{"id":47830,"date":"2021-12-29T09:00:47","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T14:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=47830"},"modified":"2026-02-25T10:51:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:51:01","slug":"weight-loss-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/weight-loss-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"The best diet for weight loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

The correlation between your health and body mass index (BMI) is a topic of debate. The BMI, which has been around for almost 200 years, calculates your body weight and height to find if your current size is ideal or not. <\/span>BMI numbers<\/span> come from statistics and can be unreliable, especially for athletes, seniors, and pregnant individuals, partly because the numbers do not take into account weight from muscle mass. However, people with higher BMIs are at a higher risk for certain chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, liver damage, arthritis, or sleep apnea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During different points of your life, your BMI may begin to creep into the overweight or obese categories. When that happens, your healthcare provider may suggest losing weight for health reasons. Maintaining a healthy weight can have many health benefits, such as better regulation of blood pressure and a reduced burden for your circulatory system. If you\u2019re looking for ways to drop a few pounds, continue reading to find healthy and proven techniques that can help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the best diet for weight loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are almost unlimited weight-loss diets out there claiming they can help you finally lose those unwanted pounds. You have likely heard of popular diets such as the South Beach diet, a ketogenic or <\/span>keto diet<\/span><\/a>, Weight Watchers, or the paleo diet. So which one is the best for you?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere really is no \u2018best diet\u2019 for weight loss as they often restrict certain food groups,\u201d says <\/span>Jenna Del Borrello, MS, RDN, CDN<\/span><\/a>, a dietitian at The Dietitian Group in Brooklyn. \u201cThe best diet for weight loss is what works best and is realistic and sustainable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jacob Mey, RDN<\/span><\/a>, Ph.D., agrees that sustainability should be the goal. \u201cThe data is clear: Short-term diets are ineffective for losing weight and keeping it off,\u201d Mey says. \u201cStruggling with your daily food choices or eliminating your favorite foods just doesn’t work long-term.\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

While popular high protein, low-carb diets may lead to initial weight loss, rarely do these programs provide sustainable weight loss. Fad diets are typically restrictive, which can lead to diet burn out. Even people with the best willpower struggle to cut out their favorite \u201cunhealthy\u201d foods forever. Whether it be <\/span>carbohydrates<\/span><\/a>, desserts, processed foods, or whatever your guilty pleasure, moderation of these calories is the key for sustainable weight loss. To lose weight, you simply need to burn more calories than you eat, which does not mean you must cut out foods entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, there are some popular diets that are better than others. <\/span>One systematic review<\/span><\/a>\u00a0found that The Atkins Diet, a low-carb diet, was most effective for short and long term weight loss. <\/span>Another meta-analysis<\/span><\/a> found that the Mediterranean diet had the best weight loss and BMI improvement, while The Paleo diet was graded as weak. The Mediterranean diet, which focuses on incorporating healthy foods, such as vegetables and whole grains, is also commonly recommended by physicians to patients wanting to lose weight or improve their health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to find a diet that will accommodate your personal preferences, while also helping you eat less overall,\u201d explains Dr. Mey, \u201cA personalized approach to weight loss is the most effective method.\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re having trouble finding an approach or diet plan for weight loss that works for you, Del Borello recommends, \u201cWork with a registered dietitian to outline specific recommendations that are tailored to each person.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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