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Off the top of your head, you can probably think of five or six popular diets. 80/10/10, 80/20, ketogenic, juicing, fasting, you name it, it’s out there.
And hey, there are diets that work for everyone, and one of them may end up being good for you.
But before you start a diet just for the sake of losing weight, there are some things that every diet should definitely have. And unsurprisingly, a “good” diet looks a lot like some modified version of a healthy eating plan.
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So, does the diet you’re going to try have these things?
- At least (at the very least) 1000 calories per day
- Affordable foods
- Varied foods, to prevent boredom
- Adequate carbs, so you’re not burning muscle tissue instead of fat
- Enough protein, at least .4 grams per pound of body weight per day
- Not too much protein, no more than twice as much as needed
- Enough, but not too much fat (20-35% of your daily calories)
- A variety of—and plenty of—vitamins and minerals needed for your body to function
- Foods from all food groups
If the diet you’re starting has all of these things, go ahead and do it. If it lacks in one or several of these categories, it may be best to talk to a doctor or nutrition specialist before you talk about it. Even though you may lose weight on it, it may give you a nutrient deficiency of some sort, and in the long run that’s just as big of a problem as the excess weight you’re trying to lose.
