With the desire to achieve nutrition and fitness goals often comes the desire to do so quickly. Everybody has an opinion on the best diets to lose weight, but there seems to be very little expert consensus on which "fad diets" are most effective.

Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet sounds like a very scientific way of eating, in reality it simply means that if a caveman didn't eat it, neither can you. When following a Paleo diet things like meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, regional veggies, and seeds are staples in your eating regiment. However you are not allowed to eat dairy, grains, and processed foods. Some people swear by it, some people think that it is a load of processed meat. 

Some benefits of a Paleo diet are that you are more likely to eat clean/unprocessed food, you'll get more iron, many people lose weight due to less selection, and there is an anti inflammatory benefit to the food you are eating. However it makes it difficult to get essential carbs, it can be expensive, and is not very sustainable for vegetarians (because legumes are a no-no in paleo diets). 

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is based around the traditional foods people eat in countries like Italy, Greece and Spain. This means eating many fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds, moderate intake of wine and lean meats, and low intake of processed foods. This diet originated when researchers saw that these people were much healthier than Americans and had lower risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

However there are not many set details and portion sizes with this diet, and the wine intake may be too much for those on medications.

Keto Diet

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. Studies have also shown that this diet can help you lose weight and improve health. This diet involves drastically reducing carb intake, and it replaces it with fat. The reduction in carbs induces a metabolic state called ketosis.

Some cons to the keto diet are that it makes it harder to eat at restaurants, due to the limited selections,  it requires a few week adaption period, and it makes it harder for athletes to get the necessary carbs they need while training.

Our staff believes that there is no one "right" diet. We believe that moderation, healthy eating, and exercise will best help achieve fitness goals. While all of these diets have validity there is no expert agreement on which is the best. That is why it is important to do your own research, and to find the meal plan that works best for your budget and body.