Best Meal Plan For Weight Loss To Try This Year

As per recent research, more than half of American adults lose weight each year. One of the best ways to lose weight is switching to a healthy diet. With so many diet plan options available, finding the best meal plan for weight loss.

Some diets cure hunger and reduce food intake, while others restrict calorie intake by carbs or fat. 

To make it easy for you, we have the best healthy diet plan for weight loss.

Best Meal Plan For Weight Loss

Below we have mentioned some of the most popular weight loss plans.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy that revolves around periods of eating and fasting. There are many forms of intermittent fasting methods.

• The 16/8 method includes limiting calories intake to 8 hours per day. 
• 5:2 methods include restricting daily calorie intake to 500-600 calories twice in a week.

Intermittent fasting restricts the time when you can eat, thereby automatically reducing your calorie intake. This weight loss plan compensates for a restricted time by allowing you to eat a full diet in eating periods.

In a recent study, it was found that intermittent fasting leads to 3-8% weight loss in more than 3-24 weeks which is more as compared to any other method. 

Other studies also found that intermittent fasting increases fat burning while preserving muscle mass and improving metabolism. 

Intermittent fasting is a healthy diet plan which is linked to anti-aging effects, improved brain health, increasing insulin activity, reduced inflammation, and many other benefits. 

The downside of intermittent fasting is that sometimes it can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar levels. People with eating disorders, low weight, pregnancy, diabetes, and breastfeeding should stay away from intermittent fasting. 

Plant-based diets

Plant-based diets are also the best weight loss plan. Veganism or vegetarianism are both forms of plant-based diets and restrict consumption of animal-based products for ethical, health, and environmental purposes. 

However, there are some plant-based diets that are flexible, like the flexitarian diet. This diet allows eating meat but in moderation. 

There are many types of vegetarianism; most of them involve eliminating fish, meat, and poultry from their diet. Some vegetarians may include eggs and dairy in their diet.

A vegan diet is one step further and restricts all animal and animal-derived products like honey, gelatin, dairy, casein, whey, and albumin. 

In the case of a flexitarian diet plan for weight loss, there are no clear rules. It is more of a lifestyle change that encourages consuming more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains but eating meat as a protein source in minimal quantity. 

According to research plant-based, diets are the best meal plan for weight loss. This is because plant-based diets are rich in fiber which keeps you full for longer, and have low-calorie content derived from fat.

Plant-based diet plans for weight loss are also beneficial to health in plenty of ways. It reduces the risk of chronic health conditions like cancer, heart disease, and even diabetes. It is also more environmentally sustainable as compared to meat-based diets. 

Even Though a plant-based diet is healthy, it can restrict important nutrient consumption in the body, which can only be derived from animal-based food products like vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, iron, omega 3, and zinc.

Following a flexitarian diet approach or taking supplements will help in combating these cons of plant-based diets. 

Low-carb diets

Another best meal plan for weight loss is following a low-carb diet. Some common examples of low carb diet: ketogenic diet, Atkins diet, LCHF diet.

Some of these diet plans work drastically in reducing the carb content of the body. For example, a Ketogenic diet restricts the macronutrients to below 10% of total calories as compared to 30% or less.

A low-carb diet works by restricting the carb intake in the body instead focuses on fat and protein. These diet plans are high on protein as compared to other low-fat diets. Protein is an essential component for the body as it curbs hunger, improves muscle mass, and increases metabolism.

If you are on a low-carb diet like Ketogenic, the body will start using fat reservoirs instead of carbs for generating energy. This process refers to Ketosis.

Many studies indicate that low-carb diets also help in losing weight and are more effective as opposed to low-fat diet plans. The best thing about following a low-carb meal plan for weight loss is that it is very effective in burning belly fat.

Research shows that a low-carb diet reduces the risk of heart disease, blood pressure fluctuation, and high cholesterol. It also helps in improving blood sugar and insulin levels in the body for people with type 2 diabetes. 

Like the good sides, low-carb diets also have some bad sides. Low-carb diets are known to raise bad cholesterol levels in the body. Also, these are difficult to follow and can cause digestive issues for some people.

In some rare cases, a low-carb diet can also cause ketoacidosis. This is a critical metabolic condition that proves fatal if not treated. 

The paleo diet

The Paleo diet follows the basic principle of eating what the hunter’s ancestor used to eat. It is based on the theory that the western diet is the cause of modern-day diseases, and the human body is not properly evolved to eat grains, legumes, and dairy. 

The paleo diet consists of eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meats, basically whole foods. It also restricts the consumption of grains, sugar, processed foods, and dairy. However, there are some less restrictive versions of the paleo diet which allow dairy products like cheese. 

There is much research done on the paleo diet and its effectiveness in weight loss and reducing belly fat. According to research, a paleo diet is more filling than other weight loss diet plans like low-fat diets and Mediterranean diets. This may be due to higher protein content in the paleo diet.

Paleo diet can also reduce the risk of many heart diseases, cholesterol, blood pressure, and also triglyceride levels. Even though the paleo diet is healthy, it restricts many nutritious foods like dairy, whole grains, and legumes.

Low-fat diets

Similar to low-carb diets, low-fat diets have been popular for weight loss for decades. A low-fat diet consists of restricting fat consumption to only 30% of everyday meals. Some versions of a low-fat diet consisting of limiting fat consumption to even as low as 10% calories.

The low-fat diet works by restricting the fat intake because fat constitutes two times more calories per gram as compared to carbs and protein. The ultra low-fat diet plan for weight loss with less than 10% calories from fat and 80% calories from carbs, and the remaining 10% from protein.

The healthy low-fat diet plans are based on plant foods and limit meat or animal products. The low-fat diet restricts calorie intake and helps in weight loss. Even though low-fat diets seem to work as effectively as low-carb diets, the results are not long-lasting.

Ultra low-fat diets are more effective for people with obesity. These diets are also known to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, improve diabetes and reduce inflammation.

As a low-fat diet restricts the fat content too much, it can cause many health problems in the long run. Fat is important in nutrient absorption, hormone production, and cell health. Also, ultra low-fat diets are also linked with metabolic syndrome.

The Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is based on foods people eat in countries like Greece and Italy. Initially, this diet was designed to lower the risk for heart disease, but recent research also aids in weight loss.

The Mediterranean diet also advocates eating a lot of vegetables, fruits. Legumes, seeds, nuts, tubers, seafood, fish, and virgin olive oil. Food like eggs, poultry, and dairy are consumed in moderation, while red meat is very limited.

The Mediterranean diet also restricts eating trans fats, refined grains, oils, processed meats, highly processed food, and added sugars.

The Mediterranean diet not only aids weight loss but also includes antioxidant-rich foods, which help in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress by neutralizing the free radicals. It is also known to reduce the risk of premature death and heart diseases.

The DASH diet

DASH diet stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” It is an eating plan which aims to treat high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

The DASH diet focuses on eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and whole grains. The meal plan is basically low in added sugar, fat, salt, and red meat.

People have seen great weight loss results by following a DASH diet. This best meal plan for weight loss recommends eating specific servings of different food groups. These servings depend on your daily calorie intake.

For instance, a person following a DASH diet would consume five servings of fruits, five servings of vegetables, seven servings of healthy carbs, two servings of lean meats, and two servings of low-fat dairy each day.

Dash diet benefits in reducing blood pressure and risk of heart diseases. Also, it combats the recurrent depressive symptoms and lowers your risk of colorectal and breast cancer.

Final Words:

The best meal plan for weight loss is not one but plenty. Some of the most researched eating plans and diets include intermittent fasting, low carb diets, plant-based diets, paleo diets, low-fat diets, DASH, and Mediterranean diets.

All these above-mentioned diets are effective in losing weight, but the best diet for you depends on your food preferences and lifestyle. This will ensure that you will stick to your diet in the long term.