The Most Effective Diets for Weight Loss: Principles, Myths, Top 5 Diets

There are countless opinions on the question of which diet is most effective for weight loss, proportional to the number of people, nutritionists, and Internet websites in the world who have successfully lost weight.This question is similar to which candy is the most delicious, which country is the best to live in, or whose mother is the most beautiful. . . occupy the hearts of children of all ages ; ).No, that doesn't mean the answer doesn't exist. This is a warning, it goes beyond the specific name of a single best diet that works for everyone.Even though the beginning is a bit vague, I guarantee you'll still find below which diets are the most effective for weight loss (we'll provide a list of the top 5 most effective diets), why there are many of them (and not just one), and all the "most effective diets"Good "common ground".We'll also tell you how today's most popular diets work, and why they're not always the most effective.

All diets are most effective. . .

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of diets.They are created by cultures (Japan, Brazil), personalities (Pierre Dukan), centered on individual products (pumpkin, kefir, eggs, rice, oatmeal, cottage cheese) or groups of products (protein diet), some of which you can eat almost anything (regular fasting), others where you eat nothing (fasting).guess what?The creators and proponents of these hundreds of diets are so different and so contradictory that they all claim that their diets are the most effective for weight loss.As an answer to the question posed in the title of this article, we can list all these diets and the results you will leave here, with the names of specific diets, the best and most effective, only depending on how convincing we are that we have described here. . .At the same time, I'm sure that few people are interested in hearing fairy tales about everything, or simply believing in something again. With "Eating That Works" each of us learns something very specific and concrete, narrowing down the list of hundreds of diets to a few units.

Categories of diet

According to their principles of action, all types of existing diets can be simplified into several groups:

• Draining fluids from the body with the help of medications;
• Remove water from the body by reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet;
• Restrict calories by eating the same foods and eliminating certain food groups entirely;
• Caloric restriction by reducing food intake;
• Limit calories by eating certain foods with a high satiety index;
• Activate fat burning by limiting eating times.

This is a very conditional classification, but it's a good illustration of how almost all diets work. They differ in the degree of possible health damage and how easy it is to follow them over time.Many of the diets considered most effective are often based on a combination of all of these factors, which can get you to lose weight as quickly as possible, but isn't always effective when it comes to maintaining health and long-term results.

The most effective weight loss diet is. . .

First, we need to make sure we speak the same language as each other.An effective diet can be understood as at least the following:

• Diet allowedLose weight quickly;
• diet to help lose weightNo harm to healthso thatThe weight has not come back;
• dietit just helps you lose weight, because many of them simply don't work for some people.

Which one are you here for?I foresee the answer will be – everyone. It's fast, harmless, and has long-lasting results.Then let's talk about everything in order.

How popular fake diets work

Different people have different understandings of the concept of "weight loss". For some, it's a decrease in the scale reading, for others, it's a decrease in body fat percentage.Do you feel any different?Weight loss during weight loss does not always occur due to fat: in many so-called effective diets for rapid weight loss, weight loss is due to the elimination of fluids from the body.These diets include: detox diets, using laxatives for weight loss, or diuretics (diuretics).They are very effective at changing scale readings quickly, but they doWhat is controlled is not the fat content in the body, but the water content.This may be acceptable for some people, but it is important to understand all such dietsDoes not give long-term results: Once the "diet" is stopped, the weight will quickly return.Additionally, adhering to this diet over the long term is fraught with risks.Causes very serious harm to health.

All of the most erroneous and effective quick weight loss diets are to control the amount of fluid in the body, not fat. None of them have long-term effects, and both are very dangerous to health.

On the "Super Effective" Diet Popularized by Fashion Stars

The most popular diets, named after show business stars from the Kremlin to Hollywood, share two characteristics:

• themVery strictly limit the number of product typesNutrition in diet;
• Their characteristics areVery low in carbohydrates.

How does it work? Very simple.On the one hand, severely limiting food types makes the task of counting calories easier; on the other hand, it reduces the likelihood of overeating, as the diet becomes monotonous.

Why do people gain weight quickly when they eat carbs, but lose weight quickly when they don't?

When we eat carbohydrates, levels of the hormone insulin increase in the blood, and its function is to transport energy (carbohydrates) into cells for use as energy.If energy needs are low, carbohydrates are stored short-term as glycogen in the liver and muscles. When these stores are full, excess carbohydrates are converted to fat and stored long-term as fat in a location familiar to everyone.

Why does weight loss occur rapidly after eliminating carbohydrates from the diet?

How many grams of liquid are combined with each gram of glycogen.If we reduce the amount of carbohydrates in our diet, the glycogen stores are quickly emptied (within a day), the water used to store glycogen is eliminated from the body, and weight is lost.

The vast majority of popular "super effective" diets that promise quick results are based on eliminating fluids from the body and severely limiting the foods allowed

The main principles of all correct and effective diets

Remember a simple rule: all based onreduce caloriesDieting is effective for weight loss.In fact, there are many such diets. Why? Because you can limit calories in a variety of ways, from inducing vomiting to accurately counting the calories in a dish on a scale, or severely limiting carbohydrates and fats in your diet.These substances are effective in the sense that they are not harmful to health and are easy to persist in the long term (ideally, throughout life) and include those that provide the nutrients needed to maintain health (vitamins and minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates) and satisfy hunger.

All of the most effective diets are based on caloric restriction. This is accomplished in a variety of ways, with varying degrees of health hazard.

Why is calorie counting so important?

Scientists say excess calories are the leading cause of obesity in our day and age. This is by no means a lack of physical activity, although modern people do start to exercise a lot less.See what researchers at Science Portal, whose mission is to study the effectiveness of various nutritional supplements and debunk popular myths in the topic of nutrition, say based on scientific research:"…Our weight is determined more by how many calories we eat each day (from carbs, protein, fat, and alcohol) than by exactly what we eat (nutrition ratios of fat, protein, and carbs).The only way is to eat a lot of caloriesAn explanation for today's obesity epidemic.A large number of scientific studies have proven that excessive calories in modern people's diet is the main cause of obesity.A large number of scientific articles have been written on this topic.There are many examples on the Internet of people relying on fast food, pizza, potatoes and other absolutely unhealthy foods to lose weight, which proves thatAll you need to do to start losing weight is eat less.So, the most important thing to learn is:

For weight loss, only the number of calories matters, but for health, exactly what we eat matters. All diets based on reducing caloric intake contribute to weight loss.

The most effective diet is one that works for you and is something you can stick to long-term.

The internet is filled with stories of successful weight loss on completely different diets. Some are hypocritical and some are honest.Some say the most effective way to lose weight is intermittent fasting, some say the ketogenic diet, and still others say the Dukan protein diet. someone shouted, to no avail. Not all diets are suitable for everyone, mainly because each person requires different efforts to stick to them due to their personal characteristics.For those who love to eat meat, it is very difficult to eat only vegetables, fruits and grains. But they will no doubt prefer Pierre Dukan's protein diet or the Kremlin diet, which are essentially the same thing.Those who don't want to change anything in their food basket can appreciate the benefits of intermittent fasting, which does not require drastic changes in diet but simply recommends eating at specific times.Well, those not bound by taste preferences can test out for themselves the benefits of the ketogenic diet, which is rumored to be one of the healthiest diets out there.At the same time, the ketogenic diet is not recommended for athletes and can be difficult for people who exercise regularly to adhere to because it almost completely eliminates carbohydrates, our body's main source of energy.so:

The best diet for you is one that works for you and that you can stick to long-term, preferably for life.

It is impossible to follow a diet that leads to a chronic state of hunger and stress for a long time.That's why after reaching the desired scale reading, it's common to return to your favorite eating habits and previous weight.Fat cells are very elastic. They do not die immediately when they lose weight, but simply shrink in size. Start feeding them - soon (and easily) they'll be back to "normal".To lose weight permanently, you need to change your eating habits forever.Only eating habits that are appropriate for the rest of your life can help with this.

To lose weight permanently, you need to permanently change your eating habits.

5 of the most effective weight loss diets

Therefore, the most effective diet is:

• Aim to reduce the percentage of body fat, not water;
• Restrict calories;
• Allow you to persist for a long time;
• Provides all the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

For weight loss, caloric restriction is important, and for health, the composition of food is also important.

The most effective weight loss diets limit the number of calories in the diet, reduce the percentage of body fat rather than water, and are not harmful to health.

Many popular diets are effective. Listed below are 5 of the best.

low carb diet

Most popular diets achieve calorie restriction by reducing carbohydrates. The most important of these are sugar and fructose, the overconsumption of which scientists believe is the main cause of obesity.Examples of low-carb diets:

• ketogenic diet– A high-fat, low-protein and very-low-carbohydrate diet;
• dEtta Atkins– A diet high in fat, high in protein and very low in carbohydrates;
• phosphorusalleo diet(hunter-gatherer diet or stone age diet) – high fat content, high protein content and low carbohydrate content;
• Pierre Dukan's Protein Diet– High protein (for meat lovers), low carb diet.
• intermittent fasting– In addition to limiting the amount of carbohydrates, limit the time you are allowed to eat (see below).

Why are low-carb diets so effective for weight loss?

Fats and proteins are digested more slowly than carbohydrates, so they providefuller feelinglonger.Almost all this kind of dietIt is recommended to eat foods with fewer calories, which contains more vegetable fiber and water: half a kilogram of broccoli contains fewer calories than half a kilogram of cereals, especially cakes; ).Carbs can cause overeating, and generally, you crave a lot of carbs (especially sweets).This is because their absorption is accompanied by certain hormonal changes in the body:

• They are involved in the synthesis of the so-called "happy hormone" serotonin in the brain, which stimulates appetite; this may be why we love sweets so much and eat chocolate to treat depression.
• They affect satiety and levels of hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin), which control appetite; regular consumption of carbohydrates (especially sugar and fructose) can create immunity to these hormones, leading to uncontrolled appetiteand overeating;
• After eating sweets, insulin levels in the blood rise sharply, and their job is to control blood sugar; when it's done its job, sugar levels drop sharply, which can also cause feelings of hunger.

Scientific research confirmslow carb dietIt's one of the most effective ways to lose weight because they make you want to eat less, consume fewer calories, and be less likely to overeat.

The list of the top 5 most effective diets includes a low carb diet. All of these are effective for weight loss because. . . restrict calories and prevent overeating

Intermittent fasting is one of the most effective diets

Many modern scientists call this intermittent fastingOne of the most effective diets not only for weight loss but also for health.Unlike traditional fasting, this doesn't require complete fasting, which can be difficult to endure and, as shown below, is far from the most effective weight loss strategy.Intermittent fasting is eating only at specific times within an 8-hour window of the day. Why? Because this allows you to maximize fat burning.In this diet, there are no strict restrictions on the allowed foods: only common foods in the form of simple carbohydrates harmful to weight loss are excluded, mainly sugar and fructose. This is an element of a low-carb diet.It's all simple, and the health benefits are huge.

Intermittent fasting is considered by many scientists to be one of the most effective weight loss diets.

Some common misconceptions about diet

Finally, let's take a look at some popular myths that are often seen as key to effective weight loss in many diets.

A balanced diet and a single diet (monodiet) pose different health risks

Although the benefits of a balanced diet are clear from a health perspective, eating protein, fat, and carbohydrates together (a balanced diet) or separately (separate diets or monocultures) does not increase the effectiveness of weight loss in any way.Let us reveal a secret: Even fast food, cakes, and candies, as long as you eat them carefully and adhere to the principle of calorie restriction, you can lose weight.The following statements apply to all single diets:"Any diet that promotes the complete elimination of any nutrient (protein, carbohydrate, or fat) is incorrect and can have serious health consequences if followed over the long term."

For weight loss, it's not particularly important whether proteins, fats, and carbohydrates enter your body in a balanced or separate form: their amounts do. However, from a health perspective, a single diet is more harmful to health.

Meal timing and frequency are not important for weight loss

For weight loss, only total caloric intake during the day matters.nature,Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help you better control your appetiteAnd avoid overeating after a long period of abstinence. But it's important that you see the same basic principles at the core - it's just one way to limit and control calories.If the daily calories are calculated to be 1, 500 calories, then for weight loss, it does not matter whether you eat it in one meal or in several meals.

About fasting: How effective is fasting for weight loss?

One of the popular weight loss diets is complete fasting or fasting.As an effective solution to the problem of excess weight, complete elimination of food seems quite logical.but it is not the truth.The problem is that fasting can causeinternal metabolic rate.According to scientific data, resting metabolism (the amount of energy used only to maintain the body's internal functions while at rest) accounts for the largest share of calories burned every day: about 70%. Lowering this value significantly reduces the rate of weight loss.The benefits of fasting for weight loss are a myth.If the state of starvation lasts for several days, the metabolic rate will drop very significantly.Weight loss during fasting is primarily due to a reduction in the amount of fluid in the body. Also during prolonged fastingMassive muscle loss, as the body begins to break down muscle protein in order to provide energy for its most important life functions.However, mild caloric restriction does not have such dramatic effects.

Fasting is very ineffective for weight loss because it reduces metabolic rate, which is the main consumer of calories in the body. Weight loss is primarily due to fluid excretion and loss of muscle mass.