Weight Loss Coaches Near Me

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FAQs:

What is Weight Loss Counseling?

Weight loss counseling helps you to make sense of your struggle to lose weight by adopting multiple techniques. Many patients seek weight loss counseling to comprehend and alter the problematic emotional, behavioral, and thought habits linked to their weight and food. Weight loss counseling is where you may increase your self-esteem and confidence while also learning how to change your eating and behavioral patterns for the better. This helps you to lose weight fast by understanding the importance of weight management in your life and adopting a healthy eating display. During the counseling, physical and psychological factors for weight loss are targeted to ensure guaranteed results with your struggle.

What Does a Weight Loss Counselor Do?

As a weight loss counselor, your primary responsibilities are to help clients manage their health and lose or maintain weight. In this role, you may provide education on different weight loss techniques, help adapt weight loss plans to any special medical or dietary restrictions, and provide emotional support for clients who are struggling to stay on track. Weight loss counselors often have one-on-one meetings with clients, research new industry trends, and provide personalized feedback on client progress. Fulfilling the duties of this position requires strong communication, critical thinking, and management skills, as well as the ability to stay up-to-date with developments in the health and weight loss industries.

What is Weight Loss?

Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other connective tissue). Weight loss can either occur unintentionally because of malnourishment or an underlying disease, or from a conscious effort to improve an actual or perceived overweight or obese state. "Unexplained" weight loss that is not caused by a reduction in calorific intake or exercise is called cachexia and may be a symptom of a serious medical condition.

What is Weight Loss Therapy?

Weight loss therapy is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on lifestyle changes that promote weight loss. Diet and exercise impact the physical element of losing weight. Therapy tackles the mental side. If you can get your mind and body working in unison, you are more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

Here are some goals of weight loss therapy:

1. Figure out what caused you to gain weight in the first place. Is it hereditary, or are there elements of your lifestyle that may need adjusting?

2. Look for issues that may be causing you to hold onto weight – stress, anxiety, depression, etc.

3. Change the way you view food, exercise, and other aspects of weight loss.

4. Find healthy coping mechanisms for stress, sadness, and anger. For instance, if you use food as a source of comfort, you can find alternative options that provide the same joy without weight gain.

5. Identify outside factors that make you more prone to gaining weight, such as poor sleeping habits or inconsistent eating schedules.

6. Change the way you see your body to reverse the effects of body dysmorphia (seeing yourself as bigger or smaller than you actually are).

The process is completely personalized to fit your needs and goals. Weight loss therapy may not make you lose weight on its own, but it can significantly improve the effects of diet and exercise.

What Does a Psychologist Do for Weight Loss?

Psychologists are experts in helping people make behavioral and lifestyle changes that assist with weight management. They may work with individuals and families independently in their private practice or as part of a health care team, often in a setting where mental health and medical services are integrated. Sometimes a psychologist will work on weight control with a patient who has been referred by a physician, dietitian, or other health care professional.

People who seek help from psychologists range in age from children to adults. They include those who simply struggle with managing their weight as well as individuals whose weight problems are related to chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease or other conditions like depression, anxiety, or eating disorders.

Psychologists talk to patients about their challenges in making healthy choices and identify the triggers that prompt the patient to make unhealthy choices. A psychologist may also evaluate a patient for anxiety, depression, and eating disorders such as binge eating. These conditions can sometimes contribute to weight issues.

How Fast Will You Lose Weight?

You may lose weight more quickly in the first week of a diet plan and then lose weight at a slower but more consistent rate after that. In the first week, you typically lose a mix of both body fat and water weight. If this is the first time you are making changes to your diet and exercise habits, weight loss may happen more quickly. Unless your doctor suggests otherwise, losing 1–2 pounds per week is usually a safe amount. If you’re trying to lose weight faster than that, speak to your doctor about a safe level of calorie reduction.

Aside from weight loss, a low-carb diet can improve your health in a few ways, though the long-term effects are not yet known:

- blood sugar levels tend to significantly decrease on low-carb diets

- triglycerides tend to go down

- LDL (bad) cholesterol goes down

- blood pressure improves significantly

Other diet types that reduce calories and increase whole foods are also associated with improved metabolic markers and slower aging. Ultimately, you may find a more balanced diet that includes complex carbohydrates is more sustainable.

What's the Difference Between Weight Loss and Fat Loss?

Weight loss refers to a decrease in your overall body weight from muscle, water, and fat losses. Fat loss refers to weight loss from fat, and it’s a more specific and healthful goal than weight loss. However, it can be difficult to know whether you’re losing weight from fat or muscle. It’s common practice to track your weight loss progress using a scale. While this can be helpful, most scales don’t differentiate between fat loss and muscle loss. For that reason, tracking only your weight isn’t a reliable way to determine whether you’re losing fat or muscle and in what amounts. Conversely, a body fat scale can provide a more accurate picture of your body composition by measuring the percentage of fat and muscle you have. You can also use skinfold calipers to estimate your body fat percentage, but this takes practice to ensure accuracy.

What is Weight Management?

​The goal of weight management is to achieve or maintain a healthy weight by either gaining or reducing weight. Weight management is the process of losing the extra pounds that we want to get rid of. A healthy approach to weight management frequently includes lifestyle adjustments. For a healthy lifestyle, maintaining the right weight is the first step. If you include things like exercise objectives, eating complete foods, and spending less time in front of television and computer displays, you have a greater chance to lose weight. Maintaining a healthy weight can be challenging. Confusing dietary recommendations and scary exercises only make things more difficult. However, losing weight can have a significant positive impact on your physical and emotional health.

What Kind of Doctor Specializes in Weight Loss?

If you've tried losing weight on your own without success, a doctor specializing in weight loss can help you develop a plan to lose weight safely. Weight loss usually begins with your family physician, who can make basic nutrition and exercise recommendations and offer you a referral to a specialist.

1. General Practitioner

Your general practitioner -- commonly called a family physician -- should be your starting point for weight loss help, particularly if you only need to lose a few pounds. Ask your doctor for guidelines about healthy weight loss for your age and medical condition, appropriate exercises and if there are any foods you should eliminate from your diet. If you are obese or experiencing extreme difficulty losing weight, your family physician can give you a referral to a specialist.

2. Bariatric Physician

Bariatric physicians study obesity, its causes, and its prevention. A bariatric physician is well-equipped to provide you with in-depth nutritional information and information about exercise. If you are morbidly obese, exercise can carry some additional risks. Your bariatric physician can advise you about how to minimize these risks. Bariatric surgeons are a subset of bariatric physicians who perform weight loss surgery. If your weight loss efforts are failing and you need to lose weight to remain healthy, your physician may refer you to a bariatric surgeon for a consultation about weight loss surgery.

3. Endocrinologist

Endocrinology is the study of glands and the hormones that secrete them. A variety of hormonal conditions can contribute to obesity. These include hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, and Cushing's disease. If you suffer from an endocrine system-related disorder, your doctor may refer you to an endocrinologist before referring you to a weight loss specialist or advising dietary changes.

4. Nutritionist

Dietitians and nutritionists are not typically physicians but are experts in nutrition. They often have master's or doctoral degrees in nutrition and can advise you about proper diet, how food can affect your overall health, and other weight loss issues. Many bariatric medical practices have nutritionists on staff. If you are obese, your doctor may advise you to consult with a nutritionist in conjunction with other weight loss measures.

What is Unexplained Weight Loss?

Unexplained weight loss is a noticeable drop in body weight that occurs even if the person is not trying to lose weight. Weight loss does not come about because of diet, exercise, or lifestyle changes. Weight loss of 10 pounds or more, or five percent of body weight, over a period of 6 to 12 months is considered “unexplained.” Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of a serious condition or illness. For this reason, it is important to seek medical attention if you (or a family member) have weight loss that cannot be explained.

10 Weight Loss Myths

So much is said about losing weight that it can be hard to sort fact from fiction. Here's the truth about 10 common weight loss myths.

1. A radical exercise regime is the only way to lose weight

Not true. Successful weight loss involves making small changes that you can stick to for a long time. That means being more physically active in your daily routine. Adults should get at least 150 minutes of physical activity – such as fast walking or cycling – every week, and those who are overweight are likely to need more than this to lose weight.

2. Healthier foods are more expensive

It may seem that healthier foods are more expensive than their unhealthier alternatives. However, if you try replacing ingredients with healthier alternatives, you'll probably find your meals will work out costing less. 

3. Carbs make you put on weight

Eaten in the right quantities and as part of a balanced diet, carbohydrates will not, on their own (that is, without butter, creamy sauces, and so on added to them) lead to weight gain. Eat whole grain and wholemeal carbohydrates such as brown rice and wholemeal bread, and potatoes with the skins on to increase your intake of fiber, and don't fry starchy foods when trying to lose weight. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. This can be achieved by eating less, moving more, or, best of all, a combination of both.

4. Starving myself is the best way to lose weight

Crash diets are unlikely to result in long-term weight loss. In fact, they can sometimes lead to longer-term weight gain. The main problem is that this type of diet is too hard to maintain. You may also be missing out on essential nutrients as crash diets can be limited in the variety of food consumed. Your body will be low on energy which may cause you to crave high-fat and high-sugar foods. This can lead to eating those foods and more calories than you need, causing weight gain.

5. Some foods speed up your metabolism

Metabolism describes all the chemical processes that go on continuously inside the body to keep you alive and your organs functioning normally, such as breathing, repairing cells, and digesting food. These processes need energy and the amount of energy required varies between individuals depending on factors such as body size, age, gender, and genes. It is claimed that certain foods and drinks can increase your metabolism by helping the body to burn more calories and aid weight loss. There is little scientific evidence for this. Beware that some of these products may contain high levels of caffeine and sugar.

6. All slimming pills are safe to use for weight loss

Not all slimming tablets are effective or safe to use to lose weight. There are a number of prescribed medicines available from your GP for weight loss. There are also other un-prescribed, unlicensed weight loss products available on the market which may contain ingredients that are harmful to health. If you are concerned about your weight, consult your GP or another healthcare professional.

7. Foods labeled 'low fat' or 'reduced fat' are always a healthy choice

Be cautious. Foods labeled "low fat" have to contain no more than a specific amount of fat to legally use that label. If a food is labeled as "low-fat" or "reduced fat", it should contain less fat than the full-fat version, but that doesn't automatically make it a healthy choice: Check the label to see how much fat it contains. Some low-fat foods may also contain high levels of sugar.

8. Cutting out all snacks can help you lose weight

Snacking isn't the problem when trying to lose weight: it's the type of snack. Many people need a snack in-between meals to maintain energy levels, especially if they have an active lifestyle. Choose fruit or vegetables instead of crisps, chocolate, and other snacks that are high in sugar, salt, and fat. 

9. Drinking water helps you lose weight

Water does not cause you to lose weight, but it does keep you hydrated and might help you snack less. Water is essential for good health and well-being. Sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger – if you're thirsty you may snack more.

10. Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight

Skipping meals is not a good idea. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to reduce the number of calories you consume and increase the calories you burn through exercise. But skipping meals altogether can result in tiredness and may mean you miss out on essential nutrients. You will also be more likely to snack on high-fat and high-sugar foods, which could result in weight gain.

Reasons for Losing Weight

There are many reasons for losing weight:

1. Appearance: Some people may feel that if they lose weight, they will look more attractive, fitter, or healthier.

2. Confidence and body image: Some people with excess weight or obesity may feel uncomfortable about their appearance.

3. Overall health: Maintaining an appropriate weight can help to boost overall health and prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

4. Specific conditions: Symptoms of sleep apnea or type 2 diabetes, for example, may improve or go away when a person loses excess weight.

5. Fitness: A weight-loss program that involves exercise can leave a person feeling fitter, with more energy and stamina.

6. Sports competitions: In some sports, such as boxing, an individual may seek to control their weight to stay in their existing weight category.

7. Fertility: Fertility treatment appears to be more effectiveTrusted Source in women with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) if they lose some weight before treatment.

11 Health Benefits of Losing Weight

Your weight doesn’t determine how “healthy” you are, but sometimes losing weight to achieve a healthier-for-you weight can come with some pretty dope health perks. Here are 11 benefits of weight loss.

1. Boosting energy levels

Weight loss can improve respiratory function and sleep quality. Removing excess weight also means your body doesn’t have to work as hard to get through the day. All of these benefits together can help you feel more energized.

2. Lowering cholesterol

Being overweight is associated with unhealthy cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Research shows that obesity is linked to higher bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower good cholesterol (HDL).

3. Reducing blood pressure

Experiencing obesity and having overweight can increase your risk of high blood pressure. But remember, a number on the scale isn’t the only thing that counts. It also matters where the weight is placed. A 2018 study found that visceral fat — extra fat around your waist — is particularly dangerous.

4. Increasing mobility

Carrying around extra weight can take a toll on your joints. According to the Arthritis Foundation, losing 10 pounds can take 40 pounds of pressure off your knees. Losing weight can also help your mobility in the long term. A 2017 study analyzed 640 participants that are obese or overweight. Folks who lost weight over the course of 4 years showed less cartilage deterioration than those who didn’t.

5. Improving breathing

Losing weight can help you prevent obesity-related breathing conditions like obesity hypoventilation syndrome. This disorder is caused by extra fat on the chest, neck, or abdomen, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Symptoms include feeling out of breath, fatigue, snoring, and headaches.

6. Reducing the risk of heart disease or stroke

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke, heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases account for 1 in 3 deaths in the United States. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of these conditions.

7. Preventing type 2 diabetes

Many different factors are involved in the development of diabetes, but obesity is a leading risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. This condition happens when your body doesn’t respond to insulin correctly. As a result, your blood glucose (aka blood sugar) levels go up and you become even more resistant to insulin.

8. Enhancing sleep-quality

Studies show there’s a link between obesity and poor sleep quality. That can lead to lower energy levels and increased fatigue.

9. Reducing the risk of certain cancers

According to the American Cancer Society, excess body weight can increase your risk of certain types of cancer.

10. Improving mood

Some studies suggest weight loss can increase confidence and your overall mood. This might be due to the lifestyle changes used as a weight loss tool.

11. Increasing sex drive

Losing weight might lead to a more active sex life. Researchers are still trying to work out the exact correlation between sex drive and body mass index (BMI). But studies show weight gain can increase sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in your blood. That’s a scientific way of saying extra weight may decrease your libido.

8 Best Exercises for Weight Loss

Aside from dieting, exercising is one of the most common strategies employed by those trying to shed extra pounds. It burns calories, and this plays a key role in weight loss.

In addition to helping you lose weight, exercise has many other benefits, including improved mood, stronger bones, and a reduced risk of many chronic diseases. Here are the best exercises for weight loss.

1. Walking

Walking is one of the best exercises for weight loss and for good reason. It’s easy to fit walking into your daily routine. To add more steps to your day, try walking during your lunch break, taking the stairs at work, or taking your dog for extra walks. To get started, aim to walk for 30 minutes 3–4 times a week. You can gradually increase the duration or frequency of your walks as you become fitter.

2. Jogging or running

Jogging and running are great exercises to help you lose weight. Although they seem similar, the key difference is that a jogging pace is generally between 4–6 mph (6.4–9.7 km/h), while a running pace is faster than 6 mph (9.7 km/h). Both jogging and running are great exercises that can be done anywhere and are easy to incorporate into your weekly routine. To get started, aim to jog for 20–30 minutes 3–4 times per week.

3. Cycling

Cycling is a popular exercise that improves your fitness and can help you lose weight. Not only is cycling great for weight loss, but studies have found that people who cycle regularly have better overall fitness, increased insulin sensitivity, and a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and death, compared with those who don’t cycle regularly. Cycling is great for people of all fitness levels, from beginners to athletes. Plus, it’s a non-weight-bearing and low-impact exercise, so it won’t place much stress on your joints.

4. Weight training

Weight training is a popular choice for people looking to lose weight. A 155-pound (70-kg) person burns roughly 108 calories per 30 minutes of weight training. Also, weight training can help you build strength and promote muscle growth, which can raise your resting metabolic rate (RMR), or how many calories your body burns at rest.

5. Interval training

Interval training, more commonly known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), is a broad term for short bursts of intense exercise that alternate with recovery periods. Typically, a HIIT workout lasts 10–30 minutes and can burn many calories. Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that HIIT is especially effective at burning belly fat, which has links to many chronic diseases. HIIT is easy to incorporate into your exercise routine. All you need to do is choose a type of exercise, such as running, jumping, or biking, and your exercise and rest times.

6. Swimming

Swimming is a fun way to lose weight and get in shape. One 12-week study in 24 middle-aged women found that swimming for 60 minutes 3 times per week significantly reduced body fat, improved flexibility, and reduced several heart disease risk factors, including high total cholesterol and blood triglycerides. Another advantage of swimming is its low-impact nature, meaning it’s easier on your joints. This makes it a great option for people who have injuries or joint pain.

7. Yoga

Yoga is a popular way to exercise and relieve stress. While it’s not commonly thought of as a weight loss exercise, it burns a fair amount of calories and offers many additional health benefits that can promote weight loss. Aside from burning calories, studies have shown that yoga can teach mindfulness and reduce stress levels.

8. Pilates

Pilates is a great beginner-friendly exercise that may help you lose weight. Other than weight loss, Pilates may reduce lower back pain and improve your strength, balance, flexibility, endurance, and overall fitness level.

How to Lose Weight the Healthy Way

Losing and maintaining weight is a life-long commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t change everything at once – a few small tweaks to your diet and movement, in the beginning, can make a big difference. You can lose body fat by making these few easy changes to your eating habits:

1. Avoid crash and fad diets to reduce your risk of yoyo dieting.

2. Try to eat a wide variety of foods from all 5 food groups from the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating).

3. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake – particularly vegetables, most are low in kilojoules and contain fiber, which helps you feel full.

4. Be mindful of the portions of foods and drinks you’re consuming – the bigger the serve, the more energy it contains.

5. Reduce your intake of foods that are high in added fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt.

6. Make soft drinks, lollies, snack foods, and alcoholic drinks an occasional 'extra'.

7. Most adults should eat no more than one or 2 'treats' a day. If you are overweight or inactive, you may need to limit treats to less than one a day.

8. How many standard drinks are you having during the week?

9. Try to balance an 'extra' food with extra exercise. The more energy you burn, the more treats you can afford to have. Remember, you should only add extra foods after you have covered your nutrient needs with choices from the healthier food groups.

10. Don't eliminate any food groups. Instead, choose from a wide range of foods every day and choose 'whole', less-processed foods.

11. Have a regular pattern of eating and stick to it.

12. Replace sugary drinks with water.

13. Avoid using food for comfort, such as when you are upset, angry, or stressed. Explore other healthy ways to cope with these feelings, (such as going for a walk, reading a book, having a bath, or listening to music).

14. Look at the facts – for instance, although it might be easy to eat a family-sized block of chocolate in one sitting, it will take 2.5 hours of jogging (or over 6 hours of walking) to burn off the energy it contains!

15 Common Mistakes When Trying to Lose Weight

Losing weight can be challenging for some people. Sometimes you might feel like you’re making healthy lifestyle choices, yet you’re still not getting the results you want. You may, in fact, be following misguided or outdated advice. This may prevent you from seeing the changes you’re looking for. Here are 15 common mistakes people make when trying to lose weight.

1. Focusing only on the scale

It’s important to remember that the number on the scale is only one measure of weight change. Weight is influenced by several things, including fluid fluctuations and the amount of food that remains in your system. If the number on the scale isn’t moving, you may be losing fat mass but holding on to water. Additionally, if you’ve been working out, you may be gaining muscle and losing fat.

2. Eating too many or too few calories

A calorie deficit is required for weight loss. This means you need to burn more calories than you consume.

3. Not exercising or exercising too much

If you don’t exercise at all while restricting calories, you’re likely to lose more muscle mass and experience a decrease in metabolic rate. However, overexercising can also cause problems.

Studies show excessive exercise is unsustainable in the long term for most people and may lead to stress. In addition, it may negatively impact endocrine hormones, which help regulate functions throughout your body.

4. Not lifting weights

Performing resistance training can greatly promote weight loss. Studies show lifting weights is one of the most effective exercise strategies for gaining muscle and increasing metabolic rate. It also improves strength and physical function and may help increase belly fat loss.

5. Choosing low-fat or “diet” foods

Processed low-fat or “diet” foods are often considered healthy choices that can help you lose weight. However, they may have the opposite effect. Many of these products are loaded with sugar to improve their taste. Low-fat products can also make you feel hungrier, so you may end up eating more food than your body needs. Instead of low-fat or “diet” foods, try to choose a combination of nutritious, minimally processed foods. When possible, choose fruits and vegetables — this includes canned and frozen varieties — because they are naturally low in fat but also packed with nutrients.

6. Overestimating how many calories you burn during exercise

Many people believe that exercise “supercharges” their metabolism. Though exercise increases metabolic rate somewhat, it may be less than you think. Studies show that people with moderate weight and overweight both tend to overestimate the number of calories they burn during exercise, often by a significant amount. People may also overestimate their exercise levels. In one study, 29.1% of participants reported higher physical activity levels than they actually had. Exercise is still crucial for overall health and can help you lose weight. It’s good to understand how much exercise you’re getting and the number of calories it burns.

7. Not eating enough protein

Getting enough protein is important if you’re trying to lose weight. In fact, protein has been shown to help with weight loss in several ways. It may reduce appetite, increase feelings of fullness, lower the amount of weight regained, maintain or increase metabolic rate and protect muscle mass during weight loss. To help with weight loss, try to make sure each of your meals contains a high protein food. Keep in mind your choice of protein isn’t limited to meat or dairy. Beans, legumes, quinoa, and flaxseeds are also great and affordable options.

8. Not eating enough fiber

A low-fiber diet may be hurting your weight loss efforts, along with your overall health. Studies show a type of soluble fiber known as viscous fiber helps reduce appetite by forming a gel that holds water. This gel moves slowly through your digestive tract, making you feel full.

9. Eating too much fat on a low-carb diet

Ketogenic and low-carb diets can be very effective for weight loss for some individuals. Studies show they tend to reduce appetite, which often leads to a spontaneous reduction in calorie intake. Many low-carb and ketogenic diets allow unlimited amounts of fat, assuming that the resulting appetite suppression will keep calories low enough for weight loss.

10. Eating too often, even if you’re not hungry

For many years, the conventional advice has been to eat every few hours to prevent hunger and a drop in metabolism. However, this may lead to consuming more calories than your body needs over the course of the day. You may also never completely feel full.

11. Having unrealistic expectations

Setting weight loss and other health-related goals can help keep you motivated. However, having unrealistic expectations is common and may work against you.

12. Not tracking what you eat in any way

Eating nutritious foods is good for your health and for losing weight. However, you may still be eating more calories than your body needs. What’s more, you may not be getting the amount of protein, fiber, carbs, and fat you need to support your weight loss efforts and your health. Studies show that tracking what you eat can help you get an accurate picture of your calorie and nutrient consumption, as well as provide accountability.

13. Drinking sugary beverages

Many people cut soft drinks and other sweetened beverages out of their diet to lose weight. Reducing the number of sugary drinks you consume is also a healthy choice overall. However, drinking fruit juice instead isn’t necessarily better. Even 100% fruit juice is loaded with sugar and may lead to health problems and obesity, similar to the effects of sugar-sweetened beverages.

14. Not reading labels

Overlooking or misreading label information may lead you to consume unwanted calories and unhealthy ingredients. To get the most complete information about your food, it’s important to look at the ingredients list and nutrition facts label on the back of the container.

15. Not eating whole, single-ingredient foods

One barrier to weight loss can be eating a lot of highly processed foods. Animal and human studies suggest that processed foods may be a major factor in the current high rates of obesity and other health problems. Some researchers believe this could be due to their negative effects on gut health and inflammation. In addition, whole foods tend to be self-limiting, meaning they are harder to overconsume. By contrast, it can be easy to keep eating processed foods even when you’re no longer hungry.

9 Popular Weight Loss Diets

There are many weight loss diets out there. Some focus on reducing your appetite, while others restrict calories, carbs, or fat. Since all of them claim to be superior, it can be hard to know which ones are worth trying. The truth is that no one diet is best for everyone and what works for you may not work for someone else. Here are the 9 most popular weight loss diets and the science behind them.

1. The Paleo Diet

The paleo diet claims that you should eat the same foods that your hunter-gatherer ancestors ate before agriculture developed. The paleo diet emphasizes whole foods, lean protein, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds while discouraging processed foods, sugar, dairy, and grains. Some more flexible versions of the paleo diet also allow for dairies like cheese and butter, as well as tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes. Several studies have shown that the paleo diet can lead to significant weight loss and reduced waist size.

2. The Vegan Diet

The vegan diet restricts all animal products for ethical, environmental, or health reasons. A vegan diet seems to be very effective at helping people lose weight often without counting calories because its very low fat and high fiber content may make you feel fuller for longer. Vegan diets are consistently linked to lower body weight and body mass index (BMI) compared to other diets.

3. Low-Carb Diets

Low-carb diets have been popular for decades — especially for weight loss. There are several types of low-carb diets, but all involve limiting carb intake to 20–150 grams per day. The primary aim of the diet is to force your body to use more fats for fuel instead of using carbs as a main source of energy.

4. The Dukan Diet

The Dukan diet is a high-protein, low-carb weight loss diet split into four phases two weight loss phases and two maintenance phases. Each phase has its own dietary pattern. The weight loss phases are primarily based on eating unlimited high-protein foods and mandatory oat bran. The other phases involve adding non-starchy vegetables followed by some carbs and fat. Later on, there will be fewer and fewer pure protein days to maintain your new weight. In one study, women following the Dukan diet ate about 1,000 calories and 100 grams of protein per day and lost an average of 33 pounds (15 kg) in 8–10 weeks.

5. The Ultra-Low-Fat Diet

An ultra-low-fat diet restricts your consumption of fat to under 10% of daily calories. Generally, a low-fat diet provides around 30% of its calories as fat.

6. The Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is the most well-known low-carb weight loss diet. Its proponents insist that you can lose weight by eating as much protein and fat as you like, as long as you avoid carbs. The main reason why low-carb diets are so effective for weight loss is that they reduce your appetite. This causes you to eat fewer calories without having to think about it.

7. The HCG Diet

The HCG diet is an extreme diet meant to cause very fast weight loss of up to 1–2 pounds (0.45–1 kg) per day. Its proponents claim that it boosts metabolism and fat loss without inducing hunger.

8. The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet is a low-glycemic load diet that have you limit carbs to 35–45% of daily calories and protein and fat to 30% each. It recommends eating only carbs with a low glycemic index (GI). The GI of a food is an estimate of how much it raises your blood glucose levels after consumption.

9. Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting cycles your body between periods of fasting and eating. Rather than restricting the foods you eat, it controls when you eat them. Thus, it can be seen as more of an eating pattern than a diet.

Make a Healthy Weight Loss Plan

Once you understand your current habits, the next step is to plan how you will lose weight. Try to make your goals SMART – be:

1. Specific – write down exactly what you are trying to achieve. (For example, rather than I want to do more exercise, make it specific, I will ride my bike to work on Monday and Wednesday.)

2. Measurable – use numbers or amounts where possible. (For example, I will eat 2 pieces of fruit, each day.)

3. Achievable – there is no point in writing down a goal that you will never reach. (For example, if you know you are unlikely to stop drinking on weekends, a better goal might be instead of having a glass of wine each weeknight while watching my favorite tv program, I will drink a glass of water.)

4. Realistic – your goal needs to be achievable and meaningful to you. (For example, when I feel stressed, instead of snacking, I will stop and ask myself why I feel this way. I will focus on this thought for 10 minutes to establish whether I am hungry before I eat anything.)

5. Time-bound – set a time frame for your goal to track your progress.

How to Stay Motivated in Losing Weight

Remember, the best way to lose weight is to do it slowly by making small, achievable changes to your eating and physical activity habits. You may like to set yourself one or 2 small changes to work on at a time, only adding to these once these have become your new way of life. Be kind to yourself, if things don’t go according to plan, keep trying. You may need to adjust your goals or the time it will take to achieve them.

Permanent weight loss requires making healthy changes to your lifestyle and food choices. To stay motivated:

1. Find a cheering section. Social support means a lot. Programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers use group support to impact weight loss and lifelong healthy eating. Seek out support—whether in the form of family, friends, or a support group—to get the encouragement you need.

2. Slow and steady wins the race. Losing weight too fast can take a toll on your mind and body, making you feel sluggish, drained, and sick. Aim to lose one to two pounds a week so you're losing fat rather than water and muscle.

3. Set goals to keep you motivated. Short-term goals, like wanting to fit into a bikini for the summer, usually don't work as well as wanting to feel more confident or become healthier for your children's sakes. When temptation strikes, focus on the benefits you'll reap from being healthier.

4. Use tools to track your progress. Smartphone apps, fitness trackers, or simply keeping a journal can help you keep track of the food you eat, the calories you burn, and the weight you lose. Seeing the results in black and white can help you stay motivated.

Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep stimulates your appetite so you want more food than normal; at the same time, it stops you from feeling satisfied, making you want to keep eating. Sleep deprivation can also affect your motivation, so aim for eight hours of quality sleep a night.

Why Safely Losing Weight Matters

Healthy weight loss means you lose about 1 to 2 pounds per week. It may sound like a small amount at first, but consider this: If you weigh 200 pounds and lose 2 pounds per week, in 10 weeks, you’ll already have lost 20 pounds. That’s 10% of the weight you started at.

Taking it slowly as you lose weight helps you maintain muscle mass and get the nutrients your body needs. Losing too much weight too quickly can lead to nutrient deficiencies (malnutrition). Rapid weight loss may also affect your metabolism, sending your body into conservation mode. This slows down how fast you burn calories and can actually make it harder to lose weight.

It’s important to remember that a healthy, balanced diet is only one part of successful weight loss. It’s also essential to maintain the positive lifestyle habits you establish to keep off weight.

Think of it as just one step at a time. Focus on one thing you can do, wrap your head around that, and really feel confident in making that change, then go on to the next one. Sure, it might take a bit longer, and your weight loss might be a bit slower. But in the long run, that’s where people tend to have the most success.

Sources:

Wikipedia

Better Health

Healthline

Zip Recruiter

Oakland Psychological

APA

Healthline

City Psychological Services

Azcentral

Cleveland Clinic

NHS

Greatist

Help Guide

Medical News Today

 

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