Choosing the right diet for yourself is not an easy thing to do. Each body and metabolism are different, and what works for someone else, might not be effective for you. Try one of the following 9 weight loss diets, which are backed up by science.
1. The Zone Diet
This diet is based on the food with a low Glycemic index. The GI refers to how fast the blood glucose levels increase after consumption of certain food. Most of the processed food has a high GI, but there is some food consider as healthy with an also high GI (potatoes, rice, bananas).
Every meal within the Zone diet includes 1/3 protein, 2/3 colorful veggies and fruits, and a healthy fat such as olive oil, avocado, or almonds. Carbs are limited to 35–45% of daily calories, fats to 30%, and protein 30%.
Benefits of the diet regarding the weight loss are inconsistent, since in some cases the Zone diet helps, while for others it doesn’t work. However, this diet reduces the risk factor for heart disease, lower cholesterol, and triglycerides, improves blood sugar level, and helps in type 2 diabetes.
Cons: reduction in the consumption of some very healthy carbs.
2. The Dukan Diet
Separated into 4 phases, the Dukan diet is a combination of high-protein and low-carb foods which leads to a weight loss. The crucial thing is to spend a certain time in every phase: two weight loss and two maintenance phases. Every phase allows specific food, in specific amounts, to be used.
The study based on the 100grams of protein and 1000 calories per way (for women) lead to an average weight loss of 15kg933 pounds) in just 8-10 weeks.
Not many benefits are recorded from the Dukan diet except faster metabolism, weight loss, lower level of the hunger hormone ghrelin, and increased fullness hormones.
When it comes to the downside, severe calorie restriction may cause extreme muscle loss. Therefore, you might start feeling tired and without energy, and gain lost weight very fast.
source: everydayhealth.com
3. The Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is widely known as a very effective diet for weight loss. The diet is based on the lower consumption of the carbs, and eating unlimited amounts of protein and fat. This basically leads to a reduced hunger the appetite.
The Atkins diet has 4 phases:
Induction phase, 2 weeks – 20 grams of carbs per day allowed
Other phases – a slow increase of healthy carbs
This diet helps getting rid of the belly fat quickly, reduce several risk factors for disease (cholesterol, insulin, blood triglycerides, blood pressure), improve “good” HDL cholesterol and other health factors.
This diet works for most people, however, it can cause problems for some.
4. The Vegan Diet
Being a vegan refers to the restriction of all products produced and gain from animals, including the product tested on them. Therefore, Vegan diet excludes from everyday use all of these products, and it basically a plant-based diet.
The main benefit of the Vegan diet is weight loss since the diet is based on calorie reduction. This diet is great prevention against diabetes type 2, premature death and heart disease.
The disadvantage of the Vegan diet: Eliminating meat and other animal foods, may lead in lack of important nutrients such as iron, zinc, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and D, etc.
5. The HCG Diet
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) diet focus on increasing metabolism, without inducing hunger. It is a type of extreme weight loss diet and can reduce up to 1kg per day.
The HCG diet has 3 phases:
1)Start taking HCG supplements
2)500calroires per day allowed + HCG supplements
3)A slow increase in food intake, stop taking HCG
Studies have shown that there are not many benefits from this diet, except the weight loss. Downsides are multiple: muscle loss, side effects such as depression, headaches, and fatigue. It is very dangerous and not recommended.
6. The Paleo Diet
Based on the reduction of processed food, the Paleo diet focuses on the food our ancestors ate a long time ago, even before human developed agriculture. The point of this diet is to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole foods, nuts, lean protein, and seeds. Excluding unhealthy food such as grains, sugar, processed and dairy products are necessary for reaching the overall health of the body.
Following the paleo diet leads to significant weight loss, since the person increases the level of protein and decrease the level of carbs and calories. This serves as prevention of problems with blood sugar level, blood pleasure, heart disease, bad cholesterol, etc. A lack of the Paleo diet is the facts that eliminate legumes, whole grains, and dairy, who are nutritious and healthy.
source: dietdoctor.com
7. Intermittent Fasting
This diet focus on when you eat, instead of what you eat – eliminates the breakfast and limits the eating period to 8 hours, while you are fasting for the rest 16 hours.
Within the Intermittent fasting, several methods have been developed:
The 16/8 method,
The eat-stop-eat method,
The 5:2 diet,
The Warrior Diet.
Studies showed that this type of diet helps in weight loss in most of the cases. In 3-24 weeks, it has been recorded a weight loss of 3-8%.
Pros: weight loss, increased metabolic rate, HGH, improved insulin sensitivity and cellular repair, reduced cholesterol, blood sugar, and triglycerides, etc.
Cons: It might not suit every person.
8. The Ultra-Low-Fat Diet
Several studies showed this diet is ineffective in long terms. The Ultra-Low-Fat diet is based on the low consumption of fat, less than 10% of daily calories.
Although the diet is mostly plant-based, which has its benefits, high limitation of animal products is one more lack. This means that the carbs included in the Ultra-Low-Fat diet are around 80% of daily calories, and the protein around 10% of calories.
There are a few benefits of this diet: slower the progression of multiple sclerosis, improve several risk factors for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, etc. The same time, high restriction of the fat may cause long-term problems, such as helping your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, or helping build cell membranes and hormones.
9. Low-Carb Diets
This diet is one of the most popular since the weight loss is extreme and the results are visible quickly. If you want your belly fat to melt quickly, the Low-Carb diet is a good choice.
Reducing the level of carbs in your meals will force your body to use its own sources of fat to fulfill daily needs for energy. The good side of the diet is increased consumption of proteins and fruits and vegetables. It can help in decreasing the cholesterol level, as well as the blood sugar and insulin level, blood pressure, triglycerides, etc.
Although this diet can help lose extra weight very fast, it might increase “bad” LDL cholesterol, and ketoacidosis.