Diet 101: What diet is best for me?

The rate of obesity in the U.S continues to grow by the day. According to statistics, more than 40% of adult Americans are either overweight or obese. Whether it’s due to an underlying health condition, or unhealthy eating habits, that depends from person to person. But what shouldn’t be ignored are the health risks like heart disease, diabetes and hypertension that are associated with excessive weight gain.

So if you’ve been planning to get in shape or trying to cut a couple of pounds off your waist but don’t know where to start, then don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This article will walk you through the basics of dieting and weight loss so you can turn your dream fitness goals into a reality. Let’s dive straight into it!

What Diet is Best for Me?

Those who are trying to lose weight frequently ask what diet works best and which diet is best for me? Giving preference to a single diet wouldn’t be correct. After all, each of us has different body types and what works for one person may not work for another.

With that said, here are a couple of things you should keep in mind to get the results you’re after:

• Evaluate your Goals

  The first step to deciding your diet is to evaluate what your goals are. Do you want to lose or gain weight? Do you want to look lean or muscular? Are you bulking or cutting? One of the main reasons why most diets fail is because people do not have a clear direction in their mind. This is why, first determine where you want to see yourself and then, start working towards it accordingly.



• Improve your Nutrition

  Once you figure out what your goals are, it is now time to improve your nutrition. There’s a common misconception you have to starve yourself to lose weight. However, that isn’t the case.
  In fact, a nutritious and high protein diet boosts the metabolism by 80-100% as a result, this also accelerates weight loss. If you’re having trouble finding nutritious food then you can also get the help of healthy food companies. But how to find out which company offers quality food? Simply, get the help of a review platform like U.S-Reviews to browse through the experiences of other people.



• Stick to The Plan

  One of the biggest reasons people do not see the results of their diet is that they quit too early. It takes time for your body to change, especially if your weight falls within the obesity range. So what you need to do is give yourself some time, stay consistent and most importantly, enjoy the process.

How to Stick to a Diet?

The majority of the people face the struggle that they start a diet but are unable to stick to it. If you’re in the same boat then try implementing the followings tips to your lifestyle:

• Set realistic expectations.
• Find a cause that motivates you.
• Don’t keep unhealthy foods in your home.
• Prioritize both diet and exercise.
• Don’t dine out without a plan.

3 Diets That you Need to Know About

Fitness enthusiasts have introduced a variety of diets over the years. However, the following are some of the most popular in the modern-day world:

• The Keto Diet

  Keto diets are all the rage nowadays. But what is it about? Well, it’s a diet in which you restrict the quantity of the carbs you eat to less than 50 grams. Continuing this for 2-4 days puts your body in the state of ketosis. It is a process in which the body starts to burn fats because it doesn’t have any carbs left to burn for energy. Basically, it makes you a walking, talking fat-burning machine. But hey, that sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Well, the problem is that for most people, the keto diet isn’t sustainable in the long run. The majority of the foods we eat have carbs, so if you want to maintain a keto diet, you’ll have to bid farewell to most of your favorite meals.



• Intermittent Fasting

  Intermittent fasting has also been growing in popularity nowadays. While we believe that it is easier to maintain than the keto diet, it still isn’t cut out for everyone. Intermittent fasting is basically all about starving yourself for the majority of the day and eating during only a few selected hours. Note that during your fasting period you can drink water and other zero-calorie beverages like coffee.After that, the time you eat is referred to as the “eating window”. During that period, you can eat just about anything. But just make sure that you don’t go overboard with the calories. Usually, the fasting period lasts for about 16 hours while the eating window is 8 hours.



• The Vegan Diet

  The main idea behind a vegan diet is to display resistance towards animal cruelty and exploitation. However, we can’t deny that it comes with its fair share of benefits. A vegan diet restricts all animal products and the only thing you’re left to eat is well – vegetables. But it has done wonders for people who are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and lose weight. Keeping in mind that vegetables are known to be high in nutrition and low in calories it isn’t surprising why it has shown promising results to most people who have properly followed it. The hardest part about following a specific dieting plan is to prepare the right meals. So if you’re short on food ideas, then find a list of healthy food companies on our site, along with their reviews.

How Does Weight Loss Work?

The idea behind weight loss is quite simple – you need to stay in a calorie deficit by eating less than you burn. To make it even simpler, let’s say that your body requires 2,000 calories a day to maintain its current weight. So eating anything less than 2,000 calories would be called being in a “calorie deficit”.

And of course, if you’re trying to put on some pounds, then you need to eat more calories than you burn. Ultimately, regardless of which diet a person follows, the general principle behind weight loss always remains the same and that is to stay in a calorie deficit. Whether you’re following a keto diet, vegan diet or doing intermittent fasting – if you aren’t staying in a calorie deficit then you wouldn’t lose weight.

How Much Weight can you Lose in a Month?

As we mentioned, to lose weight, you need to stay in a calorie deficit. So the more you’re in a deficit, the more weight you will lose. But this doesn’t mean you should starve yourself. The ideal goal for healthy weight loss is to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week, which adds up to about 8 pounds a month. Depending on your diet and exercise, however, the results may vary.

But keep in mind that your weight loss is ultimately dependent on your diet. Your efforts wouldn’t bring fruitful results if you don’t control what’s going into your stomach, even if you exercise 7 days a week. You can get a deeper insight on “how much weight can you lose in a month?” by clicking the link and also understand what realistic goals you can set and what type of diets you should follow.

What’s the Quickest Way to Lose Weight?

A lot of people ask how they can “quickly” lose weight. In all honesty, there’s no shortcut and weight loss is a time-consuming process. With that said, your diet and current regime play a major role in determining your speed of weight loss. Here are a couple of pointers you should keep in mind if you want to lose weight faster:

• Avoid sugary foods and drinks.
• Eat nutritious and high protein food.
• Stick to your diet plan and workout regime.
• Avoid shortcuts and stick to the process.
• Hire a professional coach.

Apart from all that, to speed up the weight loss process, daily workouts are also recommended, so regular exercise affects your body:

• How Does Working Out Every Day Affect Your Body?

  As difficult as working out daily can be for some people– it can do wonders for your body. There are an immeasurable number of benefits of working out daily which includes weight loss, a boost of energy, and reduced risk of diseases.

Want to know more? Read the top 5 reasons for working out every day.

Can I Lose Weight Without Working Out?

Absolutely! Although working out can accelerate the process, you can still lose weight without it. As we mentioned, weight loss directly depends on the number of calories you eat. While working out can help you burn off some extra calories, maintaining a strict diet will also show promising results.
Moreover, weight loss can also be accelerated by taking minerals and vitamins that boost the metabolism. In fact, the timing to take some vitamins also matter so let’s shed more light on that:

• What is the Best Time to Take Vitamins?

  Generally, vitamins can be taken at any time of the day. However, some vitamins absorb better on an empty stomach, while others work better when taken with a meal. In contrast, some vitamins can also improve sleep quality when taken in the evening. If you want to learn more then check out our guide: Is There a Best Time to Take Vitamins?

Final Thoughts

Transitioning to a healthy lifestyle isn’t easy and often requires quite a lot of dedication and sheer willpower. This is one of the reasons the majority of people aren’t able to keep up with their diets. However, the key is to take things one step at a time. You can’t change your lifelong eating habits within a day, but what you can do is slowly work towards it.

And understanding how diets and weight loss works can further help you optimize your plan to see better results.
Ultimately, instead of running after the results, stick and enjoy the process and you’d be surprised to see the positive change your body would go through. So we hope this detailed guide answered all your questions related to diet and how weight loss works.