Let's first be clear... The word 'diet' means the kinds of food you typically eat on a regular basis. But when we hear the word 'diet' we think 'weight loss.'
And now, the term diet is associated with so many different ways of eating...
vegetarian diet
vegan diet
keto diet
paleo diet
carnivore diet
pescatarian diet
Mediterranean diet
DASH diet
Plant-based diet
South beach diet
Atkins diet
Whole 30 diet
raw food diet
Cabbage soup diet
Weight watchers diet
clean eating diet
and there's more...
First of all, most of the time people aren't actually adhering to their diet. Most are not easy to stick to, they make it harder to have a social life, and most are not sustainable long-term.
Second of all, the thing that all of these diets have in common is that they restrict something, whether that's carbohydrates, fat, sugar, or overall calories, they are all restrictive in some way and this can lead to nutrient deficiencies over time. (disclaimer: fat loss requires a caloric restriction but when done right, the restriction doesn't have to be large and one can get in enough nutrients while in a fat loss phase). An article in the U.S. news reviewed a study and "The results showed that a pescatarian diet pattern had the highest diet quality, followed by vegetarian, low-grain, restricted carbohydrate, time-restricted and high-protein diet patterns. To be clear, most diets had a failing grade. Only the pescatarian and vegetarian diet scored higher than the general population diet. For example, the general population diet scored around a 57 out of 100, while the pescatarian diet was about 65 out of 100."
The takeaways from this brief blog post- stop dieting and start getting consistent with your nutrition. Most people are eating 1000 calories one day and then 2100 calories the next. Your body craves consistency! It wants routine which also means with your food intake. Working with a nutrition professional or a registered dietitian like myself can help you determine how much you should be eating for your body type, fitness goals, dieting history, medical history and so on. It's also a great way to learn more about nutrition, your metabolism and how to fuel your body properly!
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