The United States, like many comparable nations, has an obesity crisis. This is attributable to many aspects; we have access to a surplus of high-caloric food, and compared to our ancestors, we lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles. There’s nothing inherently wrong with either of those notions; having access to too much food is preferable to not having enough, and being able to sit in an office (or similar) is likely preferable to working in an extremely physically demanding job. These are generalizations of course, and there are exceptions to all these concepts, but the point is they’re applicable to many of us. As such, many of us seek to lose weight, either through diet, exercise, or some combination thereof. It can be overwhelming to choose the “proper” diet, as there are so many to choose from, and they’re often unsustainable, or based on questionable science. One factor to bear in mind is that nutrition is a marathon, not a sprint. In other words, you may be able to stick to a rigorous diet in the short term, and you may even lose a substantial amount of weight in the process, but can you stick to it long-term? Even if it helps you to lose weight, is it healthy?
Diet fads come and go; some focus on minimizing carbs, some focus on maximizing protein, but regardless of how well they work, if it’s something you can’t stick with, you’ll end up back where you started eventually. It’s best to think of nutrition as a lifestyle component; instead of burning yourself out with an incredibly rigorous diet, incorporate parts of it, but give yourself a bit of leeway. The internet has countless resources as well regarding basic nutritional science, and once you gain a more advanced knowledge of “nutritional literacy”, you can create your own nutritional plan that’s sustainable in the long-term. We’re all unique, and what’s effective for one individual may not be effective for others. Maybe you choose to start a Keto-type diet, and experiment from there; maybe you choose to create your own, unique meal plan, or maybe you choose a vegan-based nutrition plan. The point is: there’s no “best” option besides the one that works for you. Above all, if you do choose to follow a diet or nutrition plan you find online, (or elsewhere) make sure it’s reputable and safe. There are countless fad-diets floating around with no sound basis in science, and many of these were simply created to generate money for the people who created them. If you find a nutritional plan or diet that appeals to you, it’s imperative that you take the time to research and cross-reference it to ensure it’s safe.