The Best Diets for Weight Loss in 2023—Plus the Ones You Should Definitely Avoid
1) Mediterranean Diet
This diet consistently comes out on top, and there are a few reasons for that, says Jessica Cording, R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. “It’s high in fiber, which is great for improving digestion,” she says. “It’s also good for heart health and cancer risk reduction.” The Mediterranean diet is rich in healthy fats and “tends to be low in unsaturated fat,” encouraging you to fill up good, nutrient-dense foods and taking a pass on unhealthy options, Cording points out.
Based on the heart-healthy lifestyle of Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, Mediterranean-style diets include healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil, nuts, and fish at least twice a week, plenty of beans, fruit, leafy greens, and whole grains, and even a daily glass of red wine. You can eat cheese in moderation, but limit the red meat to once or twice a week.
How it works for weight loss: Though this diet’s primary appeal is in its numerous health benefits—it can lower your risk of both chronic disease and cognitive decline—it can also lead to weight loss if you limit your calorie intake to 1,500 a day or less. Studies have found that following either a traditional Mediterranean diet or a low-carb version of it can result in weight loss of about 5-10% of body weight over 12 months. And that weight stays off—a recent British study found that for people who had lost large amounts of weight, those who consumed a Mediterranean-style diet were twice as likely to keep it off. “This diet is easy to maintain, because the food is delicious!” says Beaver.
Nutrition plans like the Mediterranean Diet, DASH Diet, and Flexitarian Diet made our list for how to lose weight and keep it off in 2023.
