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Exercise Daily – Every year, almost half of American adults seek to lose weight and look towards the best nutrition plan for weight loss.
Turning your calendar’s page to a new year is often viewed as a hint that it is time for a new beginning. After almost a year of lying in, stressing out, and overeating on baked goods and Netflix, most of us are looking forward to being healthy, staying safe, and losing all those quarantine pounds over the next 12 months.
However, when you begin exploring the most effective methods for weight loss, your mind can begin to swirl with the variety of “miracle” diets available out there—keto! Paleo! Fasting for five days! And, of course, many of these have an army of devoted followers who brag on Instagram and Snapchat about how great it feels to be carb/sugar/meat-free.
It’s always difficult to determine which one to try first. When starting a new diet, the most critical things to consider include the following:
- Is it healthy?
- Is it acceptable to eat such ingredients, including your favourites?
- Are you able to maintain this lifestyle when socializing with your families and dining out?
But you don’t have to worry about that anymore because this article will help you to choose the best nutrition plan for weight loss.
How to Choose the Best Nutrition Plan for Yourself?
Prior to deciding on a fitness or weight loss plan, it’s important to consider these factors while selecting the best diet plan for yourself:
Flexibility
A flexible diet does not eliminate particular foods or food classes but rather combines a selection of foods from all of the main food groups.
Vegetables and fruits, whole grains, low-fat milk products, lean protein types, nuts, and seeds all contribute to a balanced diet. A flexible plan enables you to partake in a periodic, reasonable indulgence if you like.
It should include items that are readily available in your neighbourhood grocery store and that you love eating. Besides that, the plan should exclude alcohol, sugary beverages, and high-sugar snacks since their calories do not provide sufficient nutrients.
Balance
Your diet should have a sufficient amount of nutrients and calories. Moreover, consuming excessive amounts of certain products, such as grapefruit or meat, dramatically reducing calories, or removing specific food types, such as carbohydrates, will result in nutritional deficiencies.
Good nutritional and balanced foods do not necessitate an overdose of vitamins or supplements. So, you should carefully choose the nutritional plan with proper consultation with your physician or dietitian.
We do not recommend you pick a nutritional plan on your own without consulting with your doctor or any dietitian.
Physical Activity
Physical exercise should be integrated into your diet plan. Exercise combined with a reduced-calorie intake will assist in accelerating weight loss.
Moreover, exercise also provides many health advantages, including countering body mass loss. Additionally, physical activities such as exercise are important for maintaining a weight loss nutritional plan.
So, you must keep all these factors in your mind while selecting the best nutrition plan for weight loss. Now, let’s have a detailed overview of our top 8 nutritional plans for weight loss.
The 8 Best Nutrition Plan for Weight Loss
There is no lack of suggestions available when it comes to weight loss. Magazines, books, and blogs all claim that you will shed as much weight as you want permanently by following diets that are low in fat or carbohydrates or that promote superfoods or special supplements.
With so many competing choices, how do you know which methodology could work for you? The following are the 8 best Nutrition Plan for Weight Loss you can select:
#1. Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a nutritional diet plan for weight loss that involves alternate cycles of fasting and eating.
How Intermittent Fasting Works
Intermittent fasting limits the amount of time you can eat, which is a straightforward way to lower your calorie consumption. This will result in weight loss — unless you compensate by consuming an excessive amount of food during permitted feeding hours.
Weight loss Effectiveness
The research found that intermittent fasting resulted in a 3–8% weight loss over 3–24 weeks, which is considerably more than other approaches.
Downsides
In general, intermittent fasting is safe for the majority of stable adults.
However, individuals that are vulnerable to blood sugar fluctuations, such as those with diabetes, hypoglycaemia, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, should consult a health provider before considering intermittent fasting.
#2. Low-carb diet
Low-carbohydrate diets are very effective for weight loss. The Atkins diet, the ketogenic (keto) diet, and the low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet are all examples of Low-Carb diets.
How Low-carb Diet Works
Low-carb diets limit carbohydrate use in place of protein and fat. They normally contain more protein than low-fat diets, which is beneficial because protein helps control appetite, boost metabolism, and maintain muscle mass.
Weight Loss Effectiveness
Several reports suggest that low-carbohydrate diets may help in weight loss and could be more beneficial than low-fat diets in general.
Low-carbohydrate diets can help reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Downsides
In certain circumstances, a low-carbohydrate diet can result in an increase in cholesterol levels. Additionally, very low-carbohydrate diets may be challenging to stick to and cause digestive distress in certain individuals.
#3. Plant-based diets (Vegetarianism and Veganism)
Plant-based diets help in losing weight to a great extent. The two common forms are vegetarianism and veganism, which prohibit the use of animal products for nutritional, ethical, and environmental reasons.
How Plant-based Diets Work
Vegetarianism is a broad term that includes a variety of practices, but the majority of vegetarianism involves abstaining from all forms of beef, poultry, and fish.
Veganism pushes this a step further by excluding all animal products and products made from animals, such as beef, gelatine, honey, whey, casein, and albumin.
Weight Loss Effectiveness
An analysis of 12 trials involving 1,151 participants discovered that those following a plant-based diet lost an average of 4.4 pounds (2 kg) more weight than those following an animal-based diet.
Downsides
Although plant-based diets can be deficient in some nutrients present in animal products, including iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.
#4. Paleo Diet
A Paleo diet is a nutritional plan focused on foods that were likely consumed during the Palaeolithic period, around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago.
How Paleo Diet Works
The paleo diet promotes the consumption of whole foods, including fruits and vegetables, lean meats, nuts, and seeds.
It prohibits the consumption of refined foods, grains, sugar, and dairy products, though some less restrictive forms permit the consumption of some dairy products such as cheese.
Weight Loss Effectiveness
In a three-week trial, 14 healthy adults who followed a paleo diet weighed an average of 5.1 pounds (2.3 kg) and cut their waist size by an average of 0.6 inches (1.5 cm)
Downsides
While the paleo diet is mostly balanced, it does exclude a number of nutritional food categories, including legumes, whole grains, and dairy.
#5. Mediterranean Diet
A Mediterranean diet combines the typical good lifestyle practices of people from countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, such as France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.
How Mediterranean Diet Works
The Mediterranean diet recommends consuming lots of fruits, vegetables, almonds, beans, legumes, tubers, whole grains, seafood, and extra virgin olive oil.
Poultry, milk, and dairy products can be consumed occasionally. Meanwhile, red meat consumption is limited.
Weight Loss Effectiveness
According to an analysis of 19 research, individuals who mixed the Mediterranean diet with exercise or dieting lost an average of 8.8 pounds (4 kg) more weight than those who followed a control diet.
Downsides
Since the Mediterranean diet is not exclusively a weight-loss diet, individuals who adopt it cannot lose weight until they also eat fewer calories.
#6. Low-Fat Diets
Low-fat diets, including low-carbohydrate diets, have been common for decades. In general, a low-fat diet limits fat consumption to 30% of daily calories.
How Low-Fat Diets Work
How it works: Low-fat diets limit fat consumption because fat contains about double the calories per gram than those of the other two macronutrients — protein and carbohydrates.
Ultra-low-fat diets contain less than 10% fat calories, with about 80% of calories derived from carbohydrates and 10% from protein.
Weight Loss Effectiveness
A review of 33 trials involving over 73,500 people discovered that adopting a low-fat diet resulted in minor but significant weight loss and waist size reduction.
Downsides
Excessive fat restriction can result in long-term health issues, as fat is needed for hormone production, nutrient uptake, and cell health.
#7. WW (Weight Watchers)
Previously known as Weight Watchers, this fitness company has been around for so long that it’s likely your Grandma did it while she was struggling to lose weight.
How WW (Weight Watchers) Works
WW is a point-based system in which various foods and drinks are assigned a weight based on their calorie, fat, and fibre content.
To maintain a healthy weight, you must adhere to your regular point allowance.
Weight Loss Effectiveness
Numerous trials demonstrate that the WW program might help in weight loss. For instance, an analysis of 45 studies discovered that those who adhered to the WW diet lost 2.6 percent more weight than those who obtained standard counselling.
Downsides
Although WW provides flexibility; however, depending on the subscription package, it can be expensive.
#8. DASH Diet
The term DASH is known as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet is a long-term solution to healthy eating that is intended to assist with the treatment or prevention of hypertension or high blood pressure.
How DASH Diet Works
The DASH diet works by consuming specific serving sizes of various food types. The amount of servings you are permitted to consume is determined by your total calorie consumption.
For instance, an average person following the DASH diet will consume approximately five servings of vegetables, five servings of fruit, seven servings of healthy carbs such as whole grains, two servings of low-fat dairy products, and two servings or less of lean meats every day.
Weight Loss Effectiveness
An analysis of 13 trials discovered that those on the DASH diet lose considerably more weight than those on a control diet over the course of 8–24 weeks.
Downsides
In people with heart disease, eating too little salt has been related to increased insulin resistance and an increased risk of death.
Best Nutrition Plan for Weight Loss – FAQs
What fats do you avoid while dieting?
Saturated fats are fats that contain a high concentration of saturated fatty acids, and it is recommended that you consume less than 10% of your calories from saturated fat.
Should You Drink Water Before Meals to Lose Weight?
Drinking water, particularly prior to meals, helps you feel full and satisfies your hunger. Research showed that adults drinking two cups of water lost more weight than those who did not before each meal.
Should You Skip Dinner If You Eat Too Much in Lunch?
Never! If you try to lose weight, do not miss meals. You will be hungry later and more likely to raid the refrigerator or chew on junk.
Should You Avoid Foods Containing Sugar?
Sugar can be a stumbling block to a balanced diet, tasting so good in a range of foods and sometimes hidden in foods you would not expect. Additionally, it is important to distinguish between normal and added sugars when it comes to a balanced diet.
Conclusion
The industry of weight loss is full of myths. People are sometimes told to do all kinds of insane acts, many of which have no evidence. I hope you don’t want to be among those people doing unnecessary things to lose weight.
For that reason, we have selected and devised some of the best nutrition plans for weight loss. Each dietary plan includes its working mechanism and its downsides. So, we recommend you read the dietary plan carefully before opting for it.
If you want to know how good nutrition helps in losing weight, then check out this article as well: How Does Good Nutrition Relate To Exercise
Moreover, if you are someone new to dieting or nutritional plans, then we would recommend you to first consult your doctor or dietitian before you pick any dietary plan.
