There is Only Really 1 Diet. Fact.

DIET may be my least favourite 4-letter word but it is still occasionally part of my vocab. Ask someone how they lost weight and chances are they could bore you to tears with their latest diet plan. They will be dying to tell you about how they found the perfect 5:2, low-carb, paleo-tastic, gluten free type of ketogenic magic with a side of VB6 (Vegan before 6pm – obvi). Truth is – if we are in the market for a little weight loss – we will Eat-It-Up. It’s not that we don’t know how to lose weight – it’s just that food is awesome and we are a pretty impatient bunch always looking for the easiest road to slimsville.

However, when it comes to straight up weight loss there is only really 1 Diet that fits all – being in Calorie Deficit. All those fancy diets work in the same way – whether you are controlling your portions or cutting your carbs the reason you are losing weight is you are taking in less fuel than you are expending. John Cisna, a Science teacher from Iowa, laboured this point by only eating at McDonalds for 3 months and lost 37 pounds in the process. To maintain his weight he needed to consume 2500 calories a day – he consumed 2000 and steadily lost weight. So it’s not so much what you are eating but how much – but just because you are McHappy it doesn’t necessarily mean you are McHealthy.

The good news is that this (bleeding obvious) Calorie Deficit reminder is that if we can nail which version of CD is easiest for us then we have the best chance to keep those numbers where we want them to be. So – Which Type of Person Are You?

WOULD MARRY CARBS IF YOU COULD:

I never met a bread roll I didn’t like but sadly not all carbs are equal. So, one course of action is a Low Sugar Diet that will still let you have your sough dough and the odd bowl of pasta (just skip the store-bought sauce). Or if you are happy to get your carb-fix from low carb foods (beans, lentils et al) then The 4 Hour Body gets fast results (and let’s you pig out completely once a week on whatever you want to). A third alternative would be Intermittent Fasting (either daily or 5:2) – by restricting your calories some of the day/week you leave more room for an extra baguette or 2.

CAN’T COOK TO SAVE YOUR LIFE: 

If recipes make you nervous then it’s wise to keep things simple. The 5:2 Diet allows you to pick up ready-made stuff (with calories already counted) on the 2 days a week you need to be rigid. If you are happy to throw some money at the problem then Light & Easy (Australia wide) or ready prepped (more gourmet) delivered meals such as Dietlicious (Australia), Balance Box (UK) or Green Chef (USA) all take the guesswork out of eating. Some even cater to the gluten-lergic, paleo-particular amongst you.

LIKE A GLASS Of WINE (or 3): 

I am not going to lie – vino may not be my most responsible friend but I do have a certain fondness for her (she is definitely a girl). Most diets can be pretty rigid about its inclusion and many a plan has lost me at ‘No alcohol’ –  If I am going to go hungry must I also go thirsty? Tim Ferris thankfully also has a fondness for a glass of red and advocates in his bestselling The 4 Hour Body ‘Up to two glasses of red per night, no more’ (with better results from the drier varietals.) A Low Sugar Diet does not have to mean no Mummy juice either – despite what everyone will say – dry red and white wine retain minimal fructose in the fermentation process. However, you do need to be mindful that you don’t just end up swopping one addiction for another. Weightwatchers works on a points system – a regular glass of wine is 4 points – that is a fair whack from my suggested 22 points total but does mean I don’t have to be politely declining every drink that comes my way. Points are allocated based on height/age/weight – work yours out here.

WANT TO BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL (to your kids etc.)

If you are prepared to put in the effort to cook a home cooked meal (or 5) then you are already half way there. Going mostly sugar Free or ditching a lot of the Processed food will save you a ton of calories and set your kids up with good habits from the get-go. A Low-Sugar, Paleo or Low-Carb Diet will suit you (dependent on if you are a sweet or savoury kind of gal).

NEED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE:

There is nothing like a weekly weigh in in-front-of-other-people to make you re-consider your choices. An organised group like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig tells you how many calories/points you can have and regularly checks up on you. For a less public outing you could try The Flash Diet – taking photos of everything you eat proved successful for test candidates in a study conducted by Scientists at the University of Wisconsin Madison. The thought of documenting the fact you took down a whole pack of biscuits could be the deterrent you need – but please for the love of God do not post these on your social media – remember nobody cares.

EXERCISE LIKE A DEMON:

Food supplies your body with energy and the body then burns this energy to function. If you are working out a lot then eating frequently keeps your bloody sugar levels steady keeping you feeling more energized. Studies have shown that female athletes who ate every three hours concentrated better, moved faster and could exercise longer – So a Little & Often Food Plan will often work best for gym bunnies. Also super popular is the high protein diets – Paleo or Atkins or some variation on this theme. Protein is important for athletes (or super keen excercisers) because it helps muscles repair themselves from the stress all that jumping, running or lifting puts on them.

LOVE FOOD SO MUCH YOU COULD CRY:

Not all calories are equal. So if you are a bit of a pig when it comes to dinner time choose a CD plan that lets you eat – a lot. High Protein Diets such as Paleo or Atkins have a metabolic advantage because calories from protein (which takes more energy to metabolise) are less fattening than calories from carbs and fat. Plus lets be honest it a hell of a lot easier to eat 500 calories of croissant (2 ) than of egg white omelette (10 eggs). Wholefoods require more energy to digest than processed foods – so eat real food and more of it. Or go LITTLE & OFTEN so you keep something in your tummy at all times to stave of the urge to binge. Or if you don’t mind a bit of restraint if the carrot (or donut) being dangled is big enough then THE 4 HOUR BODY actually demands a binge day once a week when you can fill your trough as high as you want.

CONTROL FREAK (Needs Rules):

Take your pick – pretty much every Diet, whatever your flavour, has some rules/guidelines to follow. So, simply adhere to the suggested do’s/don’ts and switch it up to keep yourself motivated. Go VB6 for a few weeks and then hop on the Paleo bandwagon for a few more. Or mix it up according to the seasons – Slow Carb it in the winter months and Juice Fast yourself a few days before shopping for a bikini (I also find removing my contact lenses along with my clothes at this juncture is a softer focused approached.)

I have always been a bit of a slut when it came to diet plans – I was up for anything. Now I tend to stick to a self-tailored mix of low sugar and IF (Intermittent Fasting) during the week which is as much for my health as my waistline. I may not have made it all the way to slimsville but I am only a block or two away.

Let me know if you have any ideas to add re personality types and food choices – just scroll down to comments. 😊

This GET THINNER post was brought to you by a girl standing in front of a salad asking it to be a donut.