Table 1.
Dietary strategies for weight loss
| Type | Brief description |
|---|---|
| Amount of food intake | |
| Low-calorie diet | Consumption of 1,000–1,500 calories and deficit of 500–750 calories per day12-15 Recommended as the initial strategy |
| Very-low-calorie diet | Consumption of 600–900 calories per day17 Can be maintained for a relatively short time period of time (2 weeks to 3 months), followed by a gradual switch to a low-calorie diet18,19 Considered for severe obesity, sarcopenic obesity, obesity associated with type 2 diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension21 |
| Meal replacements | Useful for controlling calories without placing much effort on calorie calculation or meal planning May include either total or partial meal replacements (one or two meals a day)23 |
| Type of food eaten | |
| Low-fat diet | Consumption of fat as < 15%–20% of daily calories, especially saturated fatty acids as < 7%–10%24 Mostly plant-based meals |
| Low-carbohydrate diet | Consumption of carbohydrates as < 45% of daily calories or < 130 mg/day32-34 Recommended as a dietary strategy for type 2 diabetes32,33 Might be useful for initial weight loss, but long-term results are similar to following a low-fat diet38 |
| Ketogenic diet | Consumption of carbohydrates as < 10% of daily calories or < 50 mg/day41 May decrease appetite, but long-term safety is unknown |
| High-protein diet | Increase protein intake to 30% of total daily calories or 1–1.2 g/kg of ideal body weight43 Useful in maintaining weight loss and increasing satiety47 High-protein diets from animal sources should be handled with caution for people with risk of chronic kidney disease.57 |
| Mediterranean diet | Consists of high consumption of fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, dairy products, and monounsaturated fats, with little to no consumption of red meat58 Helpful in improving cardiometabolic parameters and cognitive function59,60 |
| Timing of meal consumption | |
| Intermittent fasting88 | Alternate day fasting 5:2 Intermittent fasting (fasting or consuming < 1,000 calories for 2 days each week) Daily time-restricted feeding (fasting for 16–18 hours a day) Effective as a weight-loss strategy89 Attention should be paid to patients currently being treated with hypoglycemic agents89 |
| Meal timing | Consume a higher calorie breakfast and comply with overnight fasting to prevent obesity95 |