Some diets have always been more popular than others because they would offer fast results, which often sounded too good to be true. Some were printed in high-selling magazines, which determined their success. Some helped certain people but were completely ineffective for others.
However, we now live in a social media era, where anybody can share their weight-loss and wellness success stories and have their recipe and workout videos go viral. This is a new way of raising the diet’s popularity, but it can be really dangerous too. For instance, did you know that the keto diet can cause kidney stones1?
So what were the trendiest weight-loss topics of 2024 on social media, and what are their pros and cons? Which one is actually worth trying?
Let’s break it down:
Fasting has been around for ages, and a lot of people swear by it. From athletes wanting to shred a few pounds off before their big game to regular people who just want to lose weight for good.
Intermittent fasting is proven to have benefits like quick weight loss, detox, and the prevention of certain diseases. The 16/8 approach is extremely popular where there’s a window of 8 hours to eat and then 16 hours to fast.
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However, it’s important to consult with a doctor before starting fasting as it has to be suitable for one’s age, BMI, and medical conditions. Also, intermittent fasting breaks down not only fat but muscle cells too, which can be harmful if not followed correctly. Moreover, it puts your body under high stress, which can affect your nervous system, lead to fatigue, burnout, and a decrease in hormone function2.
Just like fasting, keto is not a new player in the game. However, it is still just as popular. The idea is to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet and replace them with fats. With regular practice, the body starts burning fats instead of carbs for energy.
The biggest drawback for most people? Saying goodbye to carbs for good! It’s even more difficult for vegetarians and vegans to follow this diet as keto is heavily meat-based.
It’s also very easy to lose all the important nutrients your body needs. Lack of glucose can put the body into ketogenesis, causing metabolic acidosis3, which is a life-threatening condition. So consult with your doctor.
Times change, and we lead way busier lives than before. People struggle to find the time to do everything in a day – work, exercise, cook healthy meals, and actually have a spare hour for themselves. That’s why the term “meal replacement” has really boomed recently.
Various flavor shakes are a great example of this. They are available everywhere and brand themselves as being a good source of nutrients and energy for busy people.
On the other hand, replacing a regular diet with shakes for the sake of weight loss can have serious effects on your health. They are full of artificial sweeteners and flavor enhancements to taste good. Very rarely are they actually produced with natural ingredients. Even when they are, it’s very expensive. As a result, we do not recommend these as a replacement for a regular diet.
Incorporating more low-fat foods into your diet can really speed up the weight-loss process as it has fewer calories. However, these products should come with a warning, as they can cause serious nutrient deficiencies.
The reason for that is that low-fat diets can negatively impact vitamin absorption. Vitamins like A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, which means that dietary fats are crucial for their digestion.
So while it’s really great to choose food options that are low in fat, be conscious that some healthy fats can actually help lose weight in the long term.
The concept of a personalized diet is quite new, but it’s already taking the internet by storm. The entire point of a personalized diet is that every recipe and workout is picked specifically for that individual, taking into account the person’s age, current weight, goal weight, food preferences, and allergies.
This, by far, is the safest choice because this diet is non-restrictive, meaning that none of the food groups are taken out of the menu. Instead, nutritionists create a meal plan with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks already planned for you.
Some of the other benefits include:
According to the Harvard Public Scool of Health, personalized nutrition (precision nutrition) can also help reduce the risk of various diseases like obesity, metabolic syndrome, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes4.
All things considered, personalized nutrition is one of the healthiest current trends on social media and is suitable for almost everyone who wants to lose weight. Vegetarians, vegans, and people with certain chronic diseases and allergies. Everybody can try following this meal plan without feeling too restricted or deprived of the foods they actually love. All while reaping the benefits of weight loss and improved energy levels.
After careful research and consideration, we believe that one of the best options out there is Perfect Body.
This company has already created hundreds of thousands of personalized meal plans, and they have all the extra perks listed above.
This also seems to be the cheapest option as diets like keto and meal replacement shakes require specific programs, ingredients, and products that can cost quite a bit.
If you would like to try a personalized meal plan this summer, they offer a free 1-minute quiz that gives you a sneak peek into what you can expect from this diet.
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I have actually tried this app and didn’t expect to feel so great so quickly. Definitely recommend! Still using their recipes 3 months after starting the program.
I have tried keto and protein replacement shakes before, but I personally find both of them outdated. Plus, this personalized plan actually looks doable. Can’t wait to try it!
I saw a few tiktoks about this program and girls talking about their health improvement, so it’s nice to see it on this list here. Ordered today. Wish me luck