How to lose weight fast with the 8 best diets of 2020 – including keto, vegan and

FROM mince pies and mulled wine to chocolates and roast potatoes – it’s easy to overindulge over the festive season. But for most of us it gets to a point where you go from eating pigs in blankets to feeling like one. So, with the festivities behind us, you might be thinking about starting a […]

FROM mince pies and mulled wine to chocolates and roast potatoes – it’s easy to overindulge over the festive season.

But for most of us it gets to a point where you go from eating pigs in blankets to feeling like one.

Getty - Contributor

So, with the festivities behind us, you might be thinking about starting a fresh diet as a New Year’s resolution.

But the medical director of the NHS, warned earlier this week that Brits should avoid quick-fix remedies that are “too good to be true”.

Prof Stephen Powis says that many dieting fads being sold on High Streets or plugged online are at best ineffective and can often be harmful.

He said: “New year’s resolutions are a great time to make a change, but the reality is there’s a slim chance of success with diet pills and detox teas.”

So we’ve rounded up some of the top diets recommended by experts to help you pick the best weight loss plan for you as we kick start 2020.

1. Mediterranean diet

This olive oil-rich diet promotes the consumption of vegetables and fruits in addition to oily fish, red wine, lean meats, nuts and low-fat dairy products.

It’s low in refined sugar, red meat and processed foods which is why it’s been linked to lowering risks of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure.

The diet also may improve kidney function and gut health.

According to the NHS, the Mediterranean diet varies by country and region, so it has a range of definitions, but in general, it’s high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.

It usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods and tends to replace butter with oil, while flavouring comes from herbs and spices rather than salt.

Experts at Sheffield Hallam Uni also recommended it as the best diet to follow for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

2. DASH diet

Not an eating plan designed for those of us in a hurry, DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

It’s a plan specifically designed to help lower blood pressure.

It involves reducing your salt intake and loading up on foods that are chock-full of heart-friendly minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Again, it involves you limiting how much red meat and sugar you consume, as well as fats.

3. MIND diet

MIND is short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, and it’s a plan which combines the Med and DASH diets in the hope of improving brain health.

While the jury is still out as to whether you can seriously eat your way out of mental decline, experts have praised the MIND diet for encouraging such healthy attitudes towards food and nutrition.

Those on the plan are told that they must eat at least three servings of whole grains, a salad, another vegetable and a glass of wine a day.

4. NHS 12-step plan

Okay, so this one isn’t a specific diet but more of a lifestyle programme – and it’s the safest way to lose weight, according to the nation’s top docs.

The NHS 12-week weight loss plan is scientifically-based and designed to help you lose weight at a safe rate of 0.5kg to 1kg (1lb to 2lb) each week by sticking to a daily calorie allowance.

For most men, this means sticking to a calorie limit of no more than 1,900kcal a day, and 1,400kcal for most women.

If you go over your limit one day, do not worry – it simply means you’ll have to reduce your calorie intake on the following days.

5. Vegan diet

The vegan diet is a plant-based, meat-free diet, which means avoiding eggs, dairy, and for some, honey too.

It consists solely of beans, grains, fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables.

For example, cow’s milk can be replaced with soy milk, and vegan margarine is a great alternative to butter.

According to scientists at Sheffield Hallam Uni, long-term vegans have lower total cholesterol than non-vegans.

Writing in The Conversation, the study’s author, Markos Klonizakis, said: “Our study found that the vegan diet offers benefits in the reduction of cholesterol levels.

“On the other hand, we did find that participants who followed the vegan diet appeared to also have a reduction in a number of important micro-nutrients – such as B12 vitamin and iodine.

“This is despite us providing B12 supplements to participants.”

6. Flexitarian diet

Can’t bear the thought of quitting meat entirely?

You don’t have to – but you might want to limit how much you eat to once or twice a week.

Significantly reducing how much meat you eat has been proven to be effective in combating heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

In fact, flexitarians can reduce their likelihood of developing diabetes by a massive 28 per cent simply by reducing the number of times they eat meat.

7. WW (Weight Watchers)

WW – formerly known as Weight Watchers was ranked first for the best diet for weight loss and best commercial diet, according to US News.

It assigns point values to food based on their calorie, sugar, saturated fat and protein content.

The healthiest foods have zero points, meaning that you can eat as much of them as you like.

You’re given a daily point total which you meet by keeping a food diary.

8. Keto diet

You may have heard of “keto” and thought it was a fad, made popular by celebrities including the Kardashians and Halle Berry.

But the keto diet – or ketogenic diet – was actually developed by experts in the 1920s to treat children with epilepsy.

Similar to the Atkins diet, it’s low-carb high-fat.

Writing in The Conversation, Sophie Medlin, a lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London, said: “The keto diet got its name because ketones are the source of energy that the body uses when it’s burning fat.

“Ketones are produced in weight loss regardless of the type of diet you are following. So, actually, anyone who is losing weight is actually on a keto diet.

“Most people calling their diet a keto diet are simply following a low or very low carbohydrate diet.

“Low carbohydrate diets can be helpful, at least in the short term, for some people to lose weight. However, as with the true ketogenic diet, most people can’t stick with a very low carbohydrate diet for long.

“The latest research shows that it’s the ability to stick to the diet that matters.

“So if a low carbohydrate diet or keto diet is a practice that works for you and you are able to maintain it for as long as it takes to lose excess body fat – and you are meeting your nutritional requirements – then the science says that this should be encouraged.”