This actually makes it impossible to say there is one diet that tops all others. Is then any objective way to single out one? There is. By looking at the health factor, the variety of nutrients, the restrictions, the ease/simplicity and the taste factor, one can claim objectively that certain diets are superior to others.
What is your goal?
You or anyone else will e unable to tell which is the most successful diet unless you are 100% clear about your goal. Make sure you know what that is. Are you overweight and would love to shed some of the excessive fat? Are you looking to build more lean mass by developing your muscles?
What is your starting weight? When you are very heavy, fat loss may not appear significant, while the same amount would look impressive if you are starting with a smaller frame. How quickly do you need to lose weight? Is it for your health or for a specific event?
The very easy 1200 Calorie diet
Calorie restriction is the key to losing weight and there is no way around it. The idea is to consume less than what your body is using to make its energy. Still, going too low will out you at serious risk.
However, 1200 calories certainly won’t leave you deprived. Besides, you’ll be eating good, tasty, fulfilling foods. That will control your hunger effectively. Thus, you may get to lose 15 pounds in 5 weeks. Here’s what the diet looks like. Below we are going to reveal the ingredients that you can use as desired:
- low-fat cream cheese, cottage cheese
- rye bread, English muffins, wholewheat bread, rolled oats
- brown rice
- salmon
- whole eggs
- turkey
- lettuce, Romaine lettuce, celery, spinach, all sorts of greens, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers
- potatoes, gnocchi
- tofu
- low-fat milk
- butternut squash
- fruit: apples, lemon, grapes (careful about these – don’t eat too much, they have a high sugar content), oranges, avocado, bananas
- no more than 2 teaspoon a day of marmalade, jam or nut butters
- black beans, lentils
- almond butter, tzatziki sauce
You may have noticed that some of these are rich in water and fiber, while others have a high nutritional value and will keep you satisfied. The 1300 calorie diet lets you eat almost anything you like, as long as you have protein, carbs and fats with every meal and you make these low-calorie.
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Diets based on food intolerance
Even foods considered as healthy can do harm to certain individuals. Perhaps the best known example is that of gluten. This does not refer to a quick, almost immediate reaction, such as in the case of allergies. Food intolerance is usually delayed and very often silent, without any obvious symptoms. Any food intolerance affects the microbiome in the intestine, leading to chronic inflammation and leaky gut syndrome.
Many autoimmune disorders develop from here. Not only that, but it is also a cause of accumulating much unwanted weight, as you no longer have control over your digestion. Women could find the solution for health and a lean silhouette if they stop eating the foods that upset their body.
Not everyone is the same, therefore it is important to do some test or simply to observe the effects of avoiding a specific food for a given time. Most commonly, people experience an intolerance to gluten, soy, dairy, peanuts, eggs and artificial sweeteners.
Their presence in the diet leads to inflammation, poor digestion and weight gain. There is a simple protocol to do a ‘detox’ on your own and heal. Identify the food that troubles you and avoid it completely for 3 to 4 weeks (28 days at maximum). You will notice weight loss, as well as diminished inflammation and fewer bad symptoms in general (which can be related to your mood, hormones etc.).
While you are doing this, you can help yourself with detoxifying agents that will speed up the process: lemon, cabbage, broccoli, avocado and various herbal teas for this purpose. Designing your diet based on your food intolerance (if you do have one) can be the best measure you take to improve your health.
Low Carb, Low Fat
It is well known that anyone interested in developing muscle should focus on protein (regardless of its source). This is also valid for weight loss, because developing muscular tissue melts more fat away. Protein feeds the muscles, while the fats and carbs generate adipose tissue. Carbohydrates in excess are turned to lipids and stored.
Eating less foods containing these is a sensible measure to avoid gaining additional weight. The recommendations are varied and, in any case, you should never eliminate neither carbs, nor fats, as these are vital. Any sort of nutritional deficiency should be avoided. Women, however, tend to consume loads of carbs each day. They get stressed out, their hormones are fluctuating, stirring loads of emotional states.
They ‘medicate’ with comfort foods, such as chocolate, ice cream, pastries etc., all filled up with carbs and fats. No wonder it’s so easy to become fat. By cutting these two macronutrients (not eliminating!), one can start eating more protein, as well as foods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and water (vegetables, fruit). Aim for almost 50 grams of protein each day. Here are the main foods to eat:
- dairy
- beans
- fish
- lean meats (skinless, low fat)
- starchy vegetables
- whole grains
What to avoid:
- starches and starchy vegetables
- sugar
- processed foods
- white flour, white rice
- sugary beverages
While these were the recommendations for a low-carb diet, low-fat is more simple. Just avoid oils and lipids in large qantities. This means fewer fried foods, no whole milk or fat cream and cheese (most types of cheese have a high fat content, unless labeled otherwise), less oil in salads, dressings and sauce.
If you cannot do both low-carb and low-fat, then start with only one. It is thus going to be easier.
The ketogenic diet
This is a diet that is recommended to women over 40, especially to those going through menopause, when fat accumulation becomes the norm. It refers to eating foods that may be high in fats but low in carbs. As it’s been said many times, not all fats are bad. It is in fact vital to have enough of these in our daily meals. Brain functioning is based on fat and so is hormone and enzyme production.
The ketogenic diet thus positively affects important hormones – insulin and estrogen, thus improving the quality of life significantly. It can certainly get one rid of many unpleasant menopause symptoms, such as bad moods and hot flashes. If you hear out there that the ketogenic diet is acidic, do not be afraid. It only causes the urine to be so, not the blood. However, you are in control and you can make the necessary changes by adding more alkaline foods (like cruciferous greens or citrus fruits).
It is also important to refrain from eating chocolate and from drinking caffeinated beverages and alcohol (wine included), as these have negative effects on female hormones during menopause. It is enough to do this temporarily, improvements are normally quick to show. The ketogenic diet asks us to make a mental shift – to let go of the conviction that all fat is bad and, well, fattening. It isn’t so.
The body uses that in countless processes. Plus, it’s an enjoyable diet since you’re allowed to eat so many tasty and fulfilling foods (due to the fat content). It isn’t as outrageous as it may sound, though; you still need to focus on healthy and unprocessed lipids like those in avocado, olive oil, nuts or seeds. Do not think of cheeseburgers, deep fried foods and cakes. If your symptoms are really bad, you may want to test for food intolerance, as their effects could be making your health a lot worse.
Diet must-haves
there are rules that must be followed at all times and especially when you need a diet to be successful. Regardless of the plan you eventually choose and the way you customize it according to your needs, you should always follow the guidelines below:
- Drink plenty of water. It may be counter-intuitive, but water helps you stay slim. It flushed out the toxins and balances your every system and process.
- Prefer fresh, natural foods over processed ones. You know what you’re getting, no hidden ingredients to make you fat. Simple food is your best friend here.
- Choose more plant-based foods than animal ones, these are quicker to digest and more effective. Plus, they’re beneficial to maintaining bone and muscle density and volume.
- Cook more at home, eat less at restaurants.
- Have at least a few cups of tea (green or black), to speed up your metabolism and give you more energy. Coffee can accomplish that too, although it is a bit of a controversial topic.
- If you don’t like to eat your vegetables, drink them. Simply use a blender and make a smoothie. You can flavor it with spices like ginger or with lemon juice, to make it tasty and refreshing. Add some honey or stevia for sweetness. Cream soup is another way to make your vegetables ‘drinkable’.
- Replace the foods you eliminate with their healthier counterparts. For example, if your diets asks you to remove white, processed rice, you can opt instead for the brown, wholegrain variety. If you must avoid deep fried foods, control your craving for fats by eating avocado or using olive oil in salads.
- Eat smaller meals more often. It’s best to have several small, snack-like meals throughout the day and speed up the metabolism than to eat once or twice, favoring large quantities and lipid storage.
- Don’t skip breakfast.
- Manage your stress levels. People react differently to stress, it’s true, but the most common reaction is to store fat. Besides, it’s what makes one crave sugar more than is actually needed. Stress is a big culprit in the whole weight issue, so do your best to diminish it.
Why it’s important to eat correctly ?
Opting for a simply restrictive diet is not a good idea. You need to take a good look at ingredient variety. Many diets just tell you to remove some foods completely: for example sweets or all carbohydrates. These, however, are vital to our body’s functioning. Our brain begins to stutter and our muscles are powerless without carbs. That is not how healthy weight loss works.
Instead, opt for variety and do not eliminate any food group from your kitchen. When you eat the right foods, you get all the necessary nutrients on a constant basis. Not only that it feeds your body, but it also lets it produce its hormones as designed. Often, excessive weight is a sign of imbalanced hormones and can e fixed if you work on their levels.
The safest and surest way is through food and natural supplements, not through harsh medications or products containing actual hormones. The right type of food at the right time will provide the body with what it needs to stay stimulated and fabricate its own hormones, as it should.
Final tip
Your mind can make or break your diet. It is often the key to successful dieting. Stop seeing your meals as fattening or evil. Food is great – it is a blessing and a reason for celebration. Have a positive mindset whenever you sit down at the table and make it a pleasant moment – but watch out, this mustn’t make you reach out for another portion and overeat.
