(KXNET) — Out of all the weight loss diets out there, it’s hard to know which one is right for you.

It’s estimated that 45 million people go on a diet every year, and searching for the right one can be difficult and tiring.

Dr. Melissa Glatt, a dietician from Essentia Health, says that diets can be a positive thing, as you’re taking the initiative to make a healthy change to your lifestyle.

We’re going to go over over the three most common diets: Mediterranean, Ketogenic (Keto), and Intermittent Fasting.

Glatt said, “Often diets can be restrictive, leaving out micronutrients and can be unsustainable.”

Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the eating habits of those who live near the Mediterranean Sea, places like Greece, Italy, Spain, Lebanon, and Turkey.

These countries have the longest life expectancies, so they must be doing something right.

It’s a diet that’s rich in heart-healthy foods like vegetables, fish, fruit, grains, olive oil, and nuts.

People rarely eat red meat, so keep your intake to a minimum. You can have dairy, but it’s recommended to have yogurt and cheese.

This diet is the easiest for people to follow compared to intermittent fasting and paleo.

“Mediterranean is the best being that it’s referred to as a heart-healthy diet. It’s all-inclusive,” said Glatt.

Ketogenic (Keto)

The Keto diet is the most discussed and debated diet in the world. Even if you don’t know what it is, you can always be sure to see the snacks on the shelves at stores.

It prioritizes 65-75% of calories to be fat, 20-30% to be protein, and 5% or less to be carbs. With this one, you’ll be eating lots of avocados, eggs, and bunless burgers.

“Keto is probably the worst. Mainly because it’s so restrictive. Missing fruits and fibers and carbohydrates,” Glatt said.

It’s designed to keep the body in a near-constant state of ketosis, which is the metabolic state where the body creates ketones from fat to use as energy instead of sugar from carbs.

Intermittent Fasting (IF)

This is more of an eating strategy rather than a diet. But you eat all your calories in a set time period and then fast for the rest of the day.

The most popular split is 8:16, which is where you have eight hours to eat all your calories and fast for the other 16. Other options are 10:16, 16:10, and even 6:20. The idea is that you’ll want to eat fewer calories since you’re squeezing them into a small time frame.

While fasting, you are allowed zero-calorie drinks like black coffee, herbal tea, and water.

If you plan to follow any diet, Dr. Glatt has some wise words of wisdom.

“Just make small, sustainable changes,” Glatt said. “Enjoy life with your food.”