With 2025 approaching, you might be thinking about your New Year’s resolutions. Many of these goals relate to health and fitness, including weight management. If you’d like to lose weight safely, the best diet for weight loss may help you reach your goals.
“There are several reasons someone may begin a specific diet (eating pattern) including personal health, lifestyle, and values,” explains Adiana Castro, M.S., R.D.N., C.L.T., founder at Compass Nutrition. She adds that weight or fat loss goals are common reasons for starting a diet, as well as improving various health markers and increasing energy and mood.
Some of us have a negative association with the word diet, but “there are diets that are safe and effective for weight loss,” explains Jim White, R.D.N., A.C.S.M. Ex-P, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios. He emphasizes that “the most important thing to understand for weight loss in a healthy manner is eating a proper balance of nutrients and eating in a calorie deficit or below the number of calories it takes to maintain your weight.” Various diets take these factors into consideration.
Below, find the best diets for weight loss that are approved by nutrition experts to help you meet your goals in 2025.
Mediterranean diet
There’s a reason the Mediterranean diet is considered the gold standard for not only weight loss but an overall healthy lifestyle. Research shows that following the diet may help you live longer, reduce stress levels, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, and even lower hypertension.
DASH diet
The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a nutrition plan developed to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and maintain a healthy weight. A 2020 study found that the DASH diet helped a group of people 65 and older struggling with obesity reduce body fat.
MIND diet
The MIND diet combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH diets with a stronger focus on brain health. The diet focuses on adding vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, whole grains, and lean protein, and limits red meat and cheese.
Atlantic diet
The Atlantic diet, with a focus on fresh seafood, vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats, is praised for its balanced and nutrient-dense approach to eating which is helpful for long-term health and weight management.
Intermittent fasting
Unlike some other diets, intermittent fasting focuses on meal timing rather than what you eat. The common 16:8 diet involves fasting for 16 hours a day and eating all meals within an eight-hour window. It can help with weight loss but should be approached with caution.
Paleo diet
The Paleo diet emulates the eating habits of our Paleolithic ancestors, focusing on whole foods like lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds while removing processed foods, grains, and legumes.
Volumetrics
Created by Barbara Rolls, Volumetrics focuses on consuming foods with high volumes of water and fiber, which can help you eat satisfying portions while still managing calories.
Noom
Noom is a mobile app-based weight loss program that helps users develop long-term, sustainable healthy habits using a psychology-based approach.
Vegetarian diet
Vegetarian diets exclude meat but often include animal byproducts and can aid in weight loss efforts by incorporating whole plant-based foods.
Vegan diet
A vegan diet excludes all animal byproducts and is rich in plants, high in fiber, and low in fat, which may assist with weight loss goals.
Flexitarian diet
The flexitarian diet focuses on reducing or limiting meat in the diet while prioritizing fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, which can improve metabolic health markers.
Pescatarian diet
Pescetarian diets include fish and seafood while maintaining a plant-rich diet and are associated with various health benefits.
When choosing a weight loss diet, consider looking for whole nutrient-dense foods, sustainability, and the avoidance of highly restrictive diets. Remember, the goal is not just immediate results, but a balanced approach for long-term health and wellbeing.
Source: Prevention
