What is a ‘healthy weight’?
A healthy weight is completely unique for everybody as some naturally carry more weight, whereas others naturally carry less. For many years ‘BMI’ has been used to measure weight and dictate what is considered to be a healthy weight, as it uses your height and weight to gauge what weight category you fall under. This is usually used as a basic indicator for whether or not somebody is obese, and is therefore eligible for certain weight loss measures/more at risk of developing certain ailments associated with obesity.However, in recent years BMI has come under criticism for not being an accurate method for measuring. This is because BMI does not take into account things like bone density, muscle mass, or ‘internal fat’ which all makeup whether or not somebody’s weight is truly ‘healthy’. In addition to this, it does not take into consideration somebody’s shape and the effect that this has on their overall health. For example, those who carry more weight around their stomach have been shown to be at a more of a risk of developing high blood blood pressure, or high cholesterol levels which can in turn cause serious health issues including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
As the method does not take into account muscle mass, often athletes such as rugby players are classified as ‘obese’ due to the sheer amount of muscle that they have (which weighs more per pound than fat!). Therefore it is clearly not the most accurate method for measuring what a ‘healthy weight’ is at all.
What is a ‘healthy diet’?
A healthy diet is one that consists of a wide variety of different, nutrient rich foods in order to properly fuel your body with the energy that it needs to function. A healthy diet is not dissimilar to a balanced diet, as both encourage the consumption of fruits, vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates and fats in proportional measures. You may ask yourself ‘why do we need a balanced diet’ in order to be healthy, and the reason for this is because it’s important to eat food from a wide range of sources. No individual food group has the ability to deliver us all of the many nutrients that the human body needs in order to operate properly.However, as some people have certain intolerances/medical conditions that may restrict what foods they are able to eat, their version of a ‘healthy diet’ may not be the same as what is considered to be one for the general population.
For example, people suffering with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) are recommended to follow a low FODMAP diet, which can restrict the consumption of wheat (breads, pastas), fruits that are high in fructose (such as mangoes and apples) and vegetables such as onions, mushrooms and cauliflower. All of these foods are considered to be components of a healthy diet for most people, but can cause unpleasant symptoms in people with IBS.
There are hundreds of different diets across the globe that all sorts of people follow. That means it can be rather difficult to select the perfect one for your own purposes (be that to lose or gain weight, or to treat an underlying condition). It becomes even more difficult in some diets that require you to entirely exclude certain food groups in order to follow them. Here are the outlines of some of the most popular diets in existence today to give you a better idea of what might work for you!
Popular diets
Keto
The Keto (or ketogenic) diet has been rising in popularity a lot over the last few years, and has what many would consider a ‘cult following’ across the globe due to the extreme measures that those trying it out must undertake. Essentially the Keto diet greatly restricts the amount of carbs that a person can consume in a day, whilst allowing for large amounts of fat and moderate amounts of protein. This diet is engineered to get the body into a state referred to as ‘ketosis’ which is when our liver produces ketone bodies out of our fat cells to use as a fuel source instead of glucose. In nature, this state only usually occurs when our bodies are starving, as humans naturally crave carbohydrates (glucose) and would include them as a part of their usual diet, however by undertaking a keto diet this state is achievable whilst still eating a recommended amount of calories!Because these fat based ketone bodies are used to fuel our muscles and brains in the same way that glucose would, it turns our bodies into essentially ‘fat burning machines’ whilst in a state of ketosis. This paired with the fact that the keto diet allows for many ‘indulgences’ such as calorific cheeses and meats makes it an alluring option for those looking to lose weight without having to skip out on some of their favourite foods. However the diet largely excludes carbohydrate sources, such as potatoes, bread, pasta and rice as well as sugar sources such as ice cream, cakes, cookies and other desserts which can make it difficult to stick to in the longer term for many people. In addition to this, it can be difficult to remain in a state of ketosis as it only takes the slightest change in diet to take you out of it, and if you frequently eat out/at friend’s houses it is impossible to 100% know exactly what is in your food.
Veganism
Veganism or a ‘Plant Based’ diet has risen in popularity immensely in the last few years, with Survey results showing that 42% of all UK vegans identified this way from 2018, almost doubling the amount from the year before! In addition to this, big supermarket brand Tesco reported over a 300% increase in plant based meat supplements in their stores. Being vegan and plant based are very similar but not identical however, with veganism being a lifestyle choice made by people for animal welfare reasons. Vegans will not use leather, wool or silk products or anything that has been tested on animals, with some even going as far as to not eat some produce, for example figs, as their pollination process requires an insect to die. In comparison, a plant based diet is instead usually undertaken for health reasons, or for the sake of the environment. Both dictate that no animal products (meat or fish) or animal derived products (milk, honey or eggs) are consumed, and instead that they rely on a diet rich in entirely plant based materials.Many do tend to lose weight when switching to a plant based diet, simply because many foods that are typically seen as ‘unhealthy’ are less openly available (greasy burgers and other processed meats, calorific cheeses and desserts). However, as there are no restrictions on calories whatsoever in order to be vegan or plant based, and more (albeit often lower calorie) vegan junk food options are available than ever on the market, it is not guaranteed that weight loss will be achieved in all of those that go plant based.
Survey results have also shown that 42% of all UK vegans identified this way from 2018, almost doubling the amount from the year before!
A report by supermarket Sainsburys predicted that by 2025, out of all UK consumers, vegans and vegetarians would make up a quarter of the British population in 2025, whilst flexitarians (those who eat both plant-based foods and meat based) would make up just under half.
Cambridge Diet
This diet was developed in the 1960s by Alan Howard at Cambridge University, however was quickly shut down in the US following the deaths of several of it’s dieters. In the UK the diet still exists but is instead referred to as the 1:1 diet, and essentially consists of extremely low calorie meal replacements in the forms of shakes, soups and bars. Initially the diet consisted of its participants only consuming 300 calories per day, but this was soon raised to 800 calories which still makes it a very low calorie diet. This type of diet is not recommended for the vast majority of people, and instead is only occasionally prescribed by healthcare professionals in cases of extreme obesity wherein fast weight loss is essential. In addition to this, the diet is not enjoyable due to the bland nature of the meals that they offer, which when paired with the fact that it is so low calorie means that it is not sustainable in the long term.Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting can mean a variety of different things, you may have heard of methods such as the 5:2 diet, or the 6:18. Essentially intermittent fasting is pretty much what it says on the tin- eating with longer ‘fasting’ breaks in between. The 5:2 dictates eating normally for 5 days a week, but consuming no more than 500 (or 600 for men) calories for 2 days of the week. Conversely, the 6:18 and other similar variants focus on eating in one day. You would be ‘allowed’ to eat for 6 hours of the day, and would have to fast for the remaining 18 (for example your eating window could be between 12-6pm).This diet’s popularity is understandable, as the idea is that you can eat what you want, but just restrict the amount of time that you can eat normally. If somebody does stick to their maintenance calories for the days/hours that they can eat as usual, then weight loss is certainly likely. However, the problem arises when people go over their maintenance calorie amount (almost in order to ‘make up for lost time’). This makes weight loss considerably less likely, as it is that calorie deficit from not eating when you usually would that ensures your fat melts away!
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the lifestyle naturally followed by those living in Mediterranean countries such as Spain or Italy. This diet isn’t really seen as a method for weight loss, but rather a delicious way to eat healthy food as a part of a nutritionally balanced diet. It encourages the consumption of fruits and vegetables in high quantities, as well as legumes, grains and healthy fats such as olive oil. However, the Mediterranean diet limits the intake of red meats and dairy products. The diet has been linked to good heart health, as well as many other amazing health benefits due to its balanced nature.
DASH Diet
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or the DASH diet is designed for those who want to reduce hypertension (high blood pressure) as well as reduce their risk of developing heart disease. The diet comprises largely of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats, and was developed when experts made the connection that hypertension was significantly less common in those following a largely plant based/whole food diet compared to those that don’t. The diet is extremely low in red meats, salt, sugar and added fat, with some experts believing that this reduced salt intake is another big explanation for why it helps to reduce hypertension.Nordic Diet
Not dissimilar to the Mediterranean diet in its approach, the Nordic diet does not aim for weight loss, but rather a healthy relationship with high quality, nutritious food. The diet is based on what people from Nordic countries such as Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, and Greenland would naturally eat as part of their diets. It encourages the consumption of whole grains, lots of fruit (especially berries) and vegetables (especially root vegetables), plenty of fish, and smaller but higher quality portions of meat. Where the Mediterranean diet encourages the use of olive oil, the Nordic instead encourages using canola oil, which contains alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 that can help protect your brain from ailments such as strokes.Volumetrics Diet
The Volumetrics Diet is one that relies on a menu of high volume, low calorie foods in order to effectively lose weight whilst still feeling full/satiated. Often these foods will be vegetables or fruits with a high water content, but very few calories. The idea is that for the same amount of calories, someone can either eat two cups of broccoli or half of a snickers bar- and it is obvious that the higher volume of food will fill up your stomach more!The drawbacks of this diet is that because these low calorie high volume foods won’t leave you full for long, the individual must eat a lot more than they usually would in a day if following a more standard diet. This is often very expensive as fruits and vegetables can cost a lot more than more calorific foods such as pastas etc. It also requires a lot of time being dedicated to the diet in order to find success, in terms of shopping, preparing food and of course eating it!
Mayo Clinic Diet
This diet was created by experts at the Mayo Clinic, which is one of the top hospital systems in the United States. It promotes the use of a pyramid system as it’s main building blocks. At the base is fruits, vegetables and physical activity, carbs making up the next layer, proteins the next, then fats and finally sweets at the top. The diet encourages restricting your portion sizes as well as planning each meal in accordance with the pyramid.The Mayo Clinic diet is also split into two phases, known as the ‘Lose it’ and ‘Live it’ phases, with the former being designed to jump start weight loss, and the latter being designed to maintain it in the long term. It dictates the number of portions of each food group that you should eat to achieve your calorie and subsequent weight loss goals. Due to its combination of a balanced diet with exercise, the Mayo Clinic diet is considered by many to be healthy and maintainable. However, it is important to note that no external peer reviewed studies have been performed on this diet, and all research that currently exists was conducted by the Mayo Clinic itself and therefore is more likely to be biased.
Which diet is right for me?
Choosing which diet is right for you and will be beneficial in the long run is no easy feat- everybody is completely unique after all! However, with this being said the best way to start is by trying to focus on achieving a balanced diet in accordance with the classic food pyramid. Prioritise eating loads of exciting, colourful fruits and vegetables, followed by whole carbs, lean protein sources and healthy fats (think good quality olive oil, avocados etc.). From here you can totally make it your own! Try experimenting with exotic fruits and vegetables to find some of your favourites, as well as new herbs/spices to jazz up some more bland options/make them more to your liking.How to maintain a diet in the long term?
The best way that you can maintain a diet in the long term is to make it enjoyable, exciting and as non restrictive as you possibly can! If you completely ban yourself from eating some of your favourite foods in the name of losing weight and keeping it off, you may find yourself putting that food on a pedestal even more and eventually binging on it. In order to avoid this, we recommend enjoying everything in moderation, and combining some of your old favourites with some newer, more nutritionally dense ones as well! Another great, easy option is to try out a healthy meal delivery serviceIn conclusion, we all know how important healthy eating is, and although all sorts of diets exist for weight loss, in the long term the best approach is to try to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet. This way, nothing is excluded from your diet and all things can be enjoyed in moderation! Love Yourself offers our own ‘Balanced Diet’ plan which makes it easier than ever to ensure that you are getting the right amount of nutrients that you need. As well as this, if you still want to try out a different diet style but aren’t sure which one is right for you, you can consult with our in house nutritionist, who will be able to give you completely personalised advice based on your own individual needs.