Diet Plans for Weight Loss: A Beginners' Guide
"Dieting is just for weight loss"- MYTH ALERT! Many of us have the connotation of diet plans, mostly because of the new fitness buzz on social media that only includes intermittent fasting, exercising, eating fruits and veggies, and maybe the so-called packaged "diet food". Unfortunately, all of the above facts are only the partial truth. A diet plan is your daily food chart that includes a proper balance of all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Diet is a scheduled meal to maintain your metabolism and regulate your body functions. Few people also go on a liquid diet that only includes juices, smoothies, and nutritious drinks for weight loss. A diet plan can never be static; it is tailored to every individual according to their body type and health requirements. Therefore, a diet can be considered a bespoke template to control your unnecessary junk cravings and practice a healthy lifestyle that boosts your optimal health and wellbeing.
What is a good diet plan?
Eating tasteless food and torturing your taste palette is not what you call a good diet plan. A well-planned diet plan involves a nutritious three-course meal and healthy munching every two hours. A good diet plan consists of
- Veggies
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Fat-free or low-calorie food
- Lean meats
- Poultry
- Fish
- Eggs
- Nuts
Ensure you limit trans and saturated fat, carbohydrate, sodium, and added sugar.
9 types of diet for weight loss:
Mediterranean Diet:
This diet has been considered one of the most convenient and natural ways to lose weight. It is a traditional diet plan curated according to the eating habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea (countries like Greece and Italy). This diet includes high consumption of fruits, green vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, nuts, fish, and lentils. You can also eat poultry meat, egg, red meat, and dairy products but in a moderate amount.
Things to avoid:
- Processed food
- refined grains
- trans fats
- processed meats
- added sugar
Benefits:
- Reduce the risk of chronic disease
- Improves heart health
- Boost overall wellbeing
- A low-carb diet; aids weight loss
- Combat inflammation
DASH Diet:
DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is tailored to deal with high blood pressure that leads to hypertension. According to some experts, stress-eating in obesity can lead to hypertension. This diet emphasizes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. In addition, this diet is low in salt, sugar, fat, and red meats.
This diet includes a specific number of servings in every food group:
- 5 servings of vegetables
- 5 servings of fruit
- 7 servings of healthy carbs
- 2 servings of low-fat dairy
- 2 servings of lean meat
Benefits:
- Reduces blood pressure level
- Prevents breast and colorectal cancer
- Decrease body fat percentage
- Improves muscle strength
Plant-based diet:
This diet is strictly routed for vegans who only eat and use plant-based products. In addition, this diet restricts eating all animal-based food, even dairy products. This diet originated mainly for animal and environmental welfare. The principles of this diet include:
- plant-based protein
- fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds
- starch-based food
- least processed plant-based meat
- limited sugar and sweets
Benefits:
- A sustainable diet plan
- Prevents chronic disease
- Improves metabolism and digestion
- Decreases blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
- Boosts weight loss
The MIND Diet:
This stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet that combines the eating patterns of the Mediterranean and DASH diet. It primarily focuses on your brain health. It doesn't have a strict meal plan but encourages you to eat 10 nutritious foods to boost brain health.
Per week:
- 6 servings of leafy vegetables
- 1 serving of non-starchy vegetable
- 5 serving of nuts
Other foods:
- Berries
- Fish
- Olive oil
- Whole grain
- Beans
- Poultry
Health benefits:
- Prevents Alzheimer's
- Improves cognition
- Delay the onset of movement disorders like Parkinson's disease
Things to avoid in this diet:
- Butter
- Cheese
- Sweets
- Fried food
- Red meat
WW (Weight Watchers) Diet:
It is one of the most popular diets worldwide. This diet is a watchdog of your calorie intake. Some people also include weight loss supplements like weight loss tablets, pills, drinks and fat burners in this diet. But make sure you are using a plant-based product with no side effects. Healthvit's keto fat is enriched with the goodness of garcinia, green tea, and green coffee. This fat burner for men and women is toxic and paraben-free.
Benefits:
- Maintain a healthy weight for a longer time
- A favourite to bodybuilders
- Proper for people who have food allergies
Low carb diet:
Low carb diets restrict your carb intake in favour of protein and fat. They’re typically higher in protein than low-fat diets, essential as protein can help curb your appetite, raise your metabolism, and conserve muscle mass. In very low-carb diets like keto, your body begins using fatty acids rather than carbs for energy by converting them into ketones. This process is called ketosis.
Benefits:
- Prevents heart diseases
- Regulates blood sugar level
- Aids weight loss
Some diet mistakes that you need to avoid:
- Relying on a crash diet
- Consuming too much weight loss pills
- Skipping breakfast
- Not snacking for too long
- Loading up on low-fat
- Drinking inadequate water
- Setting unrealistic goals