How to Select the Best Diet Plan for Your Needs

How to Select the Best Diet Plan for Your Needs
How to Select the Best Diet Plan for Your Needs. Photo: Pixabay

There are hundreds of diets around, and all claim they bring great results – so how can you choose which one is right for you? It’s actually easier than you may think, providing you have given it some thought. Take a look at these key things to consider before committing to a diet plan and you will have a much better chance of success.

Health considerations

If you have any health conditions which could be impacted by your diet, such as high cholesterol or diabetes it is best to consult a doctor for advice on diet options.

How much do you need to lose?

Strict or very low-calorie diets can be great if you are looking to lose a few pounds before your vacation or a big event, but for anything more than around ten pounds it’s best to look at longer-term diet plans.

Think about previous diets

If you have dieted successfully in the past then you have a head start, (losing weight and keeping it off are different things entirely). Don’t try a diet you hated or failed at again.

Alone or with support?

Slimming groups are a good option if you like peer support and being accountable. Some people prefer in-person meetings, others do okay with the online version.

Your lifestyle

Preparing and cooking ‘diet’ food can be tricky. If you have a family to cater for try a ‘lifestyle change’ diet, which means less separate meals to prepare. Advice from online sources is easy to find, and making switches to lower fat food options, reducing sugar and eating more vegetables is not unachievable. Even sharing one main meal a day takes the pressure off the main cook.

Cooking just for yourself can be difficult too, especially on busy days, which is when ready prepared ‘diet’ meals can save the day. There are various options to suit all kinds of diet, from veggie to Paleo, low-fat to calorie counted. If you like to cook then a meal in a box option is also available.

Flexibility

Some people like being told what to eat, how much and when, while others would never manage to make that work more than half a day! Be honest with yourself and go for a diet plan which delivers what you need, regardless. If you are faced say with excusing fruit but love it, and can’t see the logic in that rule then you will not be fully committed, or get the best from the plan.

Look for balance

No decent diet plan is ever going to require long periods of starvation, handfuls of supplements instead of real food, almost completely cut out a food group (say, no carbs at all), or expect you to consume huge quantities of a particular food such as grapefruit. These diet plans are not healthy and not something many people can manage to follow for very long.

Final Words

With this guide you should find your way to a great diet plan that works for you, because it fits your lifestyle and suits your tastes. One of the more popular diet plans is Nutrisystem FreshStart and if you’d like to learn more about it (nutrisystem cost, features and structure) then you can do so at Diet Dynamo.