It seems like in this day and age, a new diet is coming out every month. So which one do you choose for your personal goal and does it really matter?
Well first let’s look at the definition of 'diet':
“Consuming a particular selection of food that is designed to help improve a person's physical condition or to prevent a disease.”
For the purpose of this article we will be focusing on improving your physique, which is why I assume you will be reading. This can be broken down into two categories; muscle building and fat loss.
Some of the most popular diets are:
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Low carb – Eating fewer carbs and more protein and fats
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Ketogenic- Eating nearly no carbs, little protein and high fat
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Low fat – Avoiding foods high in fat and eating mainly carbs and protein
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Intermittent fasting – Restricting your eating period to a few hours a day
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Weight watchers – Points based system to help portion control
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Paleo – Eating only minimally processed foods
Some of you may even have tried these and had great success, others maybe not so.
Firstly, let's look at the main reasons as to why you lose fat (fat being the key word here, not weight. Your bones weigh something, but you aren’t losing them when you train). It’s going to come down to two things that have the same outcome. You are either moving more or eating less. These can also be done at the same time for a more dramatic effect in fat loss and, if you're too vigorous, muscle loss also.
Most of you will know that 1lb of fat equates to 3500kcal and that to lose that 1lb you need to burn off that number of calories. The most common way to do this is to eat 500 calories less than your maintenance per day for a week, resulting in eating 3500 calories less overall and burning 1lb of fat. This isn’t the only way but is the most widely accepted and easiest to track.
So, what do all these diets have in common when it comes to losing fat? They all put you in a calorie deficit. It's that simple. The sole reason you lose ‘weight’ on a diet is because it has put you into a calorie deficit. But what about that time you tried a diet and it didn’t work, but then you switched to another one and you lost weight straight away? The answer is simple, you weren’t in a calorie deficit on the first diet and on the second one you were.
All diets work, but you are much more likely to be successful with one you can stick to. So how do you choose?
It's all very personal , so I can only give guidance. Before starting any diet you need to consider any past experiences with any diets you’ve used. If you know a diet that has worked in the past, use it again, don’t try to fix what isn’t broken.
Do you prefer dieting alone or with a support group? There are some proven diets that work around a points system and have weekly meetings with other people sharing the same goal as you, if it's support you really need on a diet, this could be great for you.
Consider the flexibility of the diet. If you don’t like restricting the types of food you eat then look at diets that include a variety of foods and just focus on restricting your calorie intake.
As well as flexibility, keep in mind balance. It may be a fat loss diet but you still need to be getting sufficient amounts of nutrients from a well balanced selection of foods.
Another important factor is if you enjoy the diet. You are much more likely to lose fat on a diet that you can easily stick to and maybe even enjoy doing, (if anyone actually enjoys dieting).
Your lifestyle will also play a key role in what diet you choose. Think about how active you are, what times you can eat during the day, how much you can eat in one sitting etc. All these will determine the right diet for you.
Remember, all diets work the same way, it's just finding the one that works for you. It may take some trial and error, but when you see your physique changing, it will be worth it.
