With the dawning of a new year, many people resolve to lose weight – and try a new diet.
Approximately 45 million Americans start a new diet every year. A recent poll of about 2,100 people found that nearly half of them said dieting is one of their 2025 goals.
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But research shows most diets help people lose weight and lower their blood pressure, but the majority of folks are back where they started within a year. Early, rapid weight loss usually plateaus after a few months, followed by gradual weight gain, according to studies.
A more effective approach is to ditch the concept of "dieting" and think about sustainable ways to eat healthier, nutritionists say.
"Diets are often (seen as) something you go on and then eventually go off," New York City-based registered dietitian Keri Gans told Good Housekeeping. "If you think of it more as a lifestyle change, it may enable you to stick with it longer."
Here are five healthy diet plans that can lead to weight loss and better overall health in 2025:
Mediterranean diet: This diet emphasizes eating fruits and vegetables, healthy nuts and whole grains, and limiting processed foods high in added sugars and sodium. Because it is high in antioxidants and vitamins, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce inflammation and chronic diseases. It also promotes healthy digestion, lowers the risk for certain cancers and helps sustain brain function, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This diet draws on eating patterns from the 16 countries in the Mediterranean region – so there's not one standard plan to follow. The American Heart Association offers more information on how to adopt a Mediterranean diet.
DASH diet: DASH stands for "dietary approaches to stop hypertension," so this diet is aimed at reducing blood pressure and cholesterol. A 2018 study showed that DASH helped people with obesity reduce fat and strengthen muscle. The DASH diet emphasizes foods rich in protein, potassium and fiber and low in sodium and saturated fats. The menu looks much like the Mediterranean diet, with approximately 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, 6-8 servings of grains and 2-3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Atlantic diet: Also known as the Southern European Traditional Atlantic diet, this nutrition plan is related to the Mediterranean diet but includes red meat and dairy products. A recent study conducted over 14 years found the Atlantic diet reduced the risk of death from any cause. Another study found the Atlantic diet significantly lowered the risk of metabolic disease. VeryWell Health offers more information on how to follow the Atlantic diet.
Flexitarian diet: Like the name indicates, the Flexitarian diet does not have strict rules. It is meant to be a sort of vegetarian plan with flexibility to include some meat. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts are the core. People following this diet can also eat limited amounts of meat, but the goal is to gradually reduce meat consumption. Benefits of the Flexitarian diet include weight loss, cancer prevention and lowered risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Noom: Noom is not a diet but an app designed to help people build healthier eating habits – and sustain them over the long term – through cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, food tracking and personalized recommendations. The app also tracks exercise. After downloading Noom, it walks people through a thorough lifestyle questionnaire.