| Diet program | Technique | How it works | Weight loss effectiveness | Other benefits | Downsides |
| Intermittent fasting | Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. | Reduce calorie intake. 16/8 method, which involves limiting your calorie intake to 8 hours per day 5:2 method, restricts daily calorie to 500–600 twice per week night fasting, fasting during night | cause • 3–8% weight loss over 3–24 weeks • reduce waist circumference by 4–7% | linked to • anti-aging effects, • increased insulin sensitivity • improved brain health • reduced inflammation | May drops blood sugar levels, such as some people with diabetes, low weight, or an eating disorder, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women |
| Plant based diets | Restrict animal products, plant-based diet that allows eating animal products in moderation. | It encourages eating mostly fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains but allows for protein and animal products in moderation | Many of the restricted food groups are high in calories, so limiting them may aid weight loss. | reduced risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes | restrict important nutrients that are typically found in animal products |
| Low-carb diets, Atkins diet, ketogenic (keto) diet, and low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet. | Reduce carbs 10% of total calories, compared with 30% or less for other types | Restrict your carb intake in favor of protein and fat. They’re higher in protein than low-fat diets body using fatty acids rather than carbs for energy | low-carb diets resulted in significantly more weight loss than low-fat diets | Reduce risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol and blood pressure levels. | In very rare situations, following a very-low-carb diet may cause a condition known as ketoacidosis |
| The paleo diet | advocates eating the same foods that your hunter-gatherer ancestors allegedly ate | Eating whole foods, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, and seeds. It restricts the processed foods, grains, sugar, and dairy, | 3 weeks reduce (2.3 kg) and reduced their waist circumference by an average of 0.6 inches (1.5 cm | reduce high blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels | it restricts several nutritious food groups, including legumes, whole grains, and dairy |
| Low-fat diets | a low-fat diet involves restricting fat intake to 30% of daily calories | Ultra-low-fat diets fat10% Carbs 80% Protein 10 It mainly plant-based and limit meat and animal products. | a low-fat diet led to small but relevant changes in weight and waist circumference | They may also reduce inflammation and improve markers of diabetes | very-low-fat diets have been linked to a higher risk of metabolic syndrome |
| Mediterranean diet | Based on foods that people in countries like Italy and Greece used to eat. | poultry, eggs, and dairy products are to be eaten in moderation. limited red meats restricts refined grains, trans fats, refined oils, processed meats, added sugar, and other highly processed foods. | not specifically a weight loss diet, | The Mediterranean diet encourages eating plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, which may help combat inflammation | Mediterranean diet is not strictly a weight loss diet, |
| Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet | is an eating plan that is designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure | It emphasizes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats and is low in salt, red meat, added sugars, and fat | people on the DASH diet lost significantly more weight over 8–24 weeks than people on a control | shown to reduce blood pressure levels and several heart disease risk factors | May aid weight loss, there is mixed evidence on salt intake and blood pressure. In addition, eating too little salt has been linked to increased insulin resistance |
| WW (Weight Watchers) | doesn’t restrict any food groups, people on a WW plan must eat within their set daily points to reach their ideal weight | s a points-based system that assigns different foods and beverages a value, depending on their calorie, fat, and fiber contents. To reach your desired weight, you must stay within your daily point allowance. | people who followed a WW diet lost 2.6% more weight than people who received standard counseling | WW allows flexibility, making it easy to follow. This enables people with dietary restrictions, such as those with food allergies, to adhere to the plan | WW can be costly depending on the subscription plan. Also, it’s flexibility can be a downfall if dieters choose unhealthy foods |