six months than those trying to diet on their own. "There is a lot of evidence that using a weight-loss app can help you lose weight," Zerner says. She goes on to say that even if you stop tracking every meal, it is simple to maintain weight loss once you internalize which healthy foods have low or no points.

4-The Vegan Diet

Vegans, who go beyond the traditional vegetarian diet, abstain from all animal products, including dairy, eggs, and honey. While many people choose this way of life for ethical or environmental reasons, some people also use the vegan diet to lose weight. Going vegan is now easier than ever, thanks to the new era of plant-based meats.

How it works for weight loss:

Simply going vegan will not help you lose weight. After all, candy, pasta, and potato chips are all vegan without being particularly healthy or low-calorie. "If you eat high-quality vegan food, like leafy greens and plant-based proteins, you can lose more weight than either vegetarians or omnivores," Beaver says; studies show that people who follow a plant-based diet have a lower average BMI than those who consume animal products. A 2020 Australian study found that vegans and vegetarians are more likely to stick to their diets in the long run than those on paleo diets because they are motivated by ethical and moral beliefs.

5-Flexitarian Diet

According to Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., nutritionist and author of The Flexitarian Diet, the vegan diet goes one step beyond vegetarianism, whereas the Flexitarian diet goes one step back. "This is a very pro-plant diet, but it allows you to have a hot dog at a baseball game or eat turkey at Thanksgiving," she says. There are no strict calorie limits, but Blatner's book includes a 5-week plan that provides approximately 1,500 calories per day.

How it works for weight loss:

You can lose weight and improve your health by eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and plant proteins and sticking to a low-calorie diet. A recent study discovered that people who ate a flexitarian diet had lower BMIs and lower rates of metabolic syndrome than people who ate meat on a regular basis.