The best weight loss diets of 2022, ranking

Winter is a crucial time of year. It is often a turning point for those who have set out to make healthier choices, such as moving more and eating healthier. For this reason, U.S. News & World Report reviews the most popular diets each year and ranks them by category. People create a kind of hierarchy of diet plans in which they delineate which are best for overall health and maintaining body fat, which are best for rapid weight loss, and more.

The best diets overall

1. Mediterranean diet
   The goal: to melt fat and avoid chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
   Benefits: You can eat poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt in moderation, eat sweets and red meat on special occasions, and drink red wine with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and seafood. There is a wide variety of research that supports this diet.
   Cons: You must be responsible for burning calories to lose or maintain your weight, as well as for your workout.
2. DASH diet
   The goal: The “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension” diet plan does what the name says: It lowers high blood pressure and promotes weight loss.
   Benefits: It’s easy. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products. Eat less red meat, salt, and high-calorie sweets. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute also offers free guides.
   Cons: You might not lose as much weight as other plans, as it’s more focused on improving your health (not necessarily a bad thing).
3. Flexitarian diet
   The goal: to reduce fat and live longer in optimal health.
   Benefits: It is said that “flexitarians” (flexible vegetarians) weigh 15 percent less than meat eaters, live almost 4 years longer and can avoid heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
   Cons: If you really want to eat beef, it can be hard to stick to it. You’ll also cook many of your own meals.

Best weight loss diets

1. Flexitarian Diet
2. Volumetrics Diet
   The goal: lose 1-2 pounds per week.
   Benefits: Developed by a Penn State University nutrition professor, Volumetrics is more of a healthy eating approach than a regulated diet. You’ll learn to identify and prioritize low-density foods that are low in calories but high in volume (think: broth) to help you stay full. It’s also affordable because you’re not buying a book, program, or special ingredients. You won’t feel hungry or starved either.
   Cons: It might be easier to deviate from this as you have more freedom.
3. Weight Watchers Diet
   The goal: lose 2 pounds per week.
   Benefits: The meal plan is flexible; you have access to a support group; and there are no fixed limits on what you can and cannot eat. You simply opt for the most nutrient-rich foods that keep you full longer. (meaning your meals will be lower in calories, saturated fat, and sugar, and higher in protein.)
   Cons: It can get a bit pricey, and counting your food points is a hassle.

Best diets for fast weight loss

1. Atkins diet
   The goal: The diet has four phases. You reduce carbohydrates and then eat more and more until you reach your desired weight. Low-carb diets force your body to burn fat as an alternative fuel source.
   Benefits: Protein and fat take longer to digest than carbohydrates, so you keep the diet full. You’ll notice weight loss fairly quickly (even if it’s originally due to loss of water).
   Cons: It is difficult to maintain it in the long run. People struggle to find variety in their meals and it is difficult to eat out.
2. Health Management Resources (HMR)
   The goal: Lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, which is an average of 23 pounds in the first 12 weeks. Reducing weight is a top priority.
   Benefits: The core of this diet is meal replacement, which should help people lose three times as much weight compared to traditional diets. You’ll get low-calorie shakes, meals, nutrition bars, warm multigrain cereal, and fruit and vegetables in place of other meals and snacks. In the first 3 weeks, you will also receive food to lose weight as quickly as possible. Then move on to the second phase, in which the diet is less structured and you receive monthly food and weekly telephone coaching.
   Cons: The first phase can be difficult to comply with. It’s a bit expensive, especially if you’re not used to buying fruits and vegetables in bulk. The first 3-week HMR starter kit costs $301 and the 2-week reorder kit costs $185.
3. OPTAVIA:
   The goal: Like most weight loss diets, OPTAVIA uses a low-carb and low-calorie approach to lose weight quickly, with most vitamins, minerals, and fiber coming from fortified, pre-made meal replacements known as “fuels.” This reduced-calorie diet also focuses on six “habits of Health Transformational System”: weight, eating and hydration, exercise, sleep, mind, and environment.
   Benefits: This is a variant of the Medifast diet. The “fuel meals” have an identical macronutrient profile, except that they are free from artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. You eat four to five pre-packaged meals and then cook your own low-carb meal, giving priority to oily fish twice a week. You will get a coach who can also support you.
   Cons: You may feel hungry while dieting and not getting the full micronutrients that you would get from a whole foods diet.
4. keto diet
   The goal: Lose weight quickly by letting your body burn fat compared to carbohydrates and go into a state of ketosis.
   Benefits: At some point, you’ll have fewer cravings and boost your mood and energy, although the transition is tough at first.
   Cons: Headaches, fatigue, and mental drowsiness may occur in the first few weeks. This is difficult to maintain even over a long period of time. It is better for rapid weight loss.

Easiest diets to follow

1. Mediterranean diet
2. Flexitarian diet
3. MIND diet
   The goal: The MIND diet combines the DASH and Mediterranean diets and focuses on foods that support brain health. It is believed that eating leafy greens (7 servings 1 cup per week), nuts (snacks most days), and berries (5 servings per half cup per week) may lower a person’s risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
   The benefits: It’s nutritionally robust without having to count calories, and the high-fiber foods keep you full. The plan also includes a lot of recipes that you must follow.
   The downsides: Not much guidance.

You can find the full list here.

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