If you are seeking a new diet plan to help you lose weight, you are not alone. Approximately 50 million Americans start a diet each year, according to Colorado State University, but only about 5 percent of them succeed at keeping the weight off. Scientists and nutritionists are forever scouting for new diet plans to help you lose weight and stay healthy, and a few major diet plans have emerged. These plans typically work by controlling your intake of fat and calories.
Fat and Calories
Food delivers calories to your body, which you then use for instant energy and other body functions. You get these calories through various components of the food, including the carbohydrates, protein and fat. The American Heart Association notes fat provides nine calories in every gram, whereas a gram of carbohydrates or protein supplies only four calories.
Weight Loss and Calories
If you consume 3,500 more calories than you use, you gain 1 pound. Conversely, curb 500 calories from your diet each day and lose 1 pound in a week. Cutting calories frequently leaves you feeling hungry, listless and bored with bland-tasting food. Successful diet plans strike a balance between caloric reduction and satisfaction.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is gaining momentum with both consumers and health experts. This diet was created by the World Health Organization and Harvard School of Public Health in 1993, according to Diabetic Diet News. It mimics the way people in the Mediterranean have eaten for centuries. The Mediterranean Diet allows the regular use of monounsaturated fat in the form of olive oil and moderate amounts of saturated fat found in meat, fish and dairy products, along with an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain products and scant amounts of red wine.
Adkins Diet
The Atkins Diet encourages you to replace carbohydrates with saturated fat. According to Atkins Diet Advisor, you will gain 60 percent of your daily caloric intake through saturated fat in foods like red meat, cheese, fish, chicken and eggs. Thirty percent of your energy comes from protein and only 10 percent from carbohydrate foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
Medical Low-fat Diet
Your doctor may recommend that you eat a low-fat diet to lower your cholesterol or as part of a treatment plan for heart disease, gallbladder problems or some other medical condition. Doctors often pair this low-fat diet with reduced calories as part of the treatment plan, as being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease and gallstones.
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