The neverending list of diet fads and trends can be confusing, especially if you’re one of those people who is trying to figure out which one is right for you and will show real results. Should you eat less carbs? More fats? Less fats? Should you try eliminating meats and other animal products? It really depends on the person, and different types of diets cater to different people. Here are today’s most popular diets explained to help you get a better idea of which one is right for you.

Atkins

The main focus of the famous Atkins diet is to focus on a low-carb approach. By eating few to no carbs, this helps control the levels of insulin in the body, and eventually leads to weight loss. When we eat foods that are high in refined carbohydrates, our bodies’ insulin levels rise and fall dramatically. When insulin levels rise, this triggers the body to store the consumed food as energy, rather than burning fat, causing weight gain. So the Atkins diet cuts out all carbs but allows consumption of fats and proteins.

Ketogenic

This is extremely similar to the Atkins diet, with one main difference. Like Atkins, going keto means consuming lots of fats and little to no carbs. But unlike Atkins, you need to monitor protein intake while doing a ketogenic diet. The goal of keto is to allow your body to enter a state of ketosis – this basically means your body creates energy by burning stored fat rather than consumed carbs. But when you eat too much protein on the keto diet, your body won’t be able to stay in ketosis and you won’t see the same results. If you want to learn more about nutrition and the keto diet you can use the resources here that specialize in nutrition and weight loss.

Vegetarian/Vegan

Pretty much everyone knows the guidelines of a vegetarian or vegan diet. With vegetarian, you simply do not eat meat products. This often includes fish, but some people still choose to incorporate seafood into their diets (they are known as pesco-vegetarians). Vegans eat no animal products whatsoever, including eggs and dairy. Although many people take on these eating habits for ethical reasons, it is proven that vegetarians and vegans have a lower body weight in general and suffer from less diseases.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers is all about moderation. It doesn’t say you can never eat pizza or ice cream. In fact, this program embraces the idea that you can enjoy foods you like, but you have to cut back on other things when you enjoy these foods. Each food item is given a certain amount of points, and each person is allotted a daily value of points each day to enjoy, depending on their weight loss goals. Foods like pizza and ice cream are worth a huge chunk of points, while things like vegetables, fruits, and grilled chicken are little to zero points.

Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet embraces the foods commonly found in Crete, Greece, and Southern Italy. The general diet of these countries include lots of vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, beans and whole grains, cheeses and yogurt, and a small amount of poultry, red meats, seafood, and eggs. People who adopt this diet often have a lower risk of heart disease and a better quality of life overall.