As a personal trainer for the past 15 years and a certified nutrition specialist, I’ve coached women through all of the popular diets and studied their risks and benefits, so I know what works and what doesn’t. 

Beyond science, I’m also a mom of four who has rebuilt after every baby and competed in bodybuilding competitions. I’ve personally tried all of these diets, and today, I’m going to give a breakdown of my experience with each one! 

So, between Paleo, Whole 30, intermittent fasting, and tracking macros, which diet gives the best results and why?

PALEO

Paleo is sometimes called the Caveman Diet because it’s all about removing refined sugars and processed foods from your diet. You’re trying to eat like early humans did with basic foods that offer a variety of nutrients, so your diet will consist of foods like these:

• Lean meats
• Nuts
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Fish
• Eggs

This is a great diet if you’re looking to repair your gut. When I did Paleo, I honestly felt amazing. My body was processing things correctly, I didn’t feel bloated from my meals, and I felt energized by the food I was eating. My gut was healthy and happy. 

But I didn’t lose any weight on Paleo, probably because I was still eating three meals a day with a vegetable and a protein, and counting calories and/or macros wasn’t part of my routine at the time. I wasn’t tailoring my diet to my own personal needs, and had no way to track how much my body was burning each day.

WHOLE 30

Whole 30 is similar to Paleo in terms of what you can eat, meaning that you’re going to be cutting out a lot of processed foods and sugar. However, Whole 30 is generally meant to be a shorter-term diet to reset your system, while Paleo is designed to be long-term. 

Whole 30 vs Paleo

• Whole 30 is meant to be a short-term reset. Paleo is your new long-term diet. 
• Whole 30 doesn’t allow any sugar. Paleo only eliminates refined sugars. 
• After 30 days of Whole 30, you can slowly reintroduce foods and see what you’re sensitive to. With Paleo, you can have “cheat days” but you’re meant to follow it most of the time. 

Despite a few differences, I felt about the same during Whole 30 as I did when I was doing Paleo. My gut health was amazing, and I felt the impact of that cleaner eating every day. But just like with Paleo, I didn’t lose any weight on Whole 30 because the diet emphasizes protein-heavy meals (which can be calorie-dense as well).

INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent fasting essentially means that you choose a window of time, usually overnight, to fast. A lot of people choose a 16:8 ratio, meaning that they fast for 16 hours and have an 8-hour eating window. So, most of the time, people who are intermittent fasting will cut out breakfast and eat an earlier dinner with no nighttime snacks. 

Intermittent fasting can have benefits as far as cell regeneration, but if you eat the same amount of calories fasting or not in a day, you won’t see better results just because you are fasting. Again, if your goal is to lose weight, you have to eat less than you burn. 

I will say that I did not feel great while I was intermittent fasting. I tend to work out pretty hard, so I felt lightheaded and shaky most mornings because I had to wait to repair and re-energize my body after my workout. It wasn’t sustainable, and it wasn’t a diet that gave my body the energy and nourishment it needed to feel like my most confident and strong self.

COUNTING MACROS

This is my favorite way to help get your body back into shape because in my experience, this is the most doable for most people, and it makes sure you are getting all of the nutrition you need. Plus, time and time again, after each one of my babies, this has helped me lose weight and get my nutrition back on track. 

I found counting macros to be by far the best for results and quality of life. I don’t feel restricted because I can fit in my favorite foods, so I can be consistent for a longer period of time. As far as I’m concerned, a diet that helps you meet your goals, but also feels sustainable is the best.

 I also feel like I can adjust each day depending on what’s happening. Let’s say you’re going to a barbecue with a ton of delicious side dishes and things. You don’t have to just opt out because you’re on macros, you just need to readjust to help you hit your goals for the day.

Related: Benefits of Macros vs. Paleo/Whole30/etc.

MY TAKEAWAY

Your body needs all three macronutrients (Carbs, Proteins, and Fats) to function properly and any diet that cuts those out is not healthy. Aside from these four diets, most other diets won’t make you feel great and are not sustainable! Even if a diet trend is somehow helping you lose weight, if you’re feeling bad, it’s not worth it, and you’re likely to gain it back. 

Remember that no matter how clean you’re eating, if you’re not operating in a calorie deficit, you won’t lose weight. If that’s not the goal, then don’t worry about that! Just focus on how healthy and happy your gut feels, and if at some point you want to lose weight or gain muscle, you can use the macro diet to make sure you are getting enough nutrients to help you build muscle and nourish your body.
Have you tried any of these diets? Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram and let me know what your experience was like. And if you need help calculating macros and getting on track with a new diet, I’m here to help with my customized nutrition programs!