How is the time to set new goals for the year, and if weight loss is one of them, you should know that abs are made in the kitchen. Diet plays a crucial role in your weight loss journey. Here is a beginners’ guide to the most popular diets which can help you lose weight. Before you pick any diet, it is always advisable to consult with qualified dieticians to make sure it does not collide with any of your health conditions.
The Paleo Diet
The paleo diet is based on foods which were consumed by our ancestors at least 10,000 years ago. A paleo diet typically includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds - foods that in the past could be obtained by hunting and gathering. This diet eliminates foods which became common and popular after the farming concept emerged. In general, paleo diets allow fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, lean meats (especially grass-fed animals or wild game), fish (especially those rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel and albacore tuna) and oils from fruit and nuts, such as olive oil or walnut oil. The diet avoids grains, such as wheat, oats and barley, legumes, such as beans, lentils, peanuts and peas, dairy products, refined sugar, salt, potatoes and highly processed foods in general. The diet helps in losing weight, improving glucose tolerance, controlling blood pressure, and managing appetite levels.
The Vegan Diet
With major celebrities from Hollywood to sports starts becoming vegan for life, the trend seems to have become popular among many across the globe. The vegan diet is considered to be ethical and good for the environment and health. The diet is based purely on plant based food and excludes all animal products, including meat, eggs and dairy. Vegan diets seem very effective at helping people naturally reduce the amount of calories they eat, resulting in weight loss.
Keto Diet
Keto diet is a low carb and high-fat diet. The diet drastically reduces the carb consumption and replaces it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, a state that enables the body to burn fat for energy. Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. The diet allows meat, fatty fish, eggs, butter and cream, cheese, nuts and seeds, healthy oils such as olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil; avocados, low-carb vegetables such as greens, tomatoes, onions, peppers; and condiments such as salt, pepper and spices. The diet avoids sugary foods, grains, fruit, beans, legumes, root vegetables, low fat diet products, sauces, unhealthy fats, alcohol and sugar free diet foods.
The Dukan Diet
The diet is suitable to those who want to shed a few kilos quickly without hunger. The Dukan diet starts by calculating your goal weight-called your "true" weight - based on your age, weight loss history, and other factors. These are the four phases of the Dukan diet. The first one is the attack phase (1 to 7 days) when you start the diet by eating unlimited lean protein plus 1 and a half tablespoons of oat bran per day. The second phase is called the cruise phase (1 to 12 months) when you alternate lean protein one day with lean protein and non-starchy vegetables, plus 2 tablespoons of oat bran every day. The third and fourth phases are for weight maintenance. The third phase, known as the consolidation phase, allows eating unlimited lean protein and vegetables, some carbs and fats, one day of lean protein weekly, 2 and a half tablespoons of oat bran daily; and the fourth phase, the stabilisation phase follows the consolidation phase guidelines but loosens the rules as long as your weight remains stable. Oat bran is increased to 3 tablespoons per day.
The Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a low-carb diet, usually recommended for weight loss. The diet advisors claim that you can lose weight while eating as much protein and fat as you want, as long as you avoid foods high in carbs. The main dietary focus of the Atkins diet is eating the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats for optimal weight loss and health. According to the Atkins diet, obesity and related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, are the fault of the typical low-fat, high-carbohydrate American diet. The Atkins diet says that you don't need to avoid fatty cuts of meat or trim off excess fat. Rather, controlling carbs is what's important.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesn’t specify which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them. It’s not a diet in the conventional sense but more accurately described as an eating pattern. Common intermittent fasting methods involve daily 16-hour fasts or fasting for 24 hours, twice per week. Fasting has been a practice throughout human evolution. Ancient hunter-gatherers didn't have supermarkets, refrigerators or food available all year round. Sometimes they couldn't find anything to eat. As a result, humans evolved to be able to function without food for extended periods of time. The proponents of this diet say that fasting from time to time is more natural than always eating 3 to 4 (or more) meals per day.
TLC Diet
The TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) diet was created by the National Institute of Health’s National Cholesterol Education Program with the goal of cutting cholesterol as part of a heart-healthy eating regimen. On the TLC diet, you'll be eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, fish and skin-off poultry.
The Zone Diet
The Zone Diet instructs its followers to stick to eating a specific ratio of 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. As part of the diet, carbs should have a low glycemic index, which means they provide a slow release of sugar into the blood to keep you fuller for longer. Protein should be lean and fat should be mostly monounsaturated. The diet helps you lose fat at the fastest rate possible, slow down aging, reduce your risk of chronic disease and improve your performance. A main meal such as breakfast, lunch or dinner contains three to five zone blocks, while a snack always contains one zone block. Each zone block is made of a protein block, a fat block and a carb block.
• Protein block contains 7 grams of protein.
• Carb block contains 9 grams of carbs.
• Fat block contains 1.5 grams of fat.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods that people used to eat in countries like Italy and Greece back in 1960. Researchers noted that these people were exceptionally healthy and had a low risk of many lifestyle diseases. Numerous studies have now shown that the Mediterranean diet can cause weight loss and help prevent heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes and premature death. One can eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, breads, herbs, spices, fish, seafood and extra virgin olive oil. Poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt should be eaten in moderation. The diet strongly avoids sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, processed meat, refined grains, refined oils and other highly processed foods.
The GM Diet
The GM diet plan is broken up into seven days, each with strict rules about which food groups you can consume. The diet can supposedly help you lose up to 6.8kg in just one week, get rid of toxins and impurities in your body, improve your digestion and enhance your body's ability to burn fat. Day one includes eating any fruit except bananas, day two includes vegetables in raw or cooked form except potatoes, day three includes eating fruit and vegetable except banana and potato, day four you can consume only 6 to 8 bananas and 3 glasses of skimmed milk, on day five, eat two 284g portions of beef, chicken or fish, and
6 whole tomatoes, vegetarians may replace meat with either brown rice or cottage cheese.
Day six, you can eat only two 284g portions of beef, chicken or fish, unlimited vegetables except potatoes. Vegetarians can replace meat with cottage cheese or brown rice. On day seven, eat only brown rice, fruit, fruit juice and vegetables.