Photo: Pexels
With summer around the corner and people jostle to get their summer bodies into gear. We look at some popular diets to get you into shape.
Photo: Pexels
Which diet is the right diet for you? There are so many options out there to choose from but which one is going to get your results?
We look at the most popular diets, how they work and some of the pros and cons behind them.
Note: The information below does not constitute medical advice. And, should you wish to make a drastic lifestyle change, it is vital to first discuss such decisions with an accredited and trusted medical professional.
Before comparing and contrasting these different diets we need to establish that the common factor amongst them which leads to their success is that they put you in a calorie deficit.
To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume.
The success of a particular diet boils down to your adherance to the plan, constancy and a healthy exercise routine.
The ketogenic diet is a low carb, high-fat diet. This means that five per cent of your diets is carbohydrates, 20% is protein and 75% is fat.
When putting together a ketogenic meal, you would aim for almost zero carbs with a goal of ten to 15 grams of carbs a day.
That’s about 15 grapes a day.
The goal of a ketogenic diet is to get your body into ketosis. This is when your body begins burning fat for energy.
The paleo diet is based on our ancestors’ way of eating.
This would be the diet of our hunter-gather ancestors which consisted of things they found in their immediate environments such as fruit, nuts, meat, seeds and vegetables.
All processed foods are restricted and grains, legumes and dairy are eliminated from your diet as well.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is the practice of occasionally going for extended periods without eating.
There are various protocols but the most popular is the 16/8 hour window.
This refers to your eating and fasting window. The time from your last meal at night until your first meal the next day is your “fasting” interval. And the time from your first meal of the day until your last meal is your feeding interval.
Low carb diets have been popular for ages, long before the high fat craze hit and rendered them outdated.
On low carb diets, you aim to restrict your fat intake to 30% of your daily calories.
Fat provides about twice the amount of calories that protein and carbs thus cutting down the total number of calories you consume and putting your body in a calorie deficit.
Like the name suggests this diet requires that you eliminate all plant foods from your meals and exclusively eat meat, fish, eggs, and small amounts of low-lactose dairy products.
There is an emphasis on eating fatty cuts of meat as a means to reach your calorie needs but there are no specific guidelines regarding calorie intake, serving sizes, or how many meals or snacks to eat per day.
As with any diet, your success lies in your ability to remain consistant with the plan.
All the diets listed above have been shown to be effective for weight loss but if you cannot make it a part of your lifestyle, it will most likely be ineffective.