Weight loss is a struggle and a long arduous journey. The pandemic breakout certainly did not help; all day indoors with nothing but food for entertainment has gotten so many of us in trouble already.
Aesthetics aside, weight gain over the limit puts the physical and mental health in so much danger. All the major organs are affected as a consequence, and the body starts to undergo so many ailments if the weight loss is not addressed.
Rather than making perpetual visits to your general physician in Lahore due to the impositions on account of obesity, it is best to get ahead in the weight loss journal! It does not have to be super hard, but instead, play smart with these 7 healthy diet plans for weight loss that target at the heart of the issue rather than providing temporary relief!
Mediterranean Diet
Rather than calling it a diet, Mediterranean lifestyle would be more apt. Unlike the fad diets, Mediterranean diet is practiced by so many people all across the globe, as a part of the eating regimen and not some temporary diet.
The principle is simple; eating the natural foods in appropriate proportion. It involves using olive oil, consuming fish, eating nuts, and taking in loads of fresh fruits and vegetables. Dissuading the use of processed and sugary foods, Mediterranean diet is excellent for weight loss.
Not austere, promotes eating rather than starvation and is sustainable. Mediterranean diet also carries amazing benefits other than weight loss. As it focuses on good fats, it protects against cognitive decline. It also helps to avert the risk of heart diseases and also fixes the damage already done.
Moreover, Mediterranean diet also promotes the consumption of foods rich in antioxidants and thus prevents dangerous conditions like cancer as well.
Intermittent fasting
Another popular approach for weight loss is intermittent fasting. It is not aimed at what you eat, but rather, when you eat. Essentially, it involves fasting for certain time, and eating regular meals the rest of the time.
As fasting is not an unnatural thing; it is a practice common in many religions even. Hence, IF is very popular amongst crowd. Alongside promoting weight loss, it also helps to moderate hormone levels, increases the ability of the cells to repair themselves, decreases caloric intake, promotes behavioral traits like empathy towards poor etc.
There are different categories within this diet as well; in 16/8 method, people fast for 16 hours every day and eat for 8 hours. Eat-stop-eat involves fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week. 5:2 involves fasting for two day where caloric intake is limited to 500 calories and eating normally on the rest of the 5 days.
Keto Diet
Ketogenic diet involves using fats as substitute for carbs. Of the daily macros, 70% of the food to be consumed should be fat, 25% protein and 5% carbohydrates, give or take. This way, body uses the fat reserves in the body as a source of fuel.
If done well, keto can help with rapid weight loss, but it is not sustainable. It encourages consumption of good fats and cutting down of unhealthy processed food and sugar. Â Therefore, while it is not all bad for the body, but it is very hard to follow through.
Nordic Diet
Helpful for weight loss and decreasing blood pressure, Nordic diet focuses on consumption of natural foods for not just weight loss, but for the sake of environment as well.
A diet with origins in the Scandinavian region, this diet involves consumption of plant-based foods like whole-grain cereals, vegetables, fruits- especially berries.
Meat and fatty fish are consumed in moderation. It also promotes the use of canola oil and alpha-linolenic acid.
Volumetrics Diet
This diet involves filling up on low calorie food and water so that hunger is subsided. Other principles include exercising daily and keeping track of the calories.
People following volumetrics diet eat mostly vegetables, soups and lots of water. Unlike fad diets, it does not cut out any food group from the diet, albeit calls out for decreasing portion size of such foods.
Low-carb Diet
Low-carb diet is a very healthy option as well, as it cuts out the processed carbohydrate from the diet. Instead, more natural foods, healthy proteins and fats are consumed. It is similar to keto, however, the ratio of fat consumed is slightly less.
Cutting out the harmful complex carbohydrates and sugary foods are helpful in improving health and encouraging weight loss. It also doesn’t involve starving or careful tracking of calories, so is sustainable practice.
DASH Diet
Although DASH diet was introduced to combat hypertension in a natural way, it is also helpful in weight loss journey as well. Moreover, as the diet is a realistic one that does not call for radical life changes, it can be a permanent fixture to your wellness journey.
It essentially focuses on the consumption of natural and whole meal foods, low fat diary, lean meat, poultry and fish. It also calls for cutting back or down, the intake of processed foods as they are laden with sodium as well.
It therefore prevents against obesity- related health risks alongside cardiovascular problems. However, doing DASH diet does not mean that people suffering from hypertension can skip their medication; always confer with your general physician in Karachi before making changes to your medication.
To follow through with the diets, set out a plan based on your goal, any preexisting condition, food preferences etc.
