In the quest to lose weight, one of the most common strategies is to track your calories. This approach is scientifically proven to be effective and enables you to consistently enter a calorie deficit – which is the only way to lose weight successively. However, tracking your calories is time consuming and difficult to maintain if you’re on the go or busy with work and family life.
For those who are looking for a simpler solution, the Banting diet may offer a way around the need to count your calories. The Banting diet is a low carb, high fat (LCHF) plan that’s based on the theory that carbohydrates cause you to gain weight and that avoiding them allows your body to burn its own stored fat as energy (2).
The Banting diet is not a brand-new concept and has actually been around since the 1860s (3). It’s experienced a recent resurgence thanks to Tim Noakes who has written a book called “Real Meal Revolution”. Noakes outlines a 4-phase nutritional approach that is low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and high in healthy fats. The Banting diet is similar to Paleo in that it promotes a meat-heavy eating plan, but also eliminates highly refined carbohydrates and has a more structured food list approach – which makes it easier to follow than Paleo (4).
Like any other diet, Banting can be hard to stick with. Especially if you haven’t prepared yourself for it. This is why meal planning is essential to success on the Banting diet (5).
Meal planning takes the guesswork out of what to eat, how much to eat, and where to get it from. The best banting meal plans take the stress out of planning by providing a complete set of recipes and shopping lists that are fully customizable to your personal dietary needs. One of our favorite meal planning services that can help you on your Banting journey is Ultimate Meal Plans (6).
The Banting diet is an effective weight loss strategy if followed correctly, but it can be hard to keep up with its rigid requirements for long. It is also important to note that the Banting diet can increase your risk of kidney stones if you have a history of them, as it tends to increase calcium levels in urine. This can be particularly problematic for women who are breastfeeding (7). However, a doctor can help you manage these risks if needed.