If going on a diet is one of your New Year's Resolutions (like it is for many of us!), you're probably wondering which of the many options out there is right for you. Cutting carbs? Reducing sugar? Going Paleo?
Wonder no more. We'll break down the pros and cons of some popular diets to help you find the healthiest way to lose weight.
Good to know
But first, let's discuss a few important things about diets in general. Number one: Weight loss is commonly followed by rapid weight gain. In fact, rapid weight loss often means losing lean muscle, and when you start gaining weight again it's often pure excess, as opposed to restoring that muscle. So you can actually end up heavier than your starting weight.
Also, some diets may claim to speed up metabolism, but current science doesn't indicate that such a thing really happens. So whatever the details of a particular diet, what you're really getting out of it is a set of "food rules" that help you eat fewer calories overall. In general, the best way to do that is to go slow and steady — losing no more than two pounds a week.
But the question still remains: What are the best "food rules"? Let's find out.
Low-carb diets
The Atkins diet is one famous example, but the premise of every low-carb diet is this: Eating fewer carbohydrates in favor of protein and fat will trigger your body to access fat stores and burn more calories. Many advocates also believe that eating more protein improves satiety (a fancy word for "feeling full"). The Paleo diet is another one that restricts carbs, by eliminating grains and refined sugar (as well as other foods not available to humans during the Paleolithic era).
So are low-carb diets effective?
Well, when compared to a more moderate approach — such as the Mediterranean diet, explained below — initial weight loss is often higher. But remember: Weight loss is ideally a slow and steady process. And over the course of a year, people on a more moderate weight loss plan tend to lose the same amount of weight as people on a low-carb plan. What's more, people on a moderate plan retain more muscle mass and report better mood states.
Take-home: Some people may find low-carb diets helpful, because they restrict one macronutrient, which can be easier than counting calories for every item in every meal. But on a more moderate meal plan that incorporates high-quality carbohydrates, you can lose the same amount of weight — in a way that is healthier overall.
Glycemic index diets
What's the glycemic index (GI)? It's a scale from 0 to 100 that measures how much and how rapidly a food will raise your blood sugar. Foods like brown rice, lentils and non-starchy vegetables have values closer to zero, while foods like white bread and other refined carbohydrates have values close to 100. Foods with a high GI result in blood sugar spikes, which are not ideal: The blood sugar roller coaster may result in overconsuming calories, and studies have also found an association between eating lots of high-glycemic foods and increased risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
So a diet that focuses on low-GI foods is a good one, right?
Unfortunately, the glycemic index doesn't tell the whole story. The number is affected by lots of things, including how a food is processed (al dente pasta has a lower GI than well-cooked) and the amount of fat and protein it contains. Whole milk, for example, has a low glycemic index but is still high in calories — which isn't necessarily helpful if you're trying to lose weight. So while a low-GI diet is good for maintaining steady blood sugar levels, the results in achieving weight loss have been mixed.
Take-home: Watching the glycemic index may be beneficial as part of a bigger weight loss solution that also pays attention to portion sizes. With an emphasis on whole foods (including non-starchy vegetables), this more moderate approach can result in safe weight loss and can reduce the risk of chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes.
Mediterranean diet
We'll just come out and say it: This is your best choice. The Mediterranean diet focuses on whole foods and is primarily plant-based. It emphasizes lots of fruits and vegetables, whole-grain sources of carbohydrate, healthy fats and high-quality lean protein. Fish is encouraged two times per week, and red meat and refined carbohydrates are limited. The emphasis on vegetables, fruits and whole grains naturally favors foods with a low glycemic index — without worrying about remembering any numbers.
Fat is one of the biggest differences between this diet and others. The American Heart Association says that fat should account for less than 30 percent of total calories, and the Mediterranean usually goes a bit beyond that — 35 to 40 percent of total calories. The emphasis, though, is on unsaturated fats from foods such as olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish. These particular fats are thought to offer many health benefits, including protecting the heart and helping brain function.
When it comes to weight loss, studies have shown the Mediterranean diet to be successful — in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity . This holistic approach is ideal for losing and maintaining weight, as well as for lowering the risk of chronic disease.
Take-home: The Mediterranean diet is one of the top picks for safe weight loss and improved health. There are many websites and cookbooks available to help anyone interested in this approach.
Heather Snively, MS, RD, is a nutrition and wellness manager at Guckenheimer, an on-site corporate restaurant management and catering company. She received her Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Washington in 2011. Heather is passionate about helping others determine the best way to enjoy food and stay healthy. Her food philosophy is simple: moderation in all things, except for vegetables—eat all the vegetables you like.