6 Diets that Can Help You Lose Weight

Short of amputation, there is no “fast-track” to losing weight. It requires eating well, fitness dedication, and plenty of willpower. If weight-loss was simple, everyone would be looking great all the time.

Finding a diet can be tough, and it may seem like you’ve just gone through a workout to find one that works for you. You may ask friends, browse the internet, or hit up the local bookstore for suggestions.

The hard part about dieting is you want to make sure you’re losing weight at a natural, healthy pace. It does you no good to fast for five days, eating nothing but raw celery and a glass of water. Plus, you want to make sure you lose the weight and keep it off.

Below, we’re going to run through six diets which check all the right boxes. 

WW

WW, formerly Weight Watchers, is one of the proven diets out there that can help plenty of people lost weight. Recently, they went through a rebranding and that WW now stands for Wellness that Works. The rebranding has been rough, but let’s not digress.

Anyway…

WW is a system designed to award the participants with FitPoints. The idea is if you have the points for it, you can eat it. The program promotes healthy living instead of just strict dieting. You can download the app or partner it with what you already have on your phone to track your progress.

Low-Carb Diets

Even if you’re not familiar with dieting, you’ve probably heart of keto and the Atkins diet. These two diets build their base on the idea of limiting carbs across the board. 

Keto is the most restrictive out of these diets, becoming an extreme low-carb diet with around 10% of your calories coming from carbs.

You’ll be eating more protein and healthy fats. Protein is a key nutrient that not only helps build up muscle strength, but also improves your metabolism and helps limit your appetite.

But carbs are for energy, right? True, and keto counters that by forcing your body to rely on ketones, fatty acids that become your energy store.

Paleo

You may have heard paleo referred to as the “caveman” diet. The idea is that if a caveman didn’t have X food available, then he wouldn’t eat it. That means no grains, dairy, legumes, sugar, or anything that isn’t all natural. 

You’ll be eating lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, and snacking on nuts. Paleo often helps people reduce the amount of belly fat they have while losing weight.

The paleo diet is also quite popular amongst athletes, as many meals are packed with protein optimal for recovery and building up muscle mass. This isn’t for everyone, however, as some people may have a hard time adjusting to the lack of dairy products. 

The Mediterranean Diet

Lots of pizza and pasta, right? Well, not quite, but the Mediterranean diet is definitely the least restrictive of any on this list.

Similar to paleo, you’ll be eating tons of natural foods like fruits, veggies, lean meats, and fish. Unlike paleo though, the diet encourages whole-grain consumption and discourages eating red meat.

You’ll have more freedom in the kitchen to make some delicious food. Experts do agree though that this is one of the slower weight loss diets out there, so don’t change to this diet and expect to shed pounds immediately. 

The Pegan Diet

We’ll give you three guesses at what this diet combines. If you guessed paleo and vegan, then you win $10 million! Just kidding, please don’t email us asking for money.

The idea behind the diet is to load up on veggies for all their nutrients, like fiber and healthy fats, while combining the protein you’ll get from lean meats. Its founder Dr. Mark Hyman says, “Eat real, whole food.”

This diet does restrict grains and dairy just like paleo, but does allow a little leeway if you’re having a hard time cutting both out of your diet. The pegan diet closely resembles the Meditteranean diet without the consumption of grains.

Low-Fat Diets

Probably the most popular, general diet out there, low-fat diets have been around for decades. Instead of consuming fat, you’ll be relying more on carbs and protein to fill you up.

These diets are also the most-restricting when it comes to calorie intake, meaning you’ll likely be looking up just how many calories those two eggs you had for breakfast. 

Low-fat diets don’t come without their risks though, and relying on them for long periods of time can hurt your body as fat is a substance your body needs to survive.