The 8 Best Diet Plans — Sustainability, Weight Loss, and More

1. Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.

Various forms exist, including the 16/8 method, which involves limiting your calorie intake to 8 hours per day, and the 5:2 method, which restricts your daily calorie intake to 500–600 calories twice per week.

2. Plant-based diets

Plant-based diets may help you lose weight. Vegetarianism and veganism are the most popular versions, which restrict animal products for health, ethical, and environmental reasons.

However, more flexible plant-based diets also exist, such as the flexitarian diet, which is a plant-based diet that allows eating animal products in moderation.

3. Low-carb diets

Low-carb diets are among the most popular diets for weight loss. Examples include the Atkins diet, ketogenic (keto) diet, and low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet.

Some varieties reduce carbs more drastically than others. For instance, very-low-carb diets like the keto diet restrict this macronutrient to under 10% of total calories, compared with 30% or less for other types.

4. The paleo diet

The paleo diet advocates eating the same foods that your hunter-gatherer ancestors allegedly ate.

It’s based on the theory that modern diseases are linked to the Western diet, as proponents believe that the human body hasn’t evolved to process legumes, grains, and dairy.

5. Low-fat diets

Like low-carb diets, low-fat diets have been popular for decades.

In general, a low-fat diet involves restricting your fat intake to 30% of your daily calories.

Some very- and ultra-low-fat diets aim to limit fat consumption to under 10% of calories.

6. The Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is based on foods that people in countries like Italy and Greece used to eat.

Though it was designed to lower heart disease risk, numerous studies indicate that it can also aid weight loss.

7. WW (Weight Watchers)

WW, formerly Weight Watchers, is one of the most popular weight loss programs worldwide.

While it doesn’t restrict any food groups, people on a WW plan must eat within their set daily points to reach their ideal weight.

8. The DASH diet

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet, is an eating plan that is designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure, which is clinically known as hypertension.

It emphasizes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats and is low in salt, red meat, added sugars, and fat.

While the DASH diet is not a weight loss diet, many people report losing weight on it.