Diets, what makes them work?
I’ve always been really interested in Google Trends. Type in a specific search query and you can better understand its rise or fall in popularity. When it comes to diets, none seem to be more popular than veganism right now.
Check out the Google trend data in the image above. The Vegan diet is experiencing explosive growth (at least in terms of search traffic), the Paleo diet has been in steady decline, and the Keto diet seems to be rising from obscurity to larger prominence.
What’s the deal with diets? Let’s step away from how smarter nutrition can better fuel performance and talk simply about weight loss. If diet “success” is measured in weight loss, all successful diets work via caloric restriction. Check out the image below for a great example.
So which one is “the best”. That’s an easy answer, the “best” diet is the one you can stick to. Just like long term fitness gains, long term “diet” success comes in finding a system that works for you over months and years.
Inevitably this means that not every diet works for everyone. If getting leaner is an objective of yours, stop looking for the “best” diet, and instead adopt a sustainable eating strategy that results in a caloric deficit (or balance) over time. You’ll be happier, leaner, and waste less time chasing diet trends.
DDA Live: Knowing when to Rest
This last Wednesday we hosted our 4th edition of DDA live where we discussed knowing when to rest. If you’re a self-coached athlete and have struggled identifying when to rest, check out our presentation for an in-depth discussion on the topic. If you have a chance make sure to join us live next time and bring your questions!
DDA Open Ride
If you’re in the Sacramento area this coming Sunday, September 24th, make sure to join us for our 1st DDA open ride of 2017. Check out this link for full details on our ride. We’re looking forward to a great time on the bike. Hope to see you there!
Nate Dunn
Founder/Head Coach
Data Driven Athlete