It can be hard to keep up with the latest diet and nutrition trends and to know what is fact, and what might be fiction. We have you covered with our summaries of the 30-30-30 Method, Keto, Intermittent Fasting, the 2-2-2 and Zone Diets. My name is Nav Sharma, and I’m a registered dietitian here to help you make sense of popular weight loss diets and trends.
The 30-30-30 Method
Our first weight loss trend is the 30-30-30 method. If you’re a social media user, you may have come across this online as it has gone viral on TikTok recently. The 30-30-30 diet involves eating 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, and then completing 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise. The reason this weight loss diet may work is because enjoying a high-protein breakfast will satisfy you for a longer period of time. But what does that look like? To give you an idea: you’d have to eat 5 hard-boiled eggs at 6 grams of protein per egg. Alternatively, 1.5 cups of Greek yogurt or a scoop of your favourite protein powder in a smoothie would also be good choices. As for being active in the morning, that’s always a great choice! Low-impact exercises like taking a walk early in the day are especially beneficial for decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression, boosting your mood, and increasing energy levels.
What You Need To Know About The 30-30-30 Method
For most of us, the morning is a really busy time of day. Making sure you have a high-protein breakfast ready to go, as well as the time to get in 30 minutes of movement, just simply might not be feasible. We know that if we try to introduce a new habit and it’s not sustainable, it won’t be effective or successful.
In addition, be mindful of food choices throughout the rest of the day. Opting for a nutritious, high-protein breakfast sets a positive tone for your day. However, if you follow it up with a heavy, fast-food or unbalanced lunch and minimal physical activity, you may not achieve the weight loss you were hoping for. Striving for balance in your meals and incorporating moderate to high-intensity exercise somewhere in your day is key. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy, so incorporating them into your diet alongside protein and other nutrients can help sustain your energy levels throughout the day. It’s also good to note that not everyone wakes up feeling hungry. If you generally don’t feel hungry until later in the day, this may not be the right approach for you.
Consistency is key. The 30-30-30 diet is certainly more reasonable than other trends and weight loss diets we’ve seen, but what matters most is consistent healthy choices and regular activity.
Bonus Tip: Consider also loading your plate with 30g of fibre daily!
Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss
Next up is intermittent fasting, and you probably know someone who’s tried it if you haven’t yourself. This type of fasting is going for 12+ hours without eating, and for some this could be even 36-48 hours without food. Intermittent fasting works by extending the time between meals, so your body shifts from burning calories from your last meal to burning stored fat.
What You Need To Know About IF
While there are some potential benefits to intermittent fasting like weight loss and digestive health, keep an eye out for dizziness or headaches, nutrient deficiencies, and low energy levels. Regular meals of healthy fats, lean protein and carbs are important for mental clarity and brain function!
Should you decide to give I.F. a try:
- Speak to a professional. It’s important to make sure that fasting is safe for you!
- Nail the basics of healthy eating first. Fasting is not a cure-all, and overall good nutrition matters (should be a higher priority).
Bonus Tip: Check out our blog on the topic to educate yourself more – Intermittent fasting needs to be individualized and it does not work for everyone for weight loss.
The “Keto” Weight Loss Diet
Now, let’s explore Keto. We’ve all heard of it, and it remains one of the most popular weight loss diets in the last few years. It is essentially a high-fat, low to moderate protein and low-carb way of eating. The idea is that your body will enter into a state of ketosis, where you burn fat as a primary fuel source instead of carbohydrates. The keto diet was given its name in the early 1920s and became popular as a form of therapy for epilepsy in children in the 1920s and 30s. Since then, the keto diet has gained considerable attention as a potential weight-loss strategy due to the low-carb weight-loss diet phenomenon.
What You Need To Know About Keto
It’s important to note that while body weight is one marker of overall health, we also have to take into consideration other markers, like cholesterol levels. When a diet method is adopted to help with weight loss, it needs to result in sustained weight loss AND improvement in other markers of health. The Keto weight loss diet can be tough to maintain long-term because in order to follow the diet properly, you must strictly limit ALL carbs, cut many fruits and vegetables out, watch your alcohol intake and consume mostly fat. That means the variety is low, and some of your favourite desserts and juicy fruits are gone! In addition, like most restrictive diets, the keto diet may also negatively impact your overall relationship with food, leading to behaviours such as emotional or binge eating.
Should you decide to give the Keto weight loss diet a try: For a more sustainable method, try the lazy keto approach. This approach focuses primarily on limiting carbohydrates while being less strict about tracking other macronutrients. Followers of lazy keto typically avoid high-carb foods but may not track their fat and protein intake as closely as traditional keto. This can make it a more flexible option for those who find strict tracking challenging. As well, consider improving the quality of your carbohydrate intake. Choose more high-fibre and nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as whole foods (starchy vegetables, fruits, whole grains) vs. refined processed foods (sugar, flour, packaged foods). Avoid restrictions that are unsustainable.
Bonus Tip: Continue to focus on filling at least half your plate with non-starchy vegetables to promote adequate fibre and essential vitamin and mineral intake – and read our blog on the topic to boost your Keto knowledge!
The 2-2-2 Weight Loss Diet
Now that we’ve touched on both intermittent fasting and Keto, it’s time to dive into the 2-2-2 method for metabolism since it involves both of those weight loss diets. The first week of the six-week 2-2-2 plan involves 14:10 intermittent fasting (meaning you fast for 14 hours and eat during 10.) For the second week, you switch to 5:2 intermittent fasting (meaning you have two days that week during which you consume 500 calories). For both weeks, you’re eating mostly carbs and protein. The final four weeks have you alternating between carb-loading and high-fat keto meals. You’ll fast for 16 hours and have 8 to eat in weeks three and four; use the 5:2 method in week five and the alternate day method (during which you have three 500-calorie days interspersed with “normal eating”) in week six. Also part of the program: three types of exercise (aerobic exercise like walking, strength training, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT)), as they each affect the body in different ways.
What You Need To Know About The 2-2-2 Diet
Like any short-term plan, you may initially lose weight and then gain it back if the plan isn’t sustainable for you. This is a complicated plan that may feel overwhelming, and that means it may not be easy to maintain. If you decide to give it a shot, filling your plate with fruits and veggies is a good idea as they are full of nutrients.
Bonus Tip: Plan for your week ahead of time and ensure your meals include a balance of lean protein, healthy fats, and fibre-rich carbohydrates
The Zone Weight Loss Diet
The Zone Diet was developed more than 30 years ago by Dr. Barry Sears, an American biochemist. This weight loss diet instructs followers to stick to eating a specific ratio of 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. As part of the diet, carbs should have a low glycemic index, which means they provide a slow release of sugar into the blood to keep you feeling fuller for longer. The Zone weight loss diet is aimed at reducing the inflammation in your body, as Dr. Sears believed inflammation was the reason people gain weight, become sick and, therefore age faster. The “hand-eye method” is the easiest way to start. In this method, you use your hand to determine your portion sizes. Your five fingers remind you to eat five times a day and never go without food for five hours.
Meanwhile, you use your eye to estimate portions on your plate. To design a Zone-friendly plate, you need to first divide your plate into thirds:
- One-third lean protein: roughly the size and thickness of your palm.
- Two-thirds carbs: with a low glycemic index.
- A little fat: monounsaturated, such as olive oil, avocado or almonds.
Zone food blocks are the other method you can use if you decide to try this weight loss diet. They allow you to calculate how many grams of protein, carbs and fat you can have per day.
The number of Zone blocks you should eat per day depends on your weight, height, waist and hip measurements, but the average male eats 14 Zone blocks per day, while the average female eats 11 Zone blocks per day. A main meal such as breakfast, lunch or dinner contains three to five Zone blocks, while a snack always contains one Zone block. Each Zone block is made of a protein block, a fat block and a carb block.
- Protein block: 7 grams of protein.
- Carb block: 9 grams of carbs.
- Fat block: 1.5 grams of fat.
What You Need To Know About The Zone Diet
Although it offers two methods for flexibility, the Zone weight loss diet is designed to be followed indefinitely, which can be difficult. While nothing is strictly banned, certain foods that promote inflammation are considered unfavourable such as tea and coffee (water only is recommended), foods with added sugar like cookies and cakes, and high-sugar fruits like bananas and grapes.
Bonus Tip: If you are looking to begin building healthy eating habits, the Zone Diet may help you practice portion control.
That said, for long-term positive change and success, it’s important to base your diet around whole and unprocessed foods, as well as a balanced plate.
While you’re deciding what weight loss diet feels right for you, check out our blog on What To Look For In A Weight Loss Program For Lasting Results as a guide for the important points to consider when selecting the approach that will give you the tools you need!
This is just a small overview of the dozens of weight loss diets out there. We know that beginning the process of weight loss can feel like an overwhelming task, and sometimes, a nutrition trend can make it seem more attainable. That’s where the guidance of an educated and knowledgeable dietitian can make all the difference as you work toward achieving or maintaining your healthy weight goal. Check out our Weight Loss Program and the resources below for more information!
Weight Loss-Related Resources
Let’s get into why our genes play a role in our nutrition journeys and weight management strategies! https://nutriprocan.ca/dna-and-weight-loss/
Are you curious about how to set meaningful weight loss and nutrition goals? https://nutriprocan.ca/top-5-nutrition-goals-weight-loss/
Sugar cravings are real, and they are TOUGH. What can you do? Read on: https://nutriprocan.ca/the-science-based-guide-to-controlling-sugar-cravings/
Binge eating behaviours do not mean you have a lack of willpower – learn more here: https://nutriprocan.ca/binge-eating-disorder/
Gain awareness, understand your triggers, and build practical knowledge for only $29.99: https://nutriprocan.thinkific.com/courses/emotional-eating-101
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