Every day, there seems to be a new diet trend: keto, paleo, Atkins, the Mediterranean diet, or the South Beach diet. To someone trying to lose weight or eat healthier, the choices can be overwhelming. We sat down with Jennifer Cholewka, RD, CNSC, CDCES, CDN, Metabolic Support Dietitian at The Mount Sinai Hospital, to separate myths from facts and to get some guidance as to where to start.
As I look at the wide variety of diets out there, where do I begin?
To your point, diet trends are always evolving and changing. One minute, everyone’s talking about a superfood that’s good for you, and next year, all of a sudden, that food is bad for you and “out.” We’ve seen that with eggs, coffee, fats, carbs, and all kinds of things. But the first thing to ask yourself is, “What’s my goal?” If your goal is weight loss, the answer might be different than if you’re trying to live heart-healthy.
The word “diet” isn’t a great word in the world of dietitians. People see the word “diet” and often think of a quick fix. But we should really be thinking in terms of “lifestyle” instead. Whatever diet you choose, it should be sustainable, obtainable, and reasonable within your current life.
A lot of people are attracted to some of the extreme diets, like keto, Atkins, or paleo, because they want to lose weight quickly. And you will see weight loss quickly, but it’s not something that you can maintain for your life. These diets usually restrict entire food groups, which forces your body to change the way your metabolic processes work. For example, the keto and Atkins diets restrict carbohydrates, including sugars, grains, and certain vegetables and fruits, while the paleo eliminates foods like grains and most dairy products.
Is that unhealthy?
Yes, I think it’s unhealthy. People have a tendency to “yo-yo” with these diets, or in other words, lose the weight and then regain it. Because you’re restricting entire food groups, your body can’t stay on it forever. That’s why the first thing you should think about is, “What is sustainable?”
What do you mean by “sustainable?”
Your lifestyle plays an important role in what type of diet you should follow. For example, intermittent fasting is a very popular diet lately. There are many different types of intermittent fasting, but one example would be to only eat between noon and 8 pm. For many people, that’s not possible because of their work schedule or their home life. The extreme diets we mentioned are not sustainable because they eliminate entire food groups. They force our bodies into unnatural metabolic processes, and you can’t keep it up. That’s why we need to shift our mindset from “diet” to “lifestyle.”
It’s better when a person makes small changes that are manageable and attainable. You probably shouldn’t change every aspect of your diet at once. Maybe you’ve identified that you need to stop drinking soda, decrease fast food consumption, and exercise more. Doing all three of those at once may be overwhelming and frustrating. Implement changes that are doable, and tackle those goals, one by one. And acknowledging your accomplishments is key.
What it comes down to is, a person should:
1. Identify their goals.
2. Figure out what’s sustainable.
3. Make sure your diet has balance.
4. Recognize that portion control is key.
So say my goal is losing weight. What’s the best diet for weight loss?
I’m not a huge fan of any one diet in particular, but if your goal is weight loss, my No. 1 recommendation continues to be Weight Watchers, which allows you to eat all kinds of foods but carefully track what you eat. It has a lot of those things that I view as very important—including balance and portion control. I feel the Weight Watchers approach is very manageable for a lot of different lifestyles. It’s doable whether you work 9-5, work nights, or travel. I find it to be a very reasonable and sustainable approach. You’re able to treat yourself if you want, but you’re encouraged to eat foods that are much healthier, such as lots of fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins. The support aspect of Weight Watchers is also very helpful for people, whether it’s going to an in-person meeting or getting connected to a coach who can help you.
The Mediterranean diet, which focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, and olive oil, has a lot of pros, as well. It encourages balance; it encourages eating more whole foods; it’s low in processed foods. It also allows alcohol, which is important to some people.
The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a diet developed through research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The DASH diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet and is a low-sodium diet that’s heart healthy. These three diets are almost always the top diets recommended by U.S. News & World Report. Their recommendations are updated every year and they list their top diets for different goals. That’s a good place for people to start.
And if your goal is weight loss, “calories in, calories out” is really going to drive weight loss. So portion control is critical, as is exercise. Again, make small changes that are sustainable. You won’t be able to hit the gym five days a week to start. You might try committing to walk one day a week on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Or walking instead of taking the subway. It sounds small, but you’ll see changes that last over time.
People are always going to look for ways to lose weight as fast as they can and keep it off. But there’s never going to be a quick fix for anything.