What type of diet are most people doing? Keto? WW? Which is the healthiest?

I personally don't follow a diet because I'm the kind of person to feel stressed and restricted by pre-set rules. I like to make my own rules and flexibly adapt them whenever needed. Since all that is needed for weight loss is a calorie deficit (which is what happens in every single diet on the planet that results in weight loss), the rest is up to you and your preference.

1. Do you like the peace of mind of having a rigid pre-defined structure where you don't have to think too much about your food and don't mind certain restrictions? If so, what kinds of limitations would be easier for you to implement? By answering these questions you can pick any named diet that fits your preferences and feels easier than other diets (this could be keto or any other diet). You may still need to count your calorie to make sure you're not overeating.

2. If you would rather have ultimate flexibility with the trade-off that you will have to think and plan what foods are worth having on any particular day? In that case, just count the calories in whatever foods you decide to eat and make sure you're within your calorie budget.

3. If you like something hybrid, make certain rules or sustainable restrictions for yourself that make it easier for you to stick to your diet. This way you get to eat flexibly, but with structure. Logging your food and staying within your calorie budget, of course.

My personal approach is a mish-mash of 2 and 3. I usually hate being restricted, but I have times where I feel I'm too unhinged and need a bit of structure, so I have slightly stricter rules sometimes that I wouldn't otherwise have (example, a hard limit of 2 pieces of fruit a day for a while when I notice more than a third of my calorie budget is sunk into fruits and it's affecting my protein intake).

ETA: as for what is the healthiest diet, any diet is as healthy as you make it. This includes mental and social health. If you're out with friends for chicken wings and it makes you feel stressed that you can't partake, or worse, you find yourself saying no to social opportunities in fear food, then it's not really a healthy diet regardless of how many nutrients you cram into it. A healthy diet is any diet that provides you with sufficient nutrients but is also sustainable and not very stressful. This can be literally any diet or way of eating on the planet depending on your personality, tendencies, and how you react mentally and physically to a diet.

nygr8guy wrote: »

psychod787 wrote: »

nygr8guy wrote: »

Last night was a disaster for me. I was following my low carb high fat macros until I attended a farewell party for leaving my job. We had appetizers like pretzel fondue, and I also had a few martinis. That was last night, today is today. :-)

Maybe that's a sign.... just saying... if you were "flexible" no problem as long as you stick to your calories.

I was flexible, but I certainly didn't stick to my calories. It's like I threw everything I learned out the window. I didn't want to "deprive" myself of enjoying the foods everyone else were having. On top of all of the apps, I had a bacon cheeseburger with the bun. OMG, so good, but I got it out of my system.

Sometimes not sticking to your calories (or more accurately, allowing yourself more calories) is the right move. It's not a disaster, it's how food management for life works. If you don't live in a bubble you need to understand that it's normal to allow yourself more calories sometimes. As long as you aren't overeating consistently, the occasional higher calorie day is a drop in the bucket.