Quick and Dirty
Maybe bikini season has, once again, snuck up on you. Or maybe you vowed never to spend another holiday or special occasion feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious. Whatever the reason, we all wish for a magic wand to take pounds off fast at one time or another.
While we regret to inform you that there is no magic wand, these 12 diets will likely help you lose significant weight quickly, according to a panel of experts who reviewed 24 plans for the U.S. News Best Diets rankings. Just remember: Short-term weight loss is markedly different from long-term weight loss and maintaince, which is more important for your health.
No. 11 (tie) Noom
On the Noom Healthy Weight app, you log every meal and snack, plus your daily weight and exercise. Your one-on-one coach engages with and encourages you through the app’s messaging feature. You also connect with your Noom support group coach and group members.
Caloric density is the nutritional basis of the Noom program. A low-calorie diet emphasizing fruits and vegetables is a reliable way to lose weight quickly. The emphasis on exercising and meal tracking will also help. Noom states that the average user will lose 15 pounds during the 16-week plan. Even so, Noom prides itself on encouraging long-term weight loss for those motivated enough to stick it out.
No. 11 (tie) Nutritarian Diet
The nutritarian diet is an eating regimen that emphasizes eating plant-based, nutrient-rich foods that will help you lose weight and keep it off, according to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, the New York-based doctor who created it.
Sticking to a plant-based diet that eschews anything processed or with added oil, salt or sugar is almost certain to lead to weight loss in the short term. Snacking is also discouraged, which will severely cut back on calorie intake for many Americans. The quick 20-day detox program — one of three plans offered — is designed to help you lose 10 pounds in 20 days as you rid your diet of unhealthy foods.
No. 7 (tie) Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic diet is a balanced diet that encourages a wide variety of foods and is highly customizable to your lifestyle and food preferences. It is great for those who want a weight-loss plan with a medical pedigree.
By sticking with the Mayo Clinic diet, you’re expected to shed six to 10 pounds in the first two weeks of the plan, the most restrictive, during which women consume an average of 1,200 calories daily and men get 1,600 calories. You can continue losing one to two pounds weekly until you’ve hit your goal weight.
No. 7 (tie) South Beach Diet
Although the South Beach diet can produce rapid weight loss, its restrictions can make it difficult for dieters to keep the pounds off, experts said.
The central premise of the South Beach diet is choosing the “good” carbs and fats. The carbs you eat are low-glycemic index, which keeps blood glucose levels steady and increases satiety after meals. The first phase, which revolves around protein and non-starchy vegetables, is almost certain to encourage weight loss. For those who can successfully cut back to 50 grams of net carbs daily, the company reports an average loss of 8 to 13 pounds during those two weeks. Even in the second phase, once you’ve begun to add more carbohydrates to your menu, you can expect to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week.
No. 7 (tie) Volumetrics Diet
The volumetrics diet emphasizes eating lower-calorie density, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy. The plan is praised for teaching dieters portion control and how to choose foods that are low in calories but keep you feeling full for a long time.
By filling up on bulky foods with few calories (think carrot sticks rather than cashews), as the volumetrics diet dictates, you’re likely to lose significant weight during the first year. In general, diets rich in low-calorie dense foods have been shown to deliver weight loss.
No. 7 (tie) WW / WeightWatchers Diet
WW — a plan that uses a point system to encourage followers to choose healthy, filling foods — claims you can shed up to 2 pounds a week. Overall, no foods are off limits: You can eat whatever you want — provided you stick to your points budget. Among studies, one found that WW participants lost 9.8 pounds after 12 weeks, and at lower cost, compared with only 3 pounds for participants on a primary care-guided plan.
A backbone of the program is support via the WW app, expert-led virtual and in-person workshops to provide practical tools and behavior-change techniques for help along the way. Our experts have consistently backed its ability to deliver weight loss results. Better yet? Those results will likely last, thanks to the program’s emphasis on a balanced diet and built-in support system.
No. 6 Jenny Craig Diet
Jenny Craig‘s prepackaged meals and recipes help participants lose up to two pounds a week by restricting calories, fat and portions.
Jenny Craig is a structured diet plan based around prepackaged foods to manage calories, fat and portion sizes. Jenny’s prepackaged meals and recipes also emphasize healthy eating, an active lifestyle and behavior modification. Personal coaches guide members through their journeys from day one. According to the company, you’ll gain support and motivation and learn how much you should be eating, what a balanced meal looks like and how to use that knowledge to achieve weight maintenance. And the focus on proper portion sizes and recognizing the urge to eat when not hungry can have positive, long-term effects on well-being.
No. 2 (tie) Atkins Diet
A large part of the appeal of the Atkins diet, which aims to burn fat by limiting carbs and packing in fat and protein, is its claim of quick weight loss — as much as 15 pounds in two weeks, according to the company.
Starting with almost no carbs, dieters progress through diet phases to achieve their goal weight. You’ll primarily eat protein such as fish, beef, chicken and pork. You should eat 4 to 6 ounces at each meal.
In short-term studies, weight loss and a decrease in body fat are generally reported, along with a significant reduction in abdominal fat and preservation of lean body mass. Most of this decrease in pounds is attributable to water loss, so it’s not the healthiest or most effective plan for long-term loss.
No. 2 (tie) OPTAVIA Diet
OPTAVIA, a brand from the team behind Medifast, is bound to lead to weight loss in most adults. It’s a low-carbohydrate and low-calorie diet with the majority of vitamins, minerals and fiber provided via fortified meal replacements. The OPTAVIA diet is one of several plans that heavily rely on prepackaged foods, referred to as “Fuelings,” for calorie restriction.
After all, you’ll likely be limited to 1,000 calories a day from one daily meal and five 100-calorie Fuelings, whether shakes, bars, eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, pudding, soup, brownies or even cheese puffs. You’ll eat four to five prepackaged Fuelings daily and one or two low-carbohydrate meals, which you prepare yourself using foods from the grocery store.
No. 2 (tie) Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem is a commercial weight-loss diet that involves following a meal plan made up of the company’s prepackaged and portioned meals and snacks, including frozen and shelf-stable options that are delivered to you. These are complemented with some vegetables and other grocery additions you shop for yourself. By outsourcing meal-management chores, you won’t have to think about portion control, meal prep or meal timing.
According to experts, Nutrisystem is fairly safe and easier to follow than many other diets. The pre-portioned, low-calorie meals may make Nutrisystem particularly helpful in early dieting. While packaged foods can become dull over time, they remove much of the time and stress associated with meal planning and preparation.
No. 2 (tie) SlimFast
SlimFast is designed to make cutting calories simple and fast weight loss likely, with products like shakes, smoothies and meal bars replacing two meals a day and snacks. But as with most diets that do well in the fast weight-loss category, SlimFast lacked in other departments, like heart health and sustainability.
SlimFast is best for people who need to lose about 20 pounds, which should take eight to 10 weeks; most people are likely to have trouble sticking to the regimen longer. Still, many dieters use SlimFast products as occasional meal replacements even after losing weight to make maintenance easier.
No. 1 Keto Diet
Butter, bacon, burgers, oh my! Meals consisting of high-fat foods like these are hallmarks of the keto diet, an extremely low-carb, high-fat plan that aims to send you into ketosis, a state in which your body is forced to burn fat, not sugar, for energy.
Though quick weight loss is likely on the keto diet, experts don’t recommend it for most people since it lacks nutritional variety and is unsustainable in the long term. In other words: Follow at your own risk.
Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets:
No. 1 (tie) Keto Diet.
No. 2 (tie) Atkins Diet.
No. 2 (tie) OPTAVIA Diet.
No. 2 (tie) Nutrisystem.
No. 2 (tie) SlimFast.
No. 6 Jenny Craig Diet.
No. 7 (tie) Mayo Clinic Diet.
No. 7 (tie) South Beach Diet.
No. 7 (tie) Volumetrics Diet.
No. 7 (tie) WW / WeightWatchers Diet.
No. 11 (tie) Noom.
No. 11 (tie) Nutritarian Diet.
More from U.S. News
How to Lose Weight: the Best Foods for Weight Loss
Weight-Loss Tips to Follow for Life
Best Quick Weight-Loss Diets originally appeared on usnews.com
Update: This story was previously published and has been updated with the new rankings.
