Which Diet Is Best?

Which Diet Works Best?

When it comes to choosing a diet that caters to our weight loss goals and muscle building endeavors, couples personal training and diets are difficult to choose, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by a plethora of options for either more or fewer calories depending on your goal of weight loss or weight gain. From the tried-and-true Mediterranean diet to the much-discussed Keto or Paleo diet, it can be challenging to determine which one reigns supreme from a dietary approach with healthy food. In this blog post, we will explore various diets, their benefits and drawbacks, and help you decide which diet is best suited for your individual needs.

The diet that works best is the one that you can stick to.

There I said it. The only factor that really matters is whether or not you can actually stick to your diet. It’s the hard truth because no matter what diet you choose they all work for the exact same reason. All diets are designed to put you in a calorie deficit. This means that you are burning more calories than you are eating (calories in < calories out). Let me show you how all types of diets accomplish this.

P.S. If you want to learn how to figure out how many calories you should be eating check out this website: https://tdeecalculator.net/. 

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting has gained a lot of traction lately in the past few years. The concept of intermittent fasting is simple; you allow yourself typically an 8-hour period where you can eat as you like and fast the remaining 16 hours. This is probably the most common form of intermittent fasting. This puts you into a calorie deficit very simply. As a result, being able to eat for 8 hours you most likely will not be able to fit enough food in your stomach to gain weight. Thereby you put yourself into a calorie deficit.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet has long been prized for its numerous health benefits. Rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and lean proteins like oily fish, it promotes heart health, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, and aids in weight loss. While it includes moderate amounts of saturated fat, its focus on unsaturated fat, such as the healthy fat found in olive oil, provides a balanced approach towards weight management.

Dash Diet

The Dash diet emphasizes consuming fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy foods while avoiding processed foods, saturated fats, and added sugars. This diet is widely recommended for reducing blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight. By combining the principles of the Mediterranean and low-sodium diets, it offers a balanced and effective approach to both weight loss and muscle gains.

Keto Diet

The Keto diet, high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates, focuses on sending your body into a state of ketosis, where it utilizes fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. While some praise its rapid weight loss results, it is important to approach this diet cautiously. Limiting starchy foods and added sugars can lead to initial weight loss, but long-term adherence and potential nutrient deficiencies may pose challenges.

Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet encourages eating whole foods and avoiding processed foods, grains, dairy products, and added sugars. Promoters of this diet argue that it closely mimics the eating habits of our ancestors, leading to weight loss and improved overall health. However, the exclusion of certain food groups such as dairy, legumes, and whole grains may limit nutrient diversity and pose challenges for long-term adherence.

Pescetarian

A Pescetarian diet is where someone will mainly eat vegetables accompanied by seafood. This diet works for fat loss because vegetables are very dense, low-calorie foods. Also, seafood is usually a very lean food, meaning for the most part it’s just protein. Protein is important because it burns calories. For every 4 calories of protein, you eat you have to burn 1 of those just to digest it. Thereby eating low-calorie vegetables and proteins you are most definitely going to be put in a calorie deficit.

Vegetarian/Vegan Diet

The vegan diet eliminates all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs while focusing on whole plant foods. This diet has shown benefits in weight loss, reducing the risk of chronic disease, and improving heart health. However, careful planning is necessary to ensure sufficient intake of essential nutrients, such as vitamin D, iron, and vitamin B12, which are commonly found in animal products.

If It Fits Your Macros

If it Fits Your Macros is a diet that gives you a set number of proteins, fats, and carbs that you can eat to reach your goals. Therefore, by controlling your macronutrients, you guessed it, you’ve controlled your calories. Even though you can technically eat whatever you want as long as you’re in your macros it’s advised you still try to have a balanced diet. You can calculate your macros here: https://www.iifym.com/.

To Recap:

Finding the best diet for weight loss and muscle gains is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is crucial to consider individual preferences, cultural backgrounds, health goals, and dietary requirements. While the Mediterranean and Dash diets offer balanced approaches to healthy eating and weight management, the Keto, Paleo, and Vegan diets have unique health benefits as well. Remember, maintaining a healthy weight, consuming fewer calories, and adopting a balanced and sustainable diet are key components to achieving long-term health and fitness goals with an in-home personal trainer wentzville.

• The diet that works best is the one you can stick to. So try several and see what you like
• The most important factor is calories, remember calories in < calories out
• Find out how many calories to eat here: https://tdeecalculator.net/
• All diets work by limiting your calories

If you found this article helpful be sure to check out other articles on my Blog.