Keto, Mediterranean, Paleo.. which diet is most effective?

CHENNAI: A lot of clients ask me, “Can we just go on a crash diet for a few weeks and lose 2-3 kilos? After that we will switch to a sustainable diet..”

The truth is the only diet that works long term is one that you enjoy, and can adapt into your life to meet your health goals without a deadline in place.

When you ‘crash diet’ or drop a food group in entirety from your meals, you lose water first and then you start to lose muscle and finally your bone density starts to reduce.

A deprived diet is nutritionally deficient and can never support healthy metabolism.

The old adage ‘slow and steady wins the race’ truly holds good in the case of diets, but it’s important to remember that there is no finish line here. Goals, much like life, cannot be fixed rigidly. There will be days that the body needs more carbs or more protein depending on your activity.

If you follow a nutritionally-balanced approach to weight loss sure the results will take longer to show, but once the results show they’re permanent.

Be honest, you didn’t gain all that weight in a couple of days or weeks, so why would you expect to lose it in such a short time frame? Don’t worry about falling off the proverbial wagon - just work on getting out of the weight yo-yo cycle which so many people seem to be stuck in.

Practise eating in moderation, and you will soon see that you enjoy the balance and it’s not an effort anymore.

At the cost of stating the obvious, there are no shortcuts to a healthy metabolism, fat-loss, building muscle and long term health.

To answer the question we started the article with, the best diet is the one that we can sustain for life and one that makes us feel more healthy and energetic.

Balance your plate with protein, lots of leafy greens and veggies, avoid processed foods and sugars (basically anything in a box) and get in a few hours of physical activity.

It’s essential that you keep it realistic, enjoyable and sustainable. Make this your daily commitment and you won’t have to question your diet again.

Tips to follow:

• Prioritize protein in every meal

• If you're increasing your protein intake offset those calories by reducing your carbs

• Avoid milk - it's a hormone disruptor and has a poor nutritional profile

• Cut out processed sugar and packaged foods

• Increase your overall daily activity by being active through the day, this is the best way to manage your blood sugar

- The writer is a nutritionist and fitness coach and co-founder of Clean Treats by fitchef. www.cleanbyfitchef.com: Insta @fit_chef_