There's only one weight-loss secret worth knowing: consistency

By Sam Downing|

Finding the perfect weight-loss diet is easier than you think (Image: iStock)

Paleo or sugar-free? High-fat low-carb or low-fat high carb? DASH diet or MIND diet?

Deciding which is the best diet can be so baffling and incomprehensible that it's tempting to ditch the whole "healthy eating" thing for a pile of Tim Tams.

So here's the good news: It doesn't really matter which diet you pick. The key to weight loss isn't finding the perfect combination of foods, or adopting the latest diet fad everyone's talking about, or unearthing the one true secret diet trick.

The key to weight loss is choosing any healthy diet... then sticking to it.

In 2014, Canadian scientists demonstrated this by conducting a meta-analysis (basically, a study of studies) of research that investigated "branded diets" — including Atkins, Weight Watchers, Zone and South Beach. (Remember when people still did the Zone and South Beach diets?)

The meta-analysis tracked 7200 overweight or obese adults who all went on a diet plan and had their progress recorded at six months and 12 months.

Ultimately, what mattered for weight loss wasn't which diet the subjects were on, only whether they adhered to it for the whole study period.

"Overall, the differences between the different diets regarding their impact on weight loss were relatively small," said University of Alberta obesity expert Geoff Ball, who was involved in the study.

That sentiment is shared by Dr Krista Scott-Dixon from Canadian health service Precision Nutrition, who says eating healthy foods over long periods of time is more important than fretting over whether kale is better than spinach.

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"It's less important that you eat exactly the best vegetable, and much more important that you eat some vegetables every day, over and over and over," she tells ninemsn Coach.

Another reason it's pointless to chase the latest fad diets is because there isn't one diet that will work for everyone. While Paleo or no-sugar might have worked miracles for your best friend, it might leave you with nothing but cravings.

Research from Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science backed this up in 2015, showing that foods' effects on blood sugar levels — which have been closely related to diabetes and obesity — vary wildly from person to person.

For example, one woman in the study ate lots of "healthy" tomatoes, which caused massive spikes in her blood sugar. But tomatoes had no such effect on other subjects.

"Each individual responds to food nutrients in completely different ways," says Dr Scott-Dixon. "Each person will need to craft the best diet which works for them."

She added that there's another secret to weight loss that's often forgotten as dieters chew their way through yet another flavourless plate of steamed chicken: eating should be something you enjoy, not a dreaded chore.

"Deprivation and restriction is not an inspiring or motivating way to live," she says. "'Do less bad stuff' is not a great action plan. It only tells you what not to do. It doesn't give you a clear plan of what to do."

Her food philosophy focuses on "wholesome, balanced foods and smart choices".

"When we shift the emphasis to joyful eating, nourishment, and adding value to our bodies, the project of healthy eating becomes much more appealing," she says. "We see the results, but more importantly, we feel them at a deep level."

Precision Nutrition has partnered with Virgin Active to offer nutrition coaching alongside training. To find your nearest club, visit
