If you’ve been looking in the mirror lately and thinking “It’s time to start thinking about losing some weight,” you’re not alone. Almost 74% of Americans are either overweight or obese. The problem is, we live in a world that makes it incredibly easy to gain weight, and exceptionally difficult to lose it. For example, because of the rise of technology, most of our jobs are completely sedentary. Furthermore, convenient, fast, and affordable food is loaded with fats, sugars, and processed carbohydrates. Fortunately, by choosing the appropriate weight loss diet, you can start to overcome these hurdles, lose weight, and have the body you’ve always dreamed of. The question, then, is which diet to choose? Not sure how to pick between the endless types of diets? We’re can help. Here are 6 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Weight Loss Diet.
Table of Contents
1. Your Weight Loss Goals
First, think about your weight loss goals. How much weight are you trying to lose? How quickly are you trying to lose it?
While it’s easy to jump on the wagon of “I want to lose as much weight as possible as quickly as possible,” that may not be your best option. Typically, a healthy weight loss trajectory is one to two pounds per week.
If you lose too much weight in a short period of time, your body will have trouble adapting to the weight loss. This can result in excess skin because you don’t give it time to tighten up. In extreme weight loss situations, excess skin is unavoidable, but you can mitigate the issue.
Losing weight too quickly can also lead to a decreased metabolic rate. This is common in extreme dieting.
When you deprive your body of too many calories, it goes into preservation mode. It will slow down your metabolism to maintain weight because it thinks you are experiencing a famine.
2. Your Lifestyle
Next, take your lifestyle into consideration when choosing a weight loss diet. If you like to lift weights, go hiking, and stay active, choosing a diet with an extreme calorie restriction might be a mistake. While being active, you might experience:
- Lightheadedness
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- And more
The same can be said about low-carb/no-carb diets. In many cases, your body will adapt to your diet in time. However, it’s important to think about your lifestyle so you don’t choose a diet that will inhibit you from doing the things you enjoy.
Just as importantly, analyze your schedule to determine if you have time for certain types of diets. Some diets call for complicated meal plans. While prepping your meals in advance can help you avoid poor impulse decisions, you may struggle to find time to prepare these meals.
3. Safety
One of the most important things to think about when starting a diet is your overall health and safety. Just because you’re losing weight, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being healthy. In fact, extreme dieting can have the opposite effect.
Extreme fad diets, while effective, can have significant safety risks. To avoid these types of concerns, talk to a dietitian before starting a diet. You should also speak with your doctor to find out if your medical history raises any red flags with specific types of diets.
4. Reviews From Other Dieters
Obviously, one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a weight loss diet is its efficacy. How well does the diet work? What kind of weight loss results should you expect?
To find out more about the diet you’re interested in, go online to find reviews and testimonials from other people who have tried the diet. Find out what kind of results they had and if there were any negative side effects of the diet. Do they recommend the diet to other people trying to lose weight?
However, keep in mind that everyone’s body is unique. What works for some people might not work for you. Expect the results to vary.
Regardless, you need to know what the underlying credibility of the diet is before committing yourself to it. For example, here are some of the documented health benefits from the HCG diet.
5. Sustainability
Next, accept that the only way any diet is going to be successful is if you are consistent with it. As such, you need to find a weight loss diet that has a daily meal plan you can stick with over a long period of time.
It shouldn’t be too restrictive or be comprised of foods you’ll easily get tired of. Most importantly, it needs to be something your body will ultimately benefit from. You’re not looking for a quick fix, you’re looking for long-term results.
For instance, while no-carb diets can be beneficial over short periods of time (a week or two), they can be unhealthy if attempted long-term. Keeping carbohydrates out of your diet for long periods of time can result in:
- Heart arrhythmias
- Osteoporosis
- Lipid abnormalities
- Extreme fatigue
- Elevated risk of cancer
- Decrease performance in physical activities
- Impaired cognitive functions
- Kidney damage
- Cardiac contractile function impairment
- And more
That being said, no-carb diets are very effective for weight loss. If you opt for this route, make sure you are only following the diet for a couple of weeks at a time.
6. Affordability
Finally, to find the best weight loss diet for your circumstances, you must also consider your budget. While simple meal plans (like low fats diets) can actually save you money while dieting, some diets have extra expenses.
Diets that rely on extreme calorie or carbohydrate deficits often call for nutrient injections to ensure your body is running at full capacity. The cost of these injections can add up over time.
Conversely, some types of weight loss diets do everything they can to make sure you get positive results. The diet company will actually send you the food you need to consume in the mail. While this method is insanely helpful and convenient, it’s also expensive.
Are You Trying to Find the Best Weight Loss Diet?
Are you trying to lose weight but are confused about all the different types of diets? We hear you. Follow the tips listed above to find the best diet for your body, your goals, and your circumstances.
And if you’re looking for more health and fitness advice, check out some of our other articles before you go. Our blog was created to help people like you reach their goals.
