Well here we are, it’s 2020! If you’re one of the 70%+ Americans that are looking to either lose weight, eat healthier and/or exercise more, you are likely thinking about trying the “newest” diet, supplement and/or workout. If you are one of these people, you may be one of the 80%+ that will not only fail at this, but you’ll be done by the end of February. Do you know why so many fail? One reason is you have unrealistic expectations. Another is your don’t have a clear goal and/or you don’t fully understand what is involved in the choice you made.
The purpose of this blog is to make sure you are aware of a number of pros and cons with several of the most popular “diets”. In part two we will discuss some of the pros and cons of different types of workouts. We will start with your eating, because for most, diet will be about 70-80% of your success both short term and especially with long term success.
- Weight Watchers-encourages you to eat more fruits, veggies, and lean protein on a point system. Healthy foods don’t use as many points as foods high in refined sugar, fried foods, etc… do. This diet also encourages a lower sugar and lower unhealthy fat intake. Most find it simple to follow.
- Keto-This diet suggest you eat higher amounts of fat and lower carbs. Ideally the fats come from healthier choices (nuts, nut butters, avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, etc…) The idea is that many overeat carbs and carbs (beads, pasta, rice, oats, fruit, etc…) will raise insulin levels and thus cause the body to store more fat. This diet can help reduce insulin, reduce overall calories and increase fat burning along with lowering one’s risk of several types of cancer. However it is difficult for most to follow 100% and it takes anywhere from 2-3 weeks to get the body into ketosis.
- Whole 30-promotes the elimination of a number of foods including: refined sugars, alcohol, wheat, dairy, gluten, soy, etc…. It’s good because it forces you to read labels and be aware of what you’re eating along with cutting out refined and processed foods. The downfall, there may be some foods you eliminate that YOU don’t need to. Not everyone needs to cut out dairy, wheat, etc…
- Paleo-encourages whole foods such as seeds, nuts, fruits, veggies, wildgame and eggs. It’s high in protein, healthy fats and since your eliminating a lot of junk food it’s good. However, food portions tend to be high, people may eliminate an entire food group and quite simply we and the world aren’t the same as they were back then.
- Bloody Type-look at your genetic make up and then determines what your body should have. For example, Type A=farmers and they should eat more veggies and less meat. Type B=Nomads-well balanced. Type O=people that should eat more meat, fish, etc.. they are hunters. Type AB=a mix. This diet does not take into account your lifestyle and the fact you may or may not have certain allergies and/or sensitivities to some of the foods your blood suggests you can and should have.
As you can see there are so many options and there are more. The Dash Diet, Carb Cycling and Mediterranean to name a few. At the end of the day the diet I have found that works best for clients is the one he/she will follow. Choose a way to eat and stick to it for at least a month in order to determine if it’s the right one for you. Track your eating and progress and use that data to help you decide what’s best for you. Remember your goal for this month should be to stick to a particular plan and go from there. You may want to lose weight, you may even want to gain weight. The plan you choose may produce that result and it may not. All you can control is your adherence to plan and reward yourself for that and if you did not get the result you want, evaluate and make changes. To help you sift through the date and find the “right” plan for you, I recommend you higher either a nutritionist or dietician.