Compare Different Diet Types

There are many choices when it comes to a diet, but while many are claimed to be the best, the best diet depends on individual circumstances. You must choose the diet that fits your lifestyle and suits your eating habits. If you choose a diet that is unsuitable for you, it will make it extremely difficult to stick to the plan.

Low-Carbohydrate Diets

A low-carbohydrate diet limits the amount of carbohydrates you can eat. The theory behind this diet is that the increase in insulin that the consumption of carbohydrates creates causes you to burn fat less efficiently. By reducing the amounts of carbohydrates you consume, you can keep your insulin levels low, which triggers your body to burn stored fat for energy, resulting in weight loss.

Low-carbohydrate diets generally restrict your total carbohydrate intake to less than 20 percent of calories. In a low-carbohydrate diet, fat usually comprises 55 percent to 65 percent of calories, while protein comprises 25 percent to 30 percent of calories.

Glycemic Index Diet

Originally developed as a tool to help diabetics control blood sugar, the glycemic index focuses on the types of carbohydrates you eat rather than how many carbohydrates you eat. As with the low-carbohydrate diet, the theory behind a glycemic index diet is that uncontrolled insulin levels prevent weight loss. Proponents of the glycemic index diet claim that it is not carbohydrates in general, but high-glycemic carbohydrates that cause weight gain. The glycemic index ranks foods on a scale from 0 to 100 based on their effect on your blood sugar levels. When following a low-glycemic diet, most of your caloric intake should come from foods with the lowest numbers.

Low-Fat Diet

Low-fat diets restrict your total fat intake. Instead of focusing on eliminating only saturated and trans fats, low-fat diets focus on fat as a whole. Low-fat diets are further categorized by how much fat you are allowed to eat. A general low-fat diet usually restricts total fat intake to 20 percent to 30 percent of calories, while a very low-fat diet restricts total fat intake to 0 to 19 percent of calories. When following a low-fat diet, most of your caloric intake, or more than 65 percent, comes from carbohydrates and 10 percent to 20 percent comes from protein.

Low-Calorie Diet

Proponents of a low-calorie diet claim that calories are to blame for weight gain and it is irrelevant where these calories come from. If you regularly eat too many calories, you will gain weight. A low-calorie diet focuses on reducing portion sizes and cutting out foods that provide empty calories, such as soda and ice cream. A low-calorie diet generally follows the macronutrient recommendations of the USDA, which are 45 percent to 65 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 10 percent to 35 percent from protein and 20 percent to 35 percent from fat.