Weight Watchers, Atkins, Paleo, Keto, the South Beach Diet, Slim Fast, the Mediterranean Diet, DASH, the Ornish Diet, Body for Life, Slim 4 Life — if you’re trying to lose weight by changing your eating habits, there’s certainly no shortage of diet plans out there claiming to help. But how do you know which diet plan is right for you?

Doctors, nutritionists, fitness professionals and weight loss experts all agree — the best diet to help you lose weight is the diet you can stick to long-term.

If you’re tired of yo-yo dieting — losing weight only to regain it a few months later — then you need to find an eating and weight loss plan that can become a lifestyle, not just a quick fix. But what makes for a sustainable weight loss plan? Here are the six elements any diet that promises to help you lose weight and keep it off should include.

• Focus on fitness. No ifs, ands or buts about it. If you want to lose weight, you need to increase your level of physical activity. Exercise is a vital component of any solid weight loss plan, and that includes bariatric surgery.
• Include a variety of healthy foods from all food groups. Depriving yourself of a particular food group may work in the short-term, but can you stick with it forever?
• Teach portion control. Weight loss comes down to one simple equation: calories in < calories out. Learning to control portion size is the best way to limit your intake of calories from fat, sugar and carbs.
• Promote slow, steady weight loss. If a diet plan promises to help you lose weight fast, chances are it’s not a sustainable plan. Even if you do lose weight quickly, can you keep it off? Yo-yo dieting isn’t doing you any favors, as it can slow your metabolism and, in the long run, make it even harder to keep the extra pounds off.
• Allow for healthy snacking. Whether it’s a protein shake or a handful of nuts, consuming healthy snacks during the day keeps you feeling full, which means you’re less likely to overdo it at mealtime. Multiple studies also show that eating every few hours throughout the day keeps your metabolism revved up, which means you’ll continue burning calories all day long.
• Encourage you to eat real food. For your overall health and well-being, it’s important that you consume a diet of real foods. Real foods are vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean sources of protein. You can’t live on shakes for the rest of your life, and any diet that relies heavily on supplements is likely more of a gimmick than a sustainable weight loss plan.

Of course, what works for one person may not work for you. Your lifestyle, health history and even genetics all play a role in how your body will respond to a particular diet plan. To find the plan that’s right for you and your individual needs, consult with your doctor before you start dieting.

If you’d like to learn more about how weight loss surgery can help you lose weight and keep it off, contact McCarty Weight Loss Center today.