5 Proven Weight Loss Diets
As a new year is upon us, many of us are planning to be better versions of ourselves. That may include learning a new hobby or changing the color of your hair. However, most of us are looking to shed off some of the weight we have gained.
We have experienced quite a unique year previously, and most of us might have become more lenient when it comes to our previous weight loss diets. The holiday season has also just passed and we are still basking in the joy of the feast we ate. As the old saying goes, “New Year, New Me”, and what better time to pursue a fitness journey than now?
With that said, there’s no “right” time to start losing weight. Rather, you need to carefully prepare you and your body towards the journey you’ll be going through. This includes finding the proper weight loss diet that would work for you.
To help, here are some proven weight loss diets.
1. Mediterranean Diet
As the name suggests, this diet incorporates healthy food habits from countries such as Italy, Greece, Spain, and Portugal. It includes fruits, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and extra virgin olive oil.
For protein, fish and seafood can be consumed twice a week, while red meat should be limited. Poultry, eggs, and dairy products are also consumed in moderation.
The diet restricts refined grains, trans fats, refined oils, processed meats, and added sugar. With that said, it allows you to drink a glass of red wine daily.
The Mediterranean diet is more known for its health benefits like lowering the risks of heart disease, though it’s found to also be effective for weight loss. Done alongside regular exercise and a low-carb consumption, you can lose 5-10% of body weight over 12 months.
2. Plant-Based Diet
Plant-based diets, such as vegetarianism and veganism, are some of the most popular weight loss diets out there. As the name suggests, these diet regimen give a focus on whole foods derived from plants while restricting animal products.
Vegetarianism takes on different forms. Most eliminate all meat, poultry, and fish, while others allow eggs and dairy. On the other hand, veganism restricts all animal products, including byproducts like dairy, gelatin, honey, and whey.
Other plant-based diets like the flexitarian diet allows consumption of meat in moderation. It does not have clear restrictions but encourages eating mostly fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Plant-based diets are a proven weight loss regime, as many of the restricted food groups are high in calories. Vegetarianism can make you lose 2kg more than people who consume animal products. Vegans can lose 2.5kg more than people on other plant-based diets.
3. Volumetrics Diet
Unlike other weight loss diets, Volumetrics diet is not about reducing your food consumption, but instead, increasing your nutrient intake. It focuses on nutrient-rich foods that are low in calories, without making you feel starved.
Volumetrics diet prioritizes least energy-dense foods such as fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and broth-based soups, which are high in water content. This way, you are consuming normal portions of food that make you feel full without the excess calories. It avoids energy-dense foods like crackers, cookies, chocolate, nuts, and butter, which can increase your unhealthy appetite.
4. DASH Diet
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH Diet, is a low-sodium diet that helps treat or prevent high blood pressure. It emphasizes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low or nonfat dairy. At the same time, it reduces consumption of salt, red meat, added sugars, and saturated fat.
DASH diet is not a weight loss diet per se. With that being said, people under the said regime can achieve significant weight loss over 8-24 weeks.
5. Intermittent Fasting
Here, you go between periods of fasting and eating. Intermittent fasting exists in various forms. The most common way is the 16/8 method, which refers to allowing yourself to eat within 8 hours and then fasting for 16 hours. With that said, you still need to be wary about the amount and type of food you consume during the time you’re allowed to eat.
Another way of intermittent fasting is the 5:2 method, where you eat normally for 5 days and limit yourself to 500–600 calories for 2 days.
Intermittent fasting limits the time period where you are allowed to eat, which reduces calorie intake. It’s proven to result in 3–8% weight loss over 3–24 weeks.
Those are some of the proven weight loss diets out there. Remember that these food regimes differ for different people, depending on their lifestyle or metabolism. What works more for others, may not be effective for you.
However, for some people, it is difficult to manage losing weight from diet regimens alone for various reasons. You may not have the time or resources to commit to a proven weight loss regimen. It’s also hard to find enough credible information to create a diet plan suited specifically for you. You may have tried various weight loss diets and it just doesn’t work for you.
Do not let this stop you from pursuing your weight loss journey. There are solutions like the Elipse gastric balloon that are available to help you.
Elipse for Proven Weight Loss
Elipse helps you reduce your consumed food portions by taking up space in the stomach, making you feel full.
Unlike other gastric balloons, Elipse does not require any surgery, endoscopy, or anesthesia. The balloon is encased within a capsule and attached to a thin catheter for easy placement. Your plastic surgeon will help you swallow the capsule with a glass of water.
Once ingested, you’ll undergo X-ray to assure proper placement. The vegetarian capsule then dissolves and the balloon is filled with 550ml of water until it reaches the size of a grapefruit. A second X-ray is done to make sure the balloon is properly filled. The whole procedure only takes up to 20 minutes.
After approximately 16 weeks, a time-activated release valve opens, allowing the balloon to deflate, afterwhich the remnants of the balloon are naturally excreted out of the body when you go to the toilet. 45% of people don’t notice the balloon passing. Also, most Elipse users found to lose an average of 10-15 kg within these 16 weeks.
With that said, a temporary balloon does not mean temporary weight loss. Ellipse helps you set up a sustainable weight loss journey.
Ellipse helps you by setting up a fully-supported lifestyle program alongside your gastric balloon implantation. You will work with a team, consisting of a plastic surgeon and nutritionist, to guide you in changing your weight loss diet and exercise regimen to suit you. This creates a holistic approach to weight loss.
After the initial procedure, you're also set up with the Allurion smart scale and app, where you and your professional team can monitor your progress.
Diet regimens are not the end all be all for your weight loss journey. With the support of medical professionals and Elipse, you can achieve your target weight in the safest and surest way.