Compare diets

In head-to-head trials, most diets lose about the same amount of weight when people stick with them. So the useful question is which one you could still be doing a year from now. How to choose.

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Diet	Counting	Evidence	Cost	May help with	Main drawback
Calorie CountingSet a calorie target and track it. All foods are allowed.	Yes	Strong	Low	Any weight goal, with precision	Tedious, easy to get wrong, and harmful for some people
Carnivore DietOnly animal foods. No plants, and no fiber.	No	Weak	Higher	Short-term weight loss, anecdotally	No trial data, no fiber, and often sharply raised LDL cholesterol
DASH DietA servings-based plan rich in produce and low in sodium.	Servings, not calories	Strong	Moderate	Blood pressure, cholesterol	Takes some planning, and low-sodium eating out is hard
High-Protein DietsBuild each meal around protein to stay full and keep muscle.	Protein, roughly	Moderate	Moderate	Fullness, keeping muscle	Can cost more, and may not suit people with kidney disease
Intermittent FastingEat only during set hours or days. What you eat is up to you.	No, just the clock	Moderate	Low	Eating less without counting	Not better than plain calorie cutting, and risky with some medications
Keto DietVery low carb and high fat, to keep your body in ketosis.	Yes, carbs closely	Moderate	Higher	Blood sugar, appetite (short term)	Hard to sustain, low in fiber, and LDL cholesterol can rise
Low-Carb DietsCut sugar and starches, and eat more protein, fat and vegetables.	Carbs, usually	Moderate	Moderate to high	Blood sugar, triglycerides	Can run low on fiber, and LDL cholesterol can rise in some people
Low-Fat DietsLimit fat, and fill up on whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruit.	Fat grams, usually	Moderate	Low	Weight loss, LDL cholesterol	Easy to fill the gap with sugar and refined carbs
MIND DietA Mediterranean and DASH blend, emphasizing leafy greens and berries.	No	Limited	Moderate	Heart health. Brain benefits are unproven	Its main promise, protecting memory, wasn't confirmed in a large trial
Meal ReplacementsUse measured shakes or bars in place of one or more meals.	Built in	Strong	Moderate	Type 2 diabetes remission, jump-starting loss	Returning to normal food is the hard part, and low-calorie versions need supervision
Mediterranean DietVegetables, olive oil, beans, whole grains and fish, with few rules.	No	Strong	Moderate	Heart health, type 2 diabetes	Olive oil and nuts make it easy to overeat calories
Paleo DietMeat, fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts. No grains, beans or dairy.	No	Limited	Higher	Cutting out processed food	Removes beans and whole grains for no good reason, and is low in calcium
Plant-Based DietsMostly or only plants, from flexitarian to fully vegan.	No	Moderate	Low to moderate	Cholesterol, heart health, weight	Needs planning for B12, iron, omega-3s and protein
Volume EatingEat large portions of foods that are low in calories for their size.	Optional	Moderate	Low	Hunger while dieting	Can fall short on protein and fat if you overdo the vegetables
Whole3030 days without sugar, grains, beans, dairy or alcohol, then reintroduce them.	No	Weak	Higher	Noticing eating habits, short term	No trials, very restrictive, and rebound is common

These ratings are our own editorial summary, not clinical scores. “Evidence” means how much good long-term human research exists on the diet as a whole, not how much weight it promises. Before starting any restrictive diet, check with a clinician if you have a health condition, take medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.