4 Popular Diets for Those Who Want to Lose Weight
How each diet works, and its pros and cons
Which of all diets is the best for losing weight? In this article, you will receive brief but complete information on the four main diets.
I won’t bore you with details from different studies, only briefly outline the most important from them. You will find out the benefits of the most popular diets and why the diet may not suit you.
I will share the main point about all the diets used today at the end of the article.
WHAT IS DIET?
Before you start reading about diets, I must draw your attention to what a diet is. Meriam-Webster dictionary gives such a definition for diet:
food and drink regularly provided or consumed.
Only the last definition says, “a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly to reduce one’s weight.”
Suppose you consider the diet as food and drink regularly provided or consumed. In that case, when choosing, you need to think — can you adhere to it for an extended period?
1. KETOGENIC DIET
The orientation of the keto diet is to cut your carbs intake while maximizing fats. One of the most popular diets nowadays.
The ketogenic diet (KD), to mimic the metabolism of fasting, was introduced by modern physicians as a treatment for epilepsy in the 1920s.
History of the ketogenic diet — James W. Wheless
Why does it work?
The main aim of KD is to enter ketosis. It’s the process when your body doesn’t have carbs. It has to switch to another source of energy production. This source will be fats. The body will get them from food and from those fats that you have stored in your body.
Benefits of the Keto diet
- KD can help control hunger.
- On KD, you enter a ketosis state. It can improve the oxidative metabolism of fats and so reduce bodyweight quicker.
- KD may enhance your brain’s cognitive function.
Other possible benefits: lower blood sugar, epilepsy treatment, reduce inflammations, Alzheimer’s disease, improve acne, cancer prevention.
Main Cons of the Keto diet
- Keto flu is the most significant drawback. At the start, you may feel headaches and fatigue, nausea, difficulty sleeping. It’s only some of the symptoms.
- A small number of carbs. To eat less than 50 grams of carbs may be a big challenge for you.
- Lower performance in high-intensity exercises.
- It’s best not to go on a keto diet without consulting your doctor.
Other possible drawbacks: kidney and heart damage, decreased exercise performance, digestive discomfort, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, may affect your microbiota, and others.
How to follow the keto diet
Many versions of ketogenic diets exist. In all, you have to reduce carbs intake to less than 50 grams to enter a ketosis state. You have to eat a moderate amount of protein. Protein can prevent ketosis. 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans says you should avoid trans fats. Also, make an average intake of saturated fats.
You should divide the total number of calories as follows:
— carbs: 5–10%
— fats: 70–80%
— protein: 10–20%
2. LOW-CARBOHYDRATE-HIGH-FAT (LCHF)
The diet is like KD but has one big difference. In LCHF, you do not enter ketosis. It means you can eat more carbs.
While mainstream science has advocated HCLF diets, in recent decades, a group of scientists, practitioners, and the general public have explored the efficacy of low-carbohydrate-high-fat (LCHF) diets such as the Atkins diet as a means of weight loss.
Low-Carbohydrate-High-Fat Diet: Can it Help Exercise Performance? — Journal of Human Kinetics
Why does it work?
Scientists concluded that the LCHF diet combined with calories deficit is more effective than a diet with high carbs intake.
Benefits of the LCHF diet
LCHF has some advantages over the keto diet:
- On LCHF, no effect of Keto flu or much milder symptoms. Lack of carbs is the leading cause of the keto flu.
- You can eat more fruits and vegetables. It means more micronutrients and guts’ health.
- Easier for long-term adherence. LCHF is not as drastically different from our everyday eating habits.
- Higher protein intake. LCHF is more effective in saving more muscle while on a caloric deficit.
Other possible benefits are almost the same as on the KD.
Main Cons of the LCHF diet
- You do not enter the ketosis state. It means slower weight loss.
Other possible drawbacks are the same as on the keto diet but with more manageable symptoms.
How to follow the LCHF diet
You’re declining your carbs intake to less than 150 grams and replacing it with fats. You have to remember about saturated fats and trans fats, as well as on a KD.
On LCHF, there is no reason to change your protein intake. Still, you can replace protein with fats if you wish. Don’t fall under 0.5 grams of protein on 1 pound of body mass (1 gram/1 kg BM).
3. PALEO DIET
The Paleo diet repeats the diet of our ancestors from the Paleolithic era. The paleo diet limits foods from farming that emerged about 10,000 years ago.
It is clear that “Stone Age” humans did eat various high-quality foods rich in nutrients and fiber. Compared to this diet, modern diets provide much less variety and are full of artificial sugars and salt.
Paleolithic Diet — Challa HJ, Bandlamudi M, Uppaluri KR.
Why does it work?
Paleo is a diet with a high amount of proteins. Protein satiates you more, which means you will eat less. Protein needs the energy to digest. Protein digest gives extra weight loss.
Benefits of the Paleo diet
- Various food.
- Suitable for long-term adherence. Our ancestors lived whole there life on this diet.
- A lot of micronutrients. Multiple fruits and vegetables secure your body with all vitamins and minerals.
Other possible benefits: promotes healthy blood glucose, improved insulin sensitivity and cholesterol balance, lower blood pressure, improved satiety, lower all-cause mortality.
Main Cons of the Paleo diet
- The Paleo Diet requires time and resources. You have to buy fresh, local products and need time to prepare food at home.
- Deficit of Calcium and Vitamin D. Paleo diet don’t have many sources of these micronutrients.
- The paleo diet misconception is eating as much meat as possible. Overeating protein can lead to illnesses.
How to follow the Paleo diet
An example of a paleo diet from the book: “The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat” by Loren Cordain.
You should divide the total number of calories as follows:
— Protein: 19–35%
— Fats: 28–47%
— Carbohydrates: 28–47%
You can eat any lean meat, fish, and seafood as a source of protein. You can eat any fruits and vegetables that don’t have starch. The source of fats are nuts, oily fish, seeds.
Foods to avoid altogether:
- dairy products
- grains
- legumes
- starchy vegetables
- salty foods
- fatty meats
- fruit drinks
- sweets
4. MEDITERRANEAN DIET
Diet of ancient Greeks and Romans. Number one diet in the world. The diet that allows you to drink wine. All this you can hear about the Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet has its origins in a portion of land considered unique, the Mediterranean basin.
The Mediterranean Diet: A History of Health — Iranian Public Health Association & Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Why does it work?
The initial design of the Mediterranean diet was not for weight loss.
It is rich in nutrients and limits the number of processed foods and added sugars. Sugars are often the cause of excess weight. The study says that the Mediterranean diet is as effective as any other weight-loss diet.
Benefits of the Mediterranean diet
- Various food.
- Suitable for long-term adherence. You have just a few restrictions on food. Everything else is similar to any standard daily nutrition.
- A lot of micronutrients. Various fruits and vegetables secure our body with all vitamins and minerals.
Other possible benefits: reduce your risk for heart disease, prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, help stave off and manage type 2 diabetes, help with rheumatoid arthritis, protective against cancer.
Main Cons of the Mediterranean diet
- You may have lower levels of iron. There are few sources of iron in the Mediterranean diet.
- You may have calcium loss from eating fewer dairy products.
- It may be more expensive to follow. Eating fish, vegetables, and olive oil all year round may be costly.
How to follow the Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet follows the following distribution of calories:
— Carbs: 50–60%
— Fats: 25–35%
— Protein: all the rest
In the Mediterranean diet, you can eat all the veggies, fruits, and nuts. You can eat whole grains, beans, and legumes here. Your primary source of protein is fish, but also you can eat eggs and some poultry. You should use extra virgin olive oil as your primary source of fats.
You should avoid red meat or eat it in small amounts. Cut as much as possible from your diet processed foods and sugar.
CONCLUSION
How to figure out which you should stay for better weight loss?
All weight-loss diets have one in common: calories deficit. Any diet you choose will require you to eat less than your body consumes, and you will lose weight.
You have to choose the diet that will be suitable personally for you. You should follow a diet that is easier for you for long-term adherence, and you’ll achieve what you want.
Thank you for reading.