Healthy Diets for Losing Weight

Q: Like many people, I’ve resolved to lose weight and get healthy, but how do I know which diet to choose?

A: You need to find a diet that fits you. Just because a diet worked for your mom, sister, or best friend doesn’t mean it will work for you. You can evaluate potential diets with these pertinent questions:

• How do you lose weight on this diet? Do you cut carbs, count calories, or keep a food journal? A good diet should allow foods from the basic food groups: fruits, vegetables, starches and grains, fats, proteins.

• Did an expert create the diet? You are safer starting with a diet that was created by a physician trained in nutrition or by a registered dietitian. Otherwise, you could encounter health problems. Anyone can be a “nutritionist,” so be wary of diet authors who use that term.

• How many calories does the diet recommend each day? A good diet shouldn’t reduce calories to fewer than 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 for men. Avoid diets that promote weight loss above an average of 2 pounds a week.

• How much does it cost? Add up the prices of food, meeting dues, gym membership, and any other possible costs. Avoid diets that require expensive nutritional or vitamin supplements.

• How much time will it take? Include time for meetings or time to shop and prepare the foods you need to follow the diet. If you know you don’t have time to attend meetings or cook often, a diet that requires those things won’t work for you.

• Does it include an exercise plan that you’ll actually do? Any plan to lose weight should include exercise as well as a food plan.

• Does it include support of some kind? Studies show dieters have more success with support from others. That’s why many diets give you the option to participate in online or in-person support groups with other dieters. Some even offer one-on-one counseling sessions.

Read our reviews of top diets.

Stephanie Karpinske, M.S., R.D., writes about weight loss, nutrition, and health issues. As an editor of many diet and health books, her mission is to help others live healthier lives.