There so much information available for us now with reference to diets. This can be very overwhelming when doing a Google search and the information you get may not be the advice you need. People preach about all different ways to lose weight and what they did do it but rarely talk about the fundamentals and basics of how they did it. You will hear people talk about fasting, keto, low fat, reduced sugar, avoiding foods such as gluten, sugar and fruits. Even eating for your body type, blood type or genes. We will talk over some of these and what each of these means.
Intermittent Fasting: This is only eating within a given window of time. Essentially a way to help control calories. Some popular ways are:
- 5:2 (eat 5 days normal and 2 days fasting)
- 8hr eating window
- Alternative day fasting
If you don't like eating breakfast this could be the one for you.
Keto: This is a reduction in carbohydrates, going as low as 20grams per day and relying mostly on fats for your daily intake of calories. This is meant to mean you burn more fat and then produce ketone that supplies the brain with energy, going into a ketosis state. One argument with this is though if your main macro is fat of course you are going to burn more fat as there is no other energy source. If you enjoy the occasional piece of bread, cake or anything fun like a normal person this one is definitely not for you.
Paleo: This is quite a restrictive diet as you can only eat foods that can be obtained by hunting and gathering. These include meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. Nothing in the last 10,000 years when farming became common, which includes dairy products, grains and legumes.
Low Fat Diet: Eating mostly plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables with lean meats. This is a way to reduce fat intake and even substituting some products for low fat alternatives.
This is another way to reduce calories as we all know fat is 9 calories per 1g. So, reducing this will obviously reduce your daily intake as long as you don't replace them with something else.
Eating for your Body Type: There is no real science behind this when it comes to eating. This was developed in the 1940s by a psychologist to cater to the human physique. Yes, we all have different body shapes and sizes but eating depending on your body type is old school. This is about as effective as eating for genes or the inner animal. Yes, genetics play some part in this but it mainly comes down to our habits and lifestyle which dictate how we look and feel.
When we break these down to the fundamentals, they are all trying to achieve the same thing, which is calorie control and creating a deficit. They might try and use fancy words to convince you theirs is the best and you will achieve amazing results doing that particular diet, but at the end of the day if weight loss is what you are after it is all about calorie control. Carbs don't make you fat unless you eat too many of them. Fats don't make you fat unless you eat too many of them.
