Summertime is right around the corner, which means swimsuit season is creeping closer each and every day. First of all, I’m a firm believer that anyone who can physically put on a bikini has a “bikini body.”
But I also understand the need to want to look fierce and feel confident when you make your bikini debut in summer.
This post breaks down all the popular diets that are trending. We’ll take a look at what goes into them (and which celebrities swear by them) so you can decide which is the healthiest option for you.
A Note About Dieting
If you want to slim down in a hurry, strict diets seem like the perfect way to do so. Fad diets aren’t a new concept. After all, our mothers grew up sipping strawberry Slim Fasts hoping for the same result.
With the rise beach-hopping influencers – more and more special diets are catching the attention of women around the globe.
Before starting any diet program, be sure to talk to your doctor. Seriously. I know it sounds like tired old advice, but what we put into our bodies is one of the most important decisions we make on a daily basis.
Your doctor won’t judge you for wanting to get healthier – he or she will want to make sure you are getting all of the correct nutrients so that your diet can actually work.
Similarly, if you find yourself becoming obsessed with weight loss in an unhealthy way, be sure to speak to a doctor or mental health professional.
They might be able to help you make positive changes in the way you think about yourself and your body. Remember, the goal is always to feel extra confident in your own skin – not lose lots of weight super-fast.
Summer 2023’s Most Popular Diets
Intermittent Fasting
Described as an “eating pattern” rather than a diet, Intermittent Fasting is a schedule that tells you when you should eat and when you shouldn’t.
Celebrity Fans
Kourtney Kardashian, Molly Sims, and Hugh Jackman
What It Is
Periods of non-eating (or fasting) have been said to help your body use up stored energy that would otherwise turn into fat cells.
There are plenty of “schedules” on the internet that can help you, but these are the most popular intermittent fasting methods out there:
The 16:8 Method. On this diet schedule, you’re fasting for 16 hours of the day and eating for 8 hours.
Between 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm, you’re allowed to eat normally. Food is off limits during the rest of the day.
The 5:2 Method. In this method, you’re allowed to eat normally 5 days out of the week. During the other two, you keep your calorie intake below 500 calories.
The OMAD Method. OMAD stands for “One Meal A Day.”
As the name suggests, this schedule has you eating just one big meal each day and sipping on water or tea for the rest of it.
The EOD Method. This “Every Other Day” method cycles between 24 hours of fasting and 24 hours of eating like normal.
How It Works
Intermittent fasting affects hormone levels within the body. For example, the insulin levels in our body increase when we eat and decrease when we don’t.
When insulin levels are low, your body utilizes the fat stored within, which leads to weight loss. Studies have revealed that fasting can increase a person’s metabolism by up to 14%.
Periods of intermittent fasting have also been shown to lead to a decreased calorie intake overall, which also helps the body lose weight.
The Bottom Line of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting doesn’t tell you what to eat, just when to eat.
This is seemingly a dream come true for anyone who hates having to cut out entire food groups just to slim down.
With that said, you have to be strict about periods of non-eating for this diet to actually work. If your days are filled with impromptu outings that center around food, this diet may be a difficult one to commit to.
The Keto Diet
Keto – which is short for Ketogenic – is a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
Celebrity Fans
Kim Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, and LeBron James
What It Is
The idea of a high-protein, low-carb diet for weight loss has been around for decades. While the concept behind this diet is nothing new, Keto is a popular new take on this trend.
Here are the most popular Keto methods that people prescribe:
Standard Ketogenic Diet. In this method, your diet should consist of 75% fats, 20% proteins, and 5% carbohydrates.
High-Protein Ketogenic Diet. In this method, your diet should consist of 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet. This diet allows for a high amount of carbs every once in and while. Typically, users partake in 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
Targeted Ketogenic Diet. The amount of carbs you eat is dependent upon the amount and type of exercise you do each day.
Keep in mind, it isn’t just breaded that you’re giving up if you switch to Keto. Fruits, beans, potatoes, most condiments, sodas, and anything that contains a large number of carbohydrates need to strictly be avoided as well.
How It Works
When your body replaces a large number of carbohydrates with proteins, it goes into a metabolic state called Ketosis. During Ketosis, blood sugar, and insulin levels are lowered and fat is more effectively turned into energy.
Because of Keto’s effect on insulin levels, some studies even show that it can essentially “cure” Type 2 diabetes in some patients. Along with increased weight loss, the Keto diet has been said to help with PCOS, Acne, and Heart Disease, and even reduce your risk of Cancer.
The Bottom Line of the Keto Diet
The Keto Diet is an easier and more effective alternative to counting calories. While low-fat diets lead to hunger and decreased energy, Keto keeps you full.
With that said, doctors are split about “healthy” keto (and other high-protein diets) for the body over long periods of time.
Any diet that encourages you to completely cut out fruits and vegetables isn’t exactly “balanced.”
The Paleo Diet
The Paleo Diet seeks to return to the same diet that humans ate during the Paleolithic era, which took place approximately 10,000 years ago.
Celebrity Fans
Jessica Biel, Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew McConaughey
What It Is
The concept behind the Paleo diet is a unique one. 10,000 years ago humans didn’t rely on farming. Instead, they lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle that centered around foraging for food.
Practitioners believe that farming (which brought humans easy access to grains, dairy products, and legumes) has messed with the way that humans process their food.
They believe that meats, berries, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables are the only foods that humans are truly “supposed” to eat.
While the concept is a little far-fetched, it’s easy to see why Paleo is so attractive to so many people. Processed ingredients, factory farms, and even pesticides used to grow plants have made food far different than it has been for most of human history.
There’s something about returning to a completely “clean” diet and way of living that is both logical and extremely enticing.
How It Works
Paleo is extremely high in proteins, fruits, and vegetables – foods that contain tons of vitamins and are extremely healthy.
While research on the long-term effects of a Paleo diet is limited, these healthier choices lead to decreased caloric intake.
Plus, this diet has proven to be an effective way to not only lose weight but also control blood pressure and glucose levels in the body.
The Bottom Line of The Paleo Diet
Some experts argue that the science behind what early humans actually ate is up for debate. After all, hunter-gatherers in different parts of the world often had vastly different diets.
With that said, cutting out processed foods and other “unnatural” ingredients has obvious health benefits.
Although this diet can prove to be quite expensive, it’s an easy way to eat healthier overall.
South Beach Diet
A popular diet invented by a Cardiologist in 2003, the South Beach Diet encourages you to eat low-glycemic carbohydrates and lots of lean protein.
Celebrity Fans
The Clintons, Nicole Kidman, and Kim Cattrall
What It Is
The South Beach Diet encourages a lower carb intake overall. With that said, it doesn’t consider itself to be a true low-carb diet (Unlike typical “low-carb diets,” the South Beach Diet allows you to get up to 28% of your daily calories from carbohydrates).
Instead, it seeks to encourage a diet that is full of good carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats.
The South Beach Diet has three phases that practitioners are expected to adhere to:
Phase 1. This 2-week-long “reset phase” has you cutting out sugars and carbohydrates completely. Instead, you’ll stick to lean proteins, high-fiber vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
Phase 2. During this phase, you’ll start to reintroduce carbs back into your diet. The only carbohydrates you’re allowed, however, are “healthy” ones like brown rice and whole-grain bread. A large number of vegetables and lean meats are still encouraged.
Phase 3. This “maintenance phase” encourages you to continue eating only healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
How It Works
White bread, rice, potatoes, and other starchy foods have a high glycemic index. Foods with a high glycemic index are said to make your blood sugar spike to unhealthy levels.
Rather than cutting out carbs entirely, the South Beach Diet encourages people to eat carbs that have a low glycemic index, like whole grains. Similarly “good” fats – like the ones found in avocados or olives – are allowed whereas “bad” fats are not.
Research and science back up that this diet is indeed healthier than one that is high in processed foods and refined sugars.
According to the inventor of The South Beach Diet, you can expect to lose up to 15 pounds during the first phase and around 2 pounds per week if you properly adhere to the rules of the phases that follow.
This diet has also been proven to effectively lower cholesterol levels.
The Bottom Line
The South Beach Diet is a fad diet that is far less restrictive than others.
It encourages a low-carb lifestyle without having to avoid fruits and vegetables. It may be a more difficult process to stick to overall.
However, a long-term commitment to this diet can definitely affect your health in a positive way.
Weight Watchers
Recently rebranded simply as “WW,” Weight Watchers is an all-inclusive program that uses a daily points system and custom weight loss plans for members.
Celebrity Fans
Oprah, Jennifer Hudson, and Jessica Simpson
What It Is
Weight Watchers is a weight loss program that has been around since 1963. Although it has been recently “reimagined,” the general concept remains the same since its conception nearly 60 years ago.
Every member is assigned a certain amount of “points” that they’re allowed to consume each day. Every food then has a point value that typically corresponds with the number of calories it contains (a cookie has a much higher point value than a carrot, for example).
Depending on your specific goals, these points can also sometimes “roll over” – meaning you can indulge on certain days if you’ve eaten super healthy all week long.
The general idea has stayed the same, Weight Watchers now has increased technology to make following the program even easier.
An app and online database make it easy to see how many points you’re consuming when you eat out at popular restaurants. Personal coaching, online accountability partners, and 24/7 diet support is also right there at your fingertips.
Unlike most of the other diets on this list, Weight Watchers costs money.
Memberships start at around $5 per week for a standard plan and can go as high as $20 per week for a premium, all-inclusive package.
How It Works
It’s easy to see why Weight Watchers has been popular for as long as it has.
This system cuts out obsessively counting calories but also causes you to think twice before making unhealthy choices. This effectively lowers your caloric intake while also encouraging healthier options.
Pair this with regular workouts and you have a diet and exercise routine that is non-restrictive and easy to stick to.
The Bottom Line
Weight Watchers is great for anyone who wants to count calories without having to count calories. High membership fees make it somewhat “exclusive.”
However, if you want to lose weight and become part of a global community bad enough to pony up some cash each month, this system can certainly lend a hand.
The One Weight Loss Technique That NEVER Fails
Special diets have a way of making it seem quick and easy to obtain a perfectly flawless figure.
The truth is that the only 100% proven way to effectively lose weight – and keep it off – is a healthy everyday diet paired with a regular exercise routine.
Trust me, I know this is easier said than done. Going to the gym can be a drag and eating healthy is easy until someone puts your favorite doughnuts in the office break room.
The only thing that will result in lifelong changes, however, is a lifelong commitment to a healthier lifestyle.
Luckily, technology is here to lend you a hand.
Apps like Lose It! and MyFitnessPal allow you to see exactly how many calories are going into your body and how many are going out.
Additionally, apps like Lark can help get you into the gym even when you’d rather stay on the couch. If gyms aren’t your thing, YouTube has a ton of free fitness videos you can complete in the comfort of your own apartment.
Even small changes like swapping out soda for flavored carbonated water can make a huge impact at the end of the day.
Whatever diet or exercise program you decide on, remember that the goal is always to be healthier. Feeling better in your bikini this summer is just an added bonus.
