Best Weight Loss Diets for 2025

Are you one of the people who have made a resolution to lose a few pounds in 2025?  If you or someone you know wants to drop a few pounds, what are the best weight loss diets to be on? So many diets don’t change your lifestyle but offer a quick solution but for many a temporary solution.  You may lose some weight but once you go “off” the diet, you gain the weight back.  Every year U.S. News & World Report ranks the Best Weight-Loss Diets.   

What makes a weight-loss diet a winner? 

  • A diet you can stay on for the long haul.  Not really a diet but an eating pattern that keeps the weight off.
  • A diet that promotes healthy weight loss, not quick weight loss due to loss of water and muscle and not fat. 
  • A diet that doesn’t slow your metabolism like some quick loss diets do.
  • A diet that doesn’t give up any food groups so you can stay on it long term.

U.S. News and World Report notes a healthy diet focuses on lean protein, high fiber foods, healthy fats and hydration.  Even small changes can add up.  Skipping the sugared soda or sweetened ice tea for plain water, adding more vegetables and fruit to your meals.  Easy changes to make and ones that can lead “to lasting results over time”.  

What are the Best Weight-Loss Diets for 2025 according to the US News & World Report?    

Number 1: 

Weight Watchers  (WW) (It was also number 1 for weight loss in 2023 and 2024).  WW is a program focused not just on weight loss but lasting weight loss through behavior changes, exercise, good nutrition, and social support. 

Pros:  WW not only focuses on long-term weight loss; WW helps you learn to eat healthier and encourages exercise.  In 2021, WW introduced a new points system, called the PersonalPoints Program.  WW points include ZeroPoint Foods that include eggs, corn and popcorn, fruits, lean meats, beans, oats, vegetables, yogurt and cottage cheese.  There is mobile App to use on your smartphone and there is a diabetic WW plan.  Fitness – you count points for food and you count points for exercise.  But not just going to the gym, cleaning your house adds points, mowing the lawn, walking the dog.  Basically, get moving points.
 
Cons:  Some people don’t like all the counting of points but may find the WW Points program easier to follow.  A student in my class said their mother was happy counting the points but their dad said he just wanted to eat when out in a restaurant and didn’t want to figure out the points for every food on his plate.  But WW offers a mobile app that has the points for over 285,000 foods and a “Menu Master” to guide you on how to eat healthy when eating out. My relative finds the WW app easy to use and likes “adding points” by exercising.  She can hold her phone to a food label and WW counts the points per serving of that food item.  However, when cooking and making a food with multiple ingredients, one has to enter all the items so a little more time consuming.  U.S. News and World Report notes that WW is “not appropriate for those under 18 or with a history of eating-disordered thoughts or behaviors”. 

Does WW work?  Yes, according to the relative that is on it. Her goal was to lose the 7 pounds she gained over the holidays.  After 3.5 weeks of WW, she has lost 4 pounds.  However, her friend quit WW as they found working the App too hard to do.  A study tracked 740 people on different weight loss diets.  All did lose weight but those on the WW program lost the most, on average losing 9.8 pounds over 12 weeks.   

Number 2: 

Mediterranean Diet (Also ranked number 1 as a Best Diets Overall for 2025[KK1] .)  This is not really a “weight loss” diet but a way to eat well for overall health.  U.S News and World Report says, “this dietary model reduces the risk of certain chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, while promoting longevity and improving quality of life.”  Who doesn’t want to be on a diet that improves not only your health but quality of life too?    

This diet is based on the traditional eating patterns of people in countries around the Mediterranean Sea.  This diet emphasizes meals focused on fruits and vegetables, healthy fats like olive oil and nuts, whole grains, lean protein, and herbs and spices.  This diet is not only good for weight loss but good for your overall health as it is heart-healthy, diabetes-friendly, and even promotes bone and joint health.

Pros:  This is a well-researched diet plan “that has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, improve brain and mental health, and decrease inflammation”.  Most people find it easy to follow over the long term.  
 
Cons:  One can lose weight on this diet but it takes some work.  You have to pay attention to portion sizes, shop for fresh food, and limit higher calorie foods like the olive oil, cheese and nuts.  Probably not the best diet choice for those looking for quick loss but for those wanting to lose a steady one to two pounds a week.

Number 3

Volumetrics Diet  This diet was ranked high in 2024 as well. 

Pros:  The diet focuses on foods loaded with nutrients, not calories. The diet’s goal is to help people feel full while reducing hunger and cravings.   Thus, focusing on foods like “fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy”.  The fruits, vegetables and whole grains are foods that will fill you up as they have more fiber and a higher water content.  The diet is based on daily calorie goals combined with daily goals for exercise. 

A nutrition professor from Penn State University, Barbara Rolls, is behind this diet.  She divides foods into 4 groups – not the basic four, but new groups based on energy density (or calorie density).  “Free” fruits and nonstarchy vegetables are number one or category one.  Then comes category 2 emphasizing whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean proteins.  In category 3, you can enjoy small portions of desserts, cheese, higher-fat meats, bread.  Most junk food ends up in the 4th category – the chips, candy, cookies and nuts.  It is interesting that nuts are put in the 4th category as nuts are a healthy food choice.  Cost is a pro as there are no expensive foods to buy. 

Cons:  WebMD notes “you won’t lose a lot of weight in a hurry.  This is more of a long-term plan”.  You do need to buy a book to give you guidance on what to eat and cook on this diet. US News and World Report recommends “The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet” book that provides information on the energy density food groups.  You have to keep track of what food is in what category.  If you choose a higher calorie food, you might be able to eat only a portion of it to fit into your daily allotment.  Exercise:  you add 150 steps a day with your first goal of 1,000 steps and increasing your daily steps to 10,000.  My con – if one has to buy a book to learn how to follow a diet, it is too complicated for me. But the book has recipes for those who like to cook and need guidance on following this diet plan.

What diets are also ranked?

        Number 4:  The Mayo Clinic Diet
        Number 5:  The Noom Diet
        Number 6:  The Flexitarian Diet

In conclusion, embarking on a weight loss journey requires more than just a temporary fix: it demands sustainable lifestyle changes.  The best weight-loss diets of 2025, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, prioritize long-term health benefits over quick results.  Whether it’s the comprehensive support system of Weight Watchers, the holistic approach of the Mediterranean Diet, or the nutrient-rich focus of the Volumetrics Diet, each offer a path to healthier living.  Remember, successful weight loss is about finding an eating pattern you can maintain, promoting gradual and healthy weight loss, and making small, manageable changes to your daily routines.  Choose a diet that aligns with your lifestyle, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving lasing results. 

Sources: Best Weight-Loss Diets , notes , Best Weight-Loss Diets , Weight Watchers , WW , PersonalPoints , ZeroPoint Foods , diabetic WW plan , notes , study , Mediterranean Diet , Best Diets Overall for 2025[KK2]  , says , health , diet plan , Volumetrics Diet , foods , diet , notes , The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet   Image Sources: Best weight loss diets , weight loss , ww points plan , fad diets

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