These are the only two diets that most people are able to maintain in the long run.

When looking to lose weight, your first instinct might be to go on a diet. There is always a new fashionable plan that seems to be more and more restrictive. According to Natalie Allen, a dietician and teacher at the University of Missouri, they are so hard to maintain that people fail more often than they do. Most diets help you lose weight in the short term, but when weight loss goes down, people go back to their old ways and gain weight. Here's the science behind which most diets do not work

"One of the biggest problems for people, besides getting tired of limited options, is a lot of work," she says. "People have to plan, go to the store, cook healthy things – when a diet controls every decision in your life, it's hard to maintain it."

However, there are at least two diets that exceed expectations: the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. According to Allen, studies have shown that these diets are sustainable, help keep your heart healthy and lower your blood pressure in the long run. And rather than focusing on eating or avoiding a particular type of macronutrients, the Mediterranean and the DASH – it's an abbreviation of Dietary Approaches to Stop the ################################################################################################ Hypertension – diets are more of a guideline to help you make better food choices in general, according to Michelle Abbey, RDN. "Many diets are based on restricting certain foods or food groups," she says. "Psychologically, as soon as we are told that we can not eat X, that's exactly what we want. Mediterranean diets and DASH put more emphasis on what to include and simply limit processed foods, sugars and alcohol. Diets follow guidelines, giving them a more feasible feel than diets defined by an all-or-nothing mentality (eat X and you fail!). "

Benefits of Mediterranean and DASH diets

The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the eating habits of the Mediterranean region and encourages dairy products, fish and poultry to replace red meat, using olive oil as a source of monounsaturated fat and a high consumption of fruit, vegetables, bread, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds, according to the American Heart Association. This also helps to obtain red wine. If you want to try, here are some recipes that are part of the Mediterranean diet plan. "The Mediterranean diet is a sustainable diet that puts less emphasis on the amount of food consumed and more on the quality of food in its diet," says dietitian and founder of To The Pointe Nutrition, Rachel Fine, RD. "The Mediterranean diet is rich in healthy fats and natural fibers from sources such as low-processed plant foods such as grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. These foods offer a lot more nutrients per mouthful. "

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the DASH diet focuses on daily and weekly nutritional goals. Like the Mediterranean diet, it focuses on the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, including fat-free and low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts and vegetal oils. It also recommends limiting foods high in saturated fats, fatty dairy products and tropical oils; you will also have plenty of room for drinks and sugary foods. "Like the Mediterranean plan, the DASH diet aims to lower blood pressure by increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables," says Fine. "Unlike many fad diets, the Mediterranean and DASH diets do not attach to eating or avoiding a particular type of macronutrient (such as carbohydrates or fats). It is more a question of choosing better sources of food. "Do you want to try the DASH diet? Here is what it looks like.

Give a diet

Despite the fact that diets do not have the best reputation, Allen nevertheless recommends trying both methods. "If people want to go on a diet, it sometimes helps them get started," she says. "It eliminates their uncertainties and gives them a place to start. Hopefully they can change their habits and diversify a bit and incorporate other foods. "Ideally, the plan you adopt becomes a way of life, she says, because it's the only way to change sustainably. She also points out that any diet will require other lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, high calorie drinks, and a regular sleep schedule. These factors, combined with those diet secrets of people who have maintained their weight loss, are the key to a healthy and fit life.

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