What is the best weight loss diet for you? I weigh out the pros, cons and comparisons as a dietitian!
Whether you’re looking to lose weight, maintain it, or just improve your energy and performance, choosing the right plan for you can be tricky. You can’t pick up a magazine without reading about the latest “hot diet” to try. It can get confusing even for a dietitian like me! To help you wade through the choices and choose the best plan for you, I have compiled a variety of diets, as well as some of their possible pros and cons. This will hopefully help you decide on the best weight loss diet for you.
Since the word “diet” simply just means a way of eating, my suggestion to you is to choose a weight loss diet that you feel you can live with for the rest of your life. And maybe you’ll even find that it’s not about weight loss at all. Love bread? You probably shouldn’t go paleo. On a tight budget? You may want to avoid the commercial diet product programs. Have a family to feed and please? They may hate you if you only eat raw. Whatever you choose to try, I urge you to consider it a lifestyle shift that you and your family can live with happily. This is why I personally practice Mindfulness and a general Heart Healthy diet. I try to listen and honour my body’s unique needs and cravings, while sticking to a general eating pattern that includes a variety of fibre-rich vegetables, fruits and whole grains, lean proteins, and low fat dairy. I feel happy and healthy, so that’s how I know it’s “working” – not necessarily by the number on the scale or size of my clothes. That’s my nutrition “truth” – it’s up to you to find yours and through that, your best weight loss diet.
What’s the Best Weight Loss Diet for You?
Read on, share with your friends, and keep this weight loss diet infographic on hand the next time you find yourself struggling with food. A big thank you to my fantastic nutrition student Katie Brunke for compiling the literature and creating this snazzy infographic!
Updated on November 19th, 2016
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Abbey Sharp says
Thank you, I definitely wil
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
I’m a fan of a healthy lifestyle change instead of just a diet! Seems like the best way to keep it up. Great pro and cons for anyone starting out!
Abbey Sharp says
agreed thanks!
GiselleR @ ExSloth.com says
I did an elimination diet a few years back and it was very hard to maintain. Luckily, I only really needed to do it to figure out what was causing my digestive issues, so it wasn’t a long term thing.
Abbey Sharp says
thats good
chrissy says
I love your nutrition “truth”. I don’t like the word “diet” as it’s commonly used. i strive for moderation and a healthy lifestyle. what makes one person healthy and happy may be completely different for another. great post!
Abbey Sharp says
agreed
Sarah- A Whisk and Two Wands says
So much information and a great comparison. At first I thought it would just be vegan vs paleo vs… but I really like all the options you laid out. I really hate putting labels on eating though and think everyone needs to figure out and do what’s best for them and what was best last week or last year might not be what’s best now.
Abbey Sharp says
I agree. totally!
Kerri McGrail says
This infographic is so well organized! While I eat a gluten free, vegan diet, i never consider myself to be “on a diet”. I always call it a lifestyle 🙂 I don’t really view them as elimination diets either because my “diet” is so abundant 🙂
Abbey Sharp says
absolutely. that’s great
Ilka says
You are mentioning some really good points in your post Abbey. All diets have their pros and cons.
I’m so done with any restrictive diets – I think it always backfires.
Abbey Sharp says
i agree, they do
KAYLA @ BLONDES HAVE MORE RUN says
While I’m not a fan of the term ‘diet,’ as I’m sure you aren’t either, I think you created super informative and beautifully designed infographics for those people out there that are looking for their next diet solution!
Abbey Sharp says
yes, I hate the word diet
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
Well this really interesting. I don’t think most people who go on a “diet” always think through all of the pros and cons. I am an anti diet person 🙂
Abbey Sharp says
agreed, me too
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says
This is a great post! i love how you broke down the different methods people try to lose weight… I used to count calories, but recently changed to making smart choices and it has worked better for me!
Abbey Sharp says
that’s amazing
GiGi Eats says
Another awesome infograph!! This is so so helpful for people trying to lose weight, although I must say, there is NO one-size-fits-all!
Abbey Sharp says
agreed
Lauren Harris-Pincus says
This is awesome!!! Fantastic breakdown for all of us, consumers and professionals 🙂
Abbey Sharp says
yes!!
Abbey Sharp says
So glad this was helpful!
Florence Cochrane says
thank you for the post. I enjoyed reading it.
Abbey Sharp says
So glad you like!!
SandyT says
Great post! People really need to educate themselves on diets and weight loss. Otherwise, they could end up hurting themselves. Everything in moderation is a good thing.