In the question of which diets are the most effective for weight loss, there are countless opinions, proportional to the number of people in the world who have managed to lose weight, dietitians, and websites on the internet.
This question is akin to which candies are the tastiest, which country is the best to live in, or whose mom is the prettiest… occupying the minds of children of all ages ;).
No, this is not a hint that an answer does not exist. It is a warning that it lies beyond the specific title of one single best diet that works for everyone…
Despite the slightly vague beginning, I promise that below you will still find out which diets are the most effective for weight loss (we will provide a list of the top 5 most effective diets), why there are many (and not just one), and what is common among all “the best”.
We will also explain how the most popular diets today work and why they are not always the most effective.
All diets are the most effective…
There are several hundred, if not thousands, of diets.
They are created by cultures (Japanese, Brazilian), personalities (Polina Gagarina’s diet, Larisa Dolina’s diet, Elena Malysheva’s diet, Pierre Dukan’s diet, Olga Kartunkova’s diet), centered around individual products (pumpkin, kefir, egg, rice, oatmeal, cottage cheese) or groups of products (protein diet), some of which allow you to eat almost everything (intermittent fasting), while others allow nothing (fasting)…
And you know what?
The creators and supporters of each of these hundreds of diets, so different and so contradictory, claim that their diet is the most effective for weight loss.
And in response to the question posed in the title of this article, one could list all these diets, and the result you would leave here with, the name of a specific diet, the best and most effective, would depend only on how convincingly we described it here…
At the same time, I am sure that few are interested in hearing tales about everything or being simply convinced of something once again. By “effective diets,” each of us understands something very specific and defined, narrowing the list from hundreds of diets to just a few.
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1 Classification of diets
The vast array of existing diets can be reduced to just a few groups based on their action principles:
- removal of fluid from the body using medications;
- removal of fluid from the body by reducing carbohydrate intake;
- caloric restriction by consuming the same foods and completely excluding certain food groups;
- caloric restriction by reducing the amount of food consumed;
- caloric restriction by consuming certain foods with a high satiety index;
- activation of fat burning by limiting the time of food intake.
This is a very conditional classification, which nevertheless illustrates the principles of action of almost all diets well. They differ in the degree of possible harm to health and how easy or difficult they are to follow over a long period.
Many diets, positioned as the most effective, are often based on a combination of all these factors, allowing for rapid weight loss, but not always effectively in terms of maintaining health and long-term results.
2 The most effective diet for weight loss is..
First, it is essential to ensure that we are speaking the same language with each other.
By an effective diet, we can understand at least the following:
- a diet that allows you to lose weight quickly;
- a diet that helps you lose weight without harming your health so that the weight does not return;
- a diet that simply helps you lose weight, as many of them do not work at all for some people.
What are you looking for among these?
I anticipate that the answer will be – all of them. Quick, harmless, and with long-term results.
Then let’s discuss everything in order.
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3 How popular pseudo-effective diets work
Different people attach different meanings to the concept of “weight loss.” For some, it is a decrease in scale readings, for others – a reduction in body fat percentage.
Do you feel the difference?
The reduction in weight during weight loss is far from being solely due to fat: on many so-called effective diets for quick weight loss, weight is lost due to the elimination of fluid from the body.
Among such diets are: detox diet, use of laxatives for weight loss, or diuretics.
They are very effective in quickly changing scale readings, but they do this by manipulating the content of NOT fat in the body, but water.
For some, this may be acceptable, but it is important to understand that all such diets do not provide long-term results: the weight returns very quickly as soon as “staying on such a diet” stops.
Moreover, long-term adherence to such diets carries a very serious risk of harm to health (see the relevant materials linked above).
All the most pseudo-effective diets for quick weight loss manipulate the fluid content in the body, not fat. None of them provide long-term results, and all of them are very dangerous to health.
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About trendy celebrity “super-effective” diets…
Most popular diets named after show business stars, the Kremlin, and Hollywood share two common features:
- they very strictly limit the variety of food in the diet;
- they are characterized by very low carbohydrate content.
How does it work? Very simple.
Strongly limiting the variety of foods makes it easier to count calories; on the other hand, it reduces the likelihood of overeating, as the diet becomes monotonous and unappetizing.
– Why do people gain weight quickly from carbohydrates, but lose weight quickly without them?
When we consume carbohydrates, the level of the hormone insulin in the blood rises, which functions to transport energy (carbohydrates) into cells for use as energy.
If the energy requirement is low, carbohydrates are stored in short-term storage – glycogen in the liver and muscles. When these stores are full, excess carbohydrates are converted into fat and stored in long-term storage as fat, the location of which is well known to everyone.
– Why does weight drop quickly when carbohydrates are excluded from the diet?
Each gram of glycogen binds several grams of fluid.
If we reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the diet, the glycogen stores are quickly (within one day) depleted, the water that was used for its storage is excreted from the body, and body weight decreases.
The overwhelming majority of popular “super-effective” diets that promise quick results are based on the elimination of fluid from the body and strict limitation of allowed foods.
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4 The main principle of all CORRECT effective diets
Remember a simple rule: all diets based on reducing calorie intake are effective for weight loss.
In fact, there are many such diets. Why? Because calorie restriction can be achieved in a huge number of ways, from inducing vomiting to precisely counting calories in dishes on scales or strictly limiting carbohydrates and fats in the diet.
However, those that are effective in terms of not harming health and being easy to follow for a long time (ideally – for a lifetime) will be those that provide the necessary nutrients for maintaining health (vitamins and minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates) and satisfy hunger.
All the most effective diets are based on limiting the calorie content of food. This is achieved in various ways with varying degrees of harm to health.
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Why is calorie content so important?
Excessive caloric intake is referred to by scientists as the main cause of obesity in our time. It is certainly not a lack of physical activity, although modern people have indeed become significantly less active.
Look at what researchers from the scientific portal Examine.com, whose mission is to study the effectiveness of various dietary supplements and debunk popular myths in the field of dietetics based on scientific research, say:
“… the weight of our body is largely determined by HOW MANY calories we consume in a day (from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and alcohol), rather than WHAT exactly we eat (the ratio of nutrients from fats, proteins, carbohydrates).
Consuming a large number of calories is the only explanation for the total epidemic of obesity today 1. “
The fact that it is indeed the excess of calories in the modern person’s diet that is the main cause of obesity is supported by a vast number of scientific studies.
A large number of scientific articles have been written on this topic, and one of the most convincing and shocking in its results has been translated by us in the material The Main Cause of Obesity or How to Lose Weight Without Sports. Scientific Facts.
There are many examples on the internet of weight loss on absolutely unhealthy foods like fast food, pizza, and potatoes, which prove that all that is required to start losing weight is to eat less. For example, see how a guy lost weight eating only potatoes for a year..
So, the main thing to understand is:
For weight loss, only the quantity of calories matters, while for health, it is what exactly we eat. All diets that are based on reducing caloric intake are beneficial for weight loss.
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5 The most effective diet is one that works specifically for you and that you can stick to for a long time
There is an abundance of success stories about weight loss on completely different diets on the internet. Among them, some are false, while others are true.
Some claim that intermittent fasting is the most effective for weight loss, others say it is the ketogenic diet, and some advocate the Dukan protein diet. Meanwhile, some shout that nothing works.
Not all diets work for all people primarily because each person, due to their individual traits, requires different efforts to adhere to them.
For those who love meat, it will be incredibly difficult to “stick” to just vegetables, fruits, and cereals. But they will undoubtedly appreciate the protein diet of Pierre Dukan or the Kremlin diet, which are essentially the same.
Those who do not want to change anything in their grocery basket can appreciate the benefits of intermittent fasting, which does not require radical changes in the diet but only suggests eating at specific times.
As for those who are not tied to taste preferences in this world, they can check out the benefits of the ketogenic diet, which is rumored to be one of the healthiest.
At the same time, the ketogenic diet is not recommended for athletes and is quite difficult for physically active people to adhere to, as it almost completely excludes carbohydrates—the main source of energy for our body.
So:
The best diet for you is the one that works specifically for you and that you can stick to for a long time, ideally for a lifetime.
It is impossible to follow a diet for a long time that puts you in a state of chronic hunger and nervousness.
That is why very often after achieving the desired weight, there is a return to favorite eating habits and previous weight.
Fat cells are very resilient. They do not die immediately when losing weight; they merely shrink in size. Start feeding them again—and very soon (and quite easily) they will return to “normal.”
To lose weight permanently, you need to change your eating habits forever, and only a diet that you can live with for a lifetime will help with that.
To lose weight permanently, you need to change your eating habits forever.
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Top 5 Most Effective Diets for Weight Loss
So, the most effective diet is one that
- is aimed at reducing body fat percentage, not water;
- restricts calories;
- allows you to stick to it for a long time;
- provides all the necessary nutrients for the health of the body.
For weight loss, calorie restriction is important; for health, the composition of the products is crucial.
The most effective diet for weight loss is one that limits the number of calories in your diet, leads to a reduction in body fat percentage, not water, and does not harm health.
Many popular diets are effective. A list of the top 5 best among them is provided below.
Low-Carb Diets
Most popular diets achieve calorie restriction by reducing the amount of carbohydrates. The primary focus is on sugar and fructose, the excessive consumption of which has been recognized by scientists as the main cause of obesity.
Examples of low-carb diets:
- ketogenic diet – a diet high in fats, low in proteins, and very low in carbohydrates;
- Atkins diet – a diet high in fats, high in proteins, and very low in carbohydrates;
- paleo diet (hunter-gatherer diet or Stone Age diet) – high in fats, high in proteins, and low in carbohydrates;
- Dukan protein diet – a diet high in proteins (for meat lovers), low in carbohydrates.
- intermittent fasting – alongside limiting the amount of carbohydrates, it restricts the time when food intake is allowed (see below).
(Detailed information about these diets can be found in the links.)
– Why are low-carb diets so effective for weight loss?
Fats and proteins are digested more slowly than carbohydrates, which gives a greater feeling of satiety for a longer period of time.
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On almost all such diets, it is recommended to consume foods that are less “calorie-dense”, which contain more plant fibers and water: half a kilo of broccoli contains fewer calories than half a kilo of grains, and even more so – cake ;).
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Carbohydrates provoke overeating and, as a rule, they are always craved in large amounts (especially if they are sweet).
This is explained by the fact that their absorption is accompanied by certain hormonal changes in the body:
- they are involved in the synthesis of serotonin, the so-called “happiness hormone” in the brain, which stimulates the desire to eat; probably that is why we love sweets so much and comfort ourselves with chocolate during depression.
- They affect the levels of satiety and hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin), which regulate appetite; regular consumption of carbohydrates (especially sugars and fructose) can lead to insensitivity to these hormones, resulting in uncontrolled appetite and overeating;
- After consuming sweets, there is a sharp spike in insulin levels in the blood, which is responsible for controlling blood sugar; once it has done its job, blood sugar drops sharply, which also triggers feelings of hunger.
The mechanism of sugar’s influence on obesity is detailed in the article The Harm of Sugar to the Human Body. Scientific Facts.
Scientific studies confirm that low-carbohydrate diets are among the most effective for weight loss, as they reduce hunger, calorie intake, and the likelihood of overeating.
The list of the top 5 most effective diets includes low-carbohydrate diets. All of them are effective for weight loss, as they limit calorie intake and prevent overeating.
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Intermittent Fasting – One of the Most Effective Diets
Intermittent fasting is considered by many modern scientists to be one of the most effective diets not only for weight loss but also for health.
Unlike traditional fasting, this method does not require a complete refusal of food, which is very difficult to endure and, as will be shown below, is far from the most effective weight loss strategy.
Intermittent fasting involves eating only at certain times during the day, within an 8-hour window. Why? Because it maximally activates the fat-burning process.
This diet does not impose strict restrictions on the types of allowed foods: only generally harmful foods for weight loss in the form of simple carbohydrates, primarily sugar and fructose, are excluded. This is an element of a low-carbohydrate diet.
Everything is quite simple, and the health benefits are enormous.
Intermittent fasting is recognized by many scientists as one of the most effective diets for weight loss.
Some Popular Misconceptions About Diets
Finally, let’s address a few popular myths that are often positioned as key to effective weight loss in many diets.
Balanced and Separate Diets (Mono-Diets) Differ in Their Degree of Harm to Health
Consuming proteins, fats, and carbohydrates together (a balanced diet) or separately (a separation diet or mono-diet) does not increase the effectiveness of weight loss, although the health benefits of a balanced approach are obvious.
Let’s reveal a secret: you can lose weight even on fast food, cakes, and candies… if you eat them carefully, adhering to the principle of calorie restriction.
Don’t believe it? Check out the example of losing weight on just potatoes for a year… and no, he is not Belarusian.
Regarding all mono-diets, the following statement is true:
“Any diets that promote a complete rejection of any group of nutrients (either proteins, carbohydrates, or fats) are INCORRECT and can have serious health consequences if followed for a long time.“
For weight loss, it does not matter whether proteins, fats, and carbohydrates enter your body in a balanced or separated form: what matters is their quantity. However, from a health perspective, mono-diets are more harmful to health.
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The timing and frequency of meals do not matter for weight loss
For weight loss, only the total calorie intake throughout the day matters.
Of course, frequent eating in small portions allows for better appetite control and helps avoid overeating after long hours of abstinence. But it is important that you see the underlying principle – this is just one way to limit and control calories.
If the calculated daily calorie intake is 1500 kcal, then in terms of weight loss, it does not matter whether you consume them in one meal or several.
About fasting: how effective is fasting for weight loss?
One of the popular diets for weight loss is complete food refusal or fasting.
A radical refusal of food seems quite logical as a method for effectively solving the problem of excess weight.
But this is not the case.
The problem is that fasting leads to a significant decrease in the rate of internal metabolism.
According to scientific data, the resting metabolism (the energy expended at rest just to maintain the body’s internal functions) accounts for the lion’s share of calories burned each day: about 70%. Reducing this value significantly decreases the rate of weight loss.
This is detailed in a large scientific study on the main cause of obesity.
The benefits of fasting for weight loss are a myth.
If the state of hunger lasts for several days, the metabolic rate decreases very significantly.
Weight during fasting primarily decreases due to a reduction in the amount of fluid in the body. Also, during prolonged fasting, a significant amount of muscle mass is lost, as the body begins to break down muscle protein to provide energy for its most vital life functions.
A slight restriction in caloric intake, however, does not produce such a dramatic effect.
Fasting is very ineffective for weight loss, as it reduces the metabolic rate – the main consumer of calories in the body. Weight loss mainly occurs due to fluid loss and muscle mass loss.
