Weighing Your Options: Choosing a Nutritional Plan that is Right for You!

It seems like there is always a new nutrition plan out there that claims to be better, healthier and helps you lose weight faster than another. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the media, so which plan should you try this time? Keto? Mediterranean? Weight Watchers?  When people start these diets, they may see results, but if they ever decide to try to go back to their previous meal plan, the weight easily packs right back on. Yo-yo dieting has become commonly seen because of these diet tricks. To avoid this, it is important to look at what is right and sustainable for you and your lifestyle. Here are just a few of the most common nutrition plans we are seeing today:

Ketogenic Diet

WHAT IT IS: This trendy diet is a low-carb, high fat, and protein-based diet. The idea behind this diet is that it is using fat stores for energy. When the body is deprived of carbohydrates, which is the main source of fuel for your body’s cells, it finds alternate sources, such as fat stores.¹

PROS:

• Promotes fat loss
• Satisfying because of the high-fat components of the diet.¹
• High caloric burn because of the energy it takes to turn fat and protein into fuel¹.

CONS:

• Side effects such as fatigue, constipation, headaches, or brain “fog” because of the lack of carbs.¹
• Lack of balanced diet, which can lead to many nutrient deficiencies.¹
• Potential increase of kidney stones and osteoporosis.¹

Mediterranean Diet

WHAT IT IS: This diet is a balanced eating approach that originated in Southern European countries. The diet mainly consists of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil and fish. Food groups such as dairy and animal proteins are limited. With this meal plan, exercise is recommended, encouraging an all-around healthy lifestyle.²

PROS:

•  No major food restrictions
•  Inexpensive and satisfying.
• Years of research has shown it has helped combat heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and abnormal cholesterol levels²

CONS:

• Risk of overeating since there are no restrictions on portion sizes.
• It can be time consuming to shop and prepare all meals.
• Certain dietary restrictions may cause difficulty in getting proper nutrients with this meal plan.²

Commercial Nutrition Plans

WHAT IT IS: These forms of weight-loss promoted plans give you specific food or meal plans. There are so many different plans out there such as Weight Watchers³, Jenny Craig⁴, or Metifast⁵, to name a few.

PROS:

• Perfect for busy individuals
• Food is already portioned out and/or premade for you. If using the correct product, it can be a well-balanced, healthy, and effective weight-loss strategy
• Often comes with a health coach

CONS:

• Can be expensive
• It is not flexible on what you can eat. Sometimes they have one meal that you can choose yourself, but it is restricted to certain food items.
• Only a handful of these diets have been clinically tested and shown to have healthy outcomes. We recommend that you do research on each of these meal plans.⁶

No matter what nutritional plan you end up choosing, whether it is just eating healthier, or something a little stricter, it is important to find something that is not impossible for you to do. If you try to do too much at once, the chance of failure is higher. Choosing a plan that is balanced and still nutritious is more important than seeing the “20 pounds lost in 6 weeks” that is often seen advertised on social media. Having someone to guide you and hold you accountable is a great way to find success. For help with any of your nutrition needs, visit our website for access to professionals and informational blogs to help you through your health journey!

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In health,

Hillary Rotunda

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Starting from when she was a little girl, Hillary’s passion has always been in living a healthy way of life through movement and eating right. She played many sports when growing up but ended up sticking with volleyball and softball through college at Concordia College in Moorhead. While at Concordia, she earned a double major in exercise science and nutrition, graduating in 2015. After moving to the cities from my long-time home of the Fargo area, she was not quite sure what her passion was until she started working as a personal trainer. She learned from brilliant personal trainers and physical therapists, which led to her discovery of corrective exercise being her passion. She has decided to finish up the classes needed to apply for physical therapy school, which she plans on doing soon! She is excited to be at Live Your Life Physical Therapy to learn as much as she can from Dr. Norman and all the physical therapist on staff!

References

¹ “Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss.” The Nutrition Source, 22 May 2019, www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/ketogenic-diet/.

² “Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet.” The Nutrition Source, 22 May 2019, www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mediterranean-diet/.

³ Asp, Karen. “Weight Watchers Freestyle: A Review for New Weight Watchers Plan.” WebMD, WebMD, 21 Nov. 2019, www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/weight-watchers-diet.

⁴“Jenny Craig Diet: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1282/jenny-craig-diet.

⁵Moninger, Jeannette. “Medifast Diet Plan Review.” WebMD, WebMD, 4 Aug. 2019, www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/medifast-diet.

⁶Smith, Patrick. “Commercial Diets Short On Science.” John Hopkins Medicine, 01 Dec 2016, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/commercial-diets-short-on-science