How to Lose Weight | Top 4 Trending Diets of 2021

There are so many different types of diets claiming to provide the best results for weight loss, but how do you know which ones are telling the truth? Or which one is going to be best suited to your lifestyle and routine? Our Head Nutritionist and Sports Dietitian gives you the rundown of some of the best from which to choose.

Summary

• Intermittent fastingis a popular form of dieting and may take many forms. Some of these include the 5:2 diet, time restricted feeding or 24-hour fasting.

• The keto diet  focuses on foods very low in carbohydrates and high in good fats, as well as fibre-rich wholefoods. Ketosis uses alternative energy sources to fuel your body and weight loss occurs as a result of this change.

• A plant-based diet , while able to assist with weight loss and overall gut health, is also often praised for its ecological benefits too. High sustainability in the long term for the environment and your waist-line.

• Made famous by Adele, the Sirtfood Dietis high in sirtuins, a protein known to assist with fighting illness and also assisting with weight loss.

The silly season is well and truly behind us and sadly for some, new year’s resolutions to be healthier are slowly fading into the background. For those who still want to lose weight, the best path to long term weight loss is to focus on a protein and fibre rich diet, predominantly comprising wholefoods. It’s also advisable to reduce consumption of highly refined foods and alcohol.

But what if you’re trying to get the most out of these long summer days by enjoying a (well-earned) cocktail or two by the pool? Or if you lead a busy lifestyle and find it hard to compromise on your social life? It can be hard for you to consistently eat healthy in the long term. So, we’ve scratched beneath the surface to give you a better understanding of what’s currently trending in weight loss.

Intermittent Fasting

Probably the most on trend weight loss technique at the moment, intermittent fasting has become a popular diet trend as many typical breakfast-skippers claim to now be “converts” of intermittent fasting.

A person following an intermittent fasting plan can do things in a few ways:

The 5:2 Diet

This means to consume around 500 calories per day for 2 days of the week and to eat whatever you’d like on the other 5 days. It allows people to have a social life and still lose weight alongside providing positive health benefits for those with some metabolic conditions.

Time Restricted Feeding

Here, you eat your entire day’s intake in an 8-hour window and fast for the other 16 hours of the day. Research has shown that this can be an effective way of managing some diet-related metabolic conditions. It can also curb late night snacking, which is typically comprised of foods high in sugar and fat.

24-Hour Fasting

This involves completely fasting from any foods and drinks (excluding no calorie drinks such as water) once or twice a week, which is thought to “reset” a person’s metabolism. By consuming no food on one day each week, it reduces your total caloric intake over a week, which can help to create a calorie deficit.

Most people these days tend to follow the time restricted plan and generally choose to skip breakfast and have a 12-8pm “feeding window”. This enables them to still have 2 square meals a day plus a couple of snacks. It also cuts out inadvertent snacking people can be guilty of at morning tea or before bed.

As many time poor individuals tend to skip breakfast these days, this diet is probably the easiest way for someone to start their weight loss journey. It will cut out any high calorie snacking late at night without compromising their lifestyle.

The Keto Diet

The keto diet has a cult following with its dedicated supporters swearing by it as an effective way to clean up your diet and lose weight quickly.

Essentially, a keto diet is a diet high in fat with moderate amounts of protein and restricts the consumption of carbs. It restricts both good quality wholegrain and fibre-rich types of carbs such as sweet potato, pumpkin, wholemeal sourdough and brown rice, as well as refined foods such as chips, ice cream, crackers, sauces, juices and soft drink.

For those looking to lose weight, cutting out processed foods high in carbs and fat would generally lead to weight loss which is why people on a keto diet generally have success.

Keto basically leaves you with a diet high in slow digesting fat (to keep you feeling full), vegetables (high in fibre, as well as vitamins and minerals) and lean protein, with a low amount of carbohydrate-filled foods (20-50g/day).

These guidelines seem to provide a nutritional focus for those who find the “eat in moderation” philosophy hard to get excited about and takes the guesswork out of what to consume and what to cut out.

By following these guidelines, your body enters a state of ketosis, which uses alternate fuel sources such as internal fat stores to produce energy. Some followers have found it provides them with an incredible amount of energy and mental clarity, as blood sugar levels are stable throughout most parts of the day.

However, this seems to be reported by those who previously had a haphazard style of eating. Be aware, as it can also lead to some short term negative symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and constipation.

If the keto diet sounds like the best option for you, why not try our keto-friendly pack? It’s packed with delicious, keto-friendly meals and you can even add snacks too.

Plant-Based Diet

Known in some circles as “The Feelgood Diet”, many people aren’t just switching to a plant-based or vegan diet for weight loss, but are also switching over into droves for climate change and animal cruelty reasons. Many people are aware that our consumption of meat and animal products is currently unsustainable; information backed by the UN, who also urge people to reduce their meat intake in order to curb greenhouse gases.

The good news about switching to a plant-based diet is it’s not only a marker for maintaining a healthy weight in the long term, but it’s also linked with reducing the risk of chronic conditions and diseases. It particularly works for those who love to feel full, as you can eat a whole plate (or two!) of vegetables given most are low in carbohydrate and calories.

Along with its long term benefits, many find their waistlines tend to shrink due to high consumption of fibre, which keeps them fuller for longer, fuels their gut health and improves digestion. An ever-expanding variety of meat-free high protein meals and snacks available at local grocery stores or restaurants certainly make things easier.

The only real downfall of a vegan diet can be its occasional exclusion of some important nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc, calcium, omega-3 fats (good fats) and vitamin B12. Having said that, if you ensure these are a focus of your switch to a plant-based or vegan diet, then there is no reason you should be lacking in any nutrients.

If you’re looking to go plant-based, then you’re in luck. We also boast a number of vegan options, and have put them all into a handy pack for you.

The Sirtfood Diet

This one may not sound so familiar compared to the others, but it’s the latest diet trending across Europe. Rather than many diets, which are often defined by what they exclude, this is well known for its “allowed” foods and encouragement of regular consumption of red wine and chocolate.

The Sirtfood Diet was also made famous by the popular singer, Adele, who lost an incredible 45kg while strictly following this new trend. The Sirtfood Diet is named after sirtuins, a protein found in food that can protect cells from early cell death and/or reduce the inflammation within the cell during bouts of illness. It has also been suggested that this can help with weight loss by increasing fat metabolism and the body’s ability to burn fat more efficiently.

The foods most well known within this diet are dark chocolate and red wine, which are high in sirtuins, however, the diet encourages the consumption of many other healthy foods such as:

• Apples

• Blueberries

• Buckwheat

• Capers

• Citrus fruits

• Coffee

• Dark chocolate (85% cocoa)

• Green tea

• Kale

• Medjool dates

• Olive oil

• Parsley

• Red onion

• Red wine

• Rocket

• Soy

• Strawberries

• Turmeric

• Walnuts

This diet is made of 2 phases, which include a recommendation of very low calories (between 1000-1500 cals/day), along with 2-3 Sirtuin-rich green juices and 1-2 Sirtuin-rich meals per day for 2-4 weeks.

There isn’t really a guide as to what will happen upon the conclusion of these phases, although it’s said that the more sirtfoods you include in your diet each day, the better.

This diet has shown promising early signs, however, it’s most likely due to a low calorie intake along with the effect of a higher fibre diet over the first two phases.

Countless articles and a ton of research highlight the fact that a diet predominantly based around wholefoods, which is high in protein and fibre will lead to positive results regarding weight loss and muscle recovery.

While we know already, that everytime we try to eat healthier, we feel better, sometimes you need to try a different approach. The diet trends above may in fact refresh things enough to help you on your journey to be healthier and happier.

To view My Muscle Chef’s delicious weight loss meal plans, look no further than here. It’s the tastiest window to long term weight loss.