When it comes to weight loss, your diet plays a significant role. There are several ways to lose weight, most of which are usually a combination of physical exercise and your nutrition intake. What, when, and how much you eat are key factors that drive the efficacy of any weight loss program. There are several diet plans for weight loss available that are tailored according to an individual’s needs and body types. We have compiled a list of some well-known and effective diet plans for weight loss to help you kickstart your fitness journey.
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Diet Plans For Weight Loss
You must have read and heard about so many diet plans that it can get difficult to understand where to begin, and which plan to follow. Well, our advice is that it’s best to see a nutritionist or a dietitian to figure out which diet plan will work best for you. However, if you wish to learn a little about the types of diet plans for weight loss that are actually quite effective, we have compiled a few of them below.
Intermittent Fasting
There’s quite a buzz around ‘intermittent fasting’, and it’s likely that you must’ve heard of it at least once. Intermittent fasting isn’t necessarily a diet plan for weight loss, but an eating pattern that consists of cycles between periods of fasting and eating. While most diet plans restrict certain food groups, this isn’t the case with intermittent fasting. Instead of specifying which foods you should and shouldn’t eat, it specifies when you should eat them.
One of the most popular methods of intermittent fasting includes the ‘16/8 method’ wherein your daily eating period is restricted to 8 hours, while you fast for 16 hours. Another one is the 5:2 diet, wherein you eat normally for 5 days of the week, while consuming only 500- 600 calories on 2 other non-consecutive days. Intermittent fasting is generally safe, however, people who have issues such as diabetes, blood sugar regulation, low blood pressure should consult a doctor before trying this diet plan for weight loss.
Keto Diet
Keto diet or ketogenic diet is another popular diet for weight loss and improved health that is extremely low in carbs, high in fat, and moderate in protein. Basically, the aim is to get more calories from fat sources, rather than carbs. You don’t completely abstain from carbs, but drastically reduce it to 20- 50 grams per day, which forces your body to depend on fats for its main energy source. As a result of this, your body undergoes ketosis, which means that it burns stored fat for energy, instead of blood sugar. Below are some foods you should eat as well as foods that you should avoid, when on a ketogenic diet.
Foods to eat when following a ketogenic diet:
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Fatty fish and seafood
- Nuts and seeds
- Meat
- Full-fat dairy and cheese
- Avocados
- Keto-friendly veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, spinach, kale, green beans, asparagus
Foods to avoid:
- Grains and grain products such as whole wheat flour, oatmeal, tortillas, brown rice, cereals
- Fruits such as citrus, grapes, bananas
- Noodles, pasta, spaghetti
- Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, yam, carrots, peas, corn
- Beans and legumes
- Sugary foods
- Baked goods
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet isn’t a fad diet, but more of a series of guidelines and principles that you need to follow for a healthier lifestyle. As the name suggests, the Mediterranean diet is based on foods that people in the Mediterranean region traditionally ate. While the Mediterranean diet isn’t specifically a diet for weight loss, it is found to be useful for those who are trying to lose weight. This kind of diet focuses more on consuming plant foods, whole grains, and heart-healthy fats.
When following a Mediterranean diet, it is recommended that you eat:
- Plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains
- Healthy fats such as nuts and seeds, olive oil
- Moderate amounts of poultry, eggs, and dairy products
- Very little red meat, processed meat, refined grains, refined oils, added sugars, and highly processed foods
While it may aid in weight loss, other health benefits of the Mediterranean diet include a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases and improved sleep quality.
DASH Diet
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is designed specifically to prevent or help treat hypertension, but many studies have shown that it might also help you lose weight. Though this isn’t strictly a diet plan for reducing weight, it focuses on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats, while limiting foods such as salt, red meat, added sugars, and fat. It is a heart-healthy way of eating, that recommends specific servings of different food groups, wherein the number of servings depends on your daily calorie count.
Plant-Based Diets
Vegetarianism and veganism are some of the most popular plant-based diets that more and more people are adapting to, slowly but gradually. Vegetarians eliminate all kinds of meats, poultry, and fish from their diet, while the basic fundamental of veganism is to eliminate all animal products, as well as animal-derived products such as dairy, honey, albumin from the diet. Veganism is more of a lifestyle change than a diet plan for weight loss, however, studies show that it may help you lose weight as it inhibits certain food groups that are high in calories, and instead replaces them with fiber-rich foods that can keep your hunger satiated for longer.
Paleo Diet
A Paleo diet basically takes us back in time to the Paleotheroic Era which was around 2 million to 10k years ago. The principle of the diet is to replicate a diet similar to what the humans of those times would have consumed, which was devoid of all the artificial flavouring, factory processing, and harmful chemicals. The ill effects of modern diet and processed food are well documented, one of which includes unhealthy weight gain. Randomized clinical trials have indicated that Paleo is an effective diet plan for weight loss. Avoid eating highly processed foods and opt to consume lean meats, ethically sourced fruits & veggies, and non-refined oil.
Foods you can eat when following a Paleo diet:
- Whole foods
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Lean meats
- Nuts and seeds
Foods to avoid:
- Processed foods
- Grains
- Sugar
- Dairy
While the Paleo diet can aid weight loss and reduce belly fat, it also limits many nutritious food groups such as whole grains, legumes, dairy, which is why it is important you consult a nutritionist before giving this diet plan for weight loss a try.
WW (Weight Watchers)
The WW (Weight Watchers) diet works on a nifty point-based system that categorizes each food into point-based diet groups depending on their overall nutritional value. To achieve your target weight, you just need to observe some discipline in eating and never cross your daily point allowance. As no food is off the table, this diet plan for weight loss provides a lot of flexibility when it comes to choices and also works well for people with certain food allergies.
Low Fat Diet
It is as simple as the name suggests! As a general rule of thumb, the fat intake is limited to 30% of the total recommended daily calorie intake. By limiting the amount of fat going into the body, the low-fat diet plan for weight loss not only reduces weight but also improves cardiac health. As fat is required for vital functions like nutrient absorption and hormone production, a balanced approach is required. Completely eliminating fat from your diet does more harm than good.
Atkins Diet
The Atkins Diet Program is essentially a low-carb diet plan for weight loss. The goal of the Atkins diet is to restrict the amount of carbohydrate consumption so that the body burns off fat instead of sugar. Devised in 1970, the diet has since evolved to accommodate vegetarian and vegan lifestyles as well. The Atkins diet uses the principle of net carb intake instead of portion control so that you can enjoy your favourite dishes while dieting. The diet plan is typically broken down into 4 phases with the ultimate aim of positively changing your eating habits for life.
Zone Diet
Imbalance in the proportions of macronutrients that we consume is known to cause inflammation among other things. Zone diet seeks to rectify that by outlining a ratio of Carbs: Protein: Fat, which usually is in the order of 4: 3: 3. The carbohydrates recommended in this diet plan for weight loss have low glycemic values, meaning the sugar is released in the body at a slower rate making you feel fuller for a longer period of time. The emphasis is laid on portion control and having smaller meals at regular intervals throughout the day. The diet also aims to bring about a lifestyle change by making you conscious of what you consume.
More On Health & Fitness
Fruits For Weight Loss: Did you know that many fruits can help you achieve your weight loss goals? If not, read on to know more about which fruits you should eat, and which ones to avoid when you’re trying to lose weight.
How To Lose Thigh Fat: Here are some effective tips that can help you lose thigh fat. They are quite easy, but require consistency and patience.
Featured Image: Pexels
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