The decision to lose weight is a very important one because it means you want to start taking more control over your health. With the many fad diets that everyone seems to be on these days, it can feel overwhelming to know which one to even bother with. 

When deciding, keep in mind that diets should not be considered a quick way to lose weight; instead, think of them as lifestyle changes, and something you will want to stick with. The reason why there are many different diets is that everyone is different, and everyone has different needs when it comes to what they eat and the goals they want to accomplish. 

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is when you have cycles of eating and not eating. A common cycle is going 16 hours without eating anything, and then have an 8-hour window for eating. There are several variations when it comes to fasting, but mostly, you don't consume anything with calories during your fasting period, and you can drink water. One reason why intermittent fasting is so helpful for weight loss is that it forces people to eat less, resulting in a calorie deficit. Intermittent fasting can also be good for your heart health, reduce inflammation, and can reduce insulin resistance. 

Ketogenic 

The ketogenic, or simply keto, diet is one where you consume high fat and low carbohydrates. This diet is a lot like the Atkins diet, except with this one, you're eating even fewer carbs. The reason why keto helps with weight loss is that when you consume very few carbs, your body will focus on burning fat rather than carbs. The ketogenic diet is when you eat 20 net carbs a day or less so that you enter the state of ketosis. Instead of eating carbs, you get to fill up on healthy fats and green vegetables. You are limited to only berries for fruits because fruits contain a lot of sugar. Followers of the keto diet tend to eat a lot of bacon, (yes you can have bacon on a diet!!!) and it can be helpful to check out bacon of the month options for variety. 

Mediterranean 

The Mediterranean diet is when you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as potatoes, beans, nuts, seeds, and grains, and your primary source of fat comes from olive oil. You can consume dairy products, fish, eggs, and poultry, but in small amounts. This diet is mainly eating plant-based foods and a drastic reduction in the number of processed foods you eat. With this diet, you normally would eat a piece of fruit instead of sweets for dessert. The good thing about the Mediterranean diet is that it encourages you to eat more fruits and vegetables, and it limits the amount of sugar and highly processed foods you consume. 

Vegetarian and Vegan 

A vegetarian diet is when you avoid eating meat and fish, but you're able to eat dairy products and eggs. Vegans eliminate all animal products from their diet, and this includes eggs and dairy. The staples of a vegan diet include whole grains, leafy greens, legumes, fruits, and seeds. If you're sticking to one of these diets, you need to consider where you're getting your protein and calcium from. Soy products such as tofu, are a good source of protein, as well as beans and peas. 

Anytime you want to make significant changes to your diet, you should always consider consulting your medical professional first. Instead of making drastic changes, gradually make the changes to your diet. The key is to find a program you can implement with your life, and have it be something you'll be able to do on a daily basis without getting tired of. With any diet, you want to be consistent. It's okay to fall off the wagon, but if you find yourself falling off more often than actually following the diet, you may want to find something that works better for you.