The diet craze is just as prevalent today as ever. New scientific discoveries have helped enable some nutritional gurus to hack better ways to slim down. 

If you’re looking for ways to lose the extra pounds you’ve gained during pregnancy, you’ve got many options. But before starting on any diet plan, it’s essential to understand exactly how these diet trends work to decide if it fits your lifestyle as a new mom. 

Here are some info on five of the hottest diet trends people are doing.

1. Keto

The ketogenic diet, often just referred to as “keto,” has gained a lot of buzz in recent years as a highly effective way to lose weight without excessive hunger or cravings. The main idea behind the ketogenic diet is to switch the body’s metabolism from burning sugar to burning fat by entering a state of “ketosis.”

Ketosis is a natural state that the body enters when blood sugar levels drop, which forces the body to use stored fat for fuel. In order to enter ketosis, you will need to cut your daily consumption of carbohydrates so that it stays between 20 and 50 grams. Many people choose to keep their carbohydrate intake around 20 grams per day sot that they’re certain to enter and maintain ketosis.

This type of dieting has existed for a long time with various names. 

In the early half of the 20th century, it was prescribed to treat children with epilepsy. 

Ketogenic diets also had a short-lived surge in popularity when Dr. Robert Atkins introduced it in the 1970s. The prevailing wisdom during that time was to consume a lot of whole grains and complex carbohydrates. 

The Atkins diet fad didn’t last long. Studies showed more conclusive evidence that low-carb diets are more effective for losing fat and lowering blood sugar and cholesterol.

2. Plant-based diet

People who follow this diet try to limit their intake of meat and other animal products as much as possible, if not get rid of it from their diet altogether. It has become very popular recently because of today’s trends of social responsibility and concern for the ecosystem.

The plant-based diet can be effective if you do it the healthy way. Some food products that are not animal-related can also be detrimental to your health. Many foods that are touted as “healthy” are loaded with refined carbohydrates, sugar, and artificial ingredients.

3. Intermittent fasting (IF)

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Many people claim to have great results with IF, especially those trying to “cut” and achieve muscle definition. 

Also called “time-restricted eating,” IF requires you to limit the hours that you eat. Depending on your chosen fasting schedule, you could be fasting anywhere between 13 hours to 24 hours. Some even go as far as fasting for 36 hours. 

Many people prefer this approach because they claim they don’t need to count calories to lose weight. 

Another benefit of fasting is that your body does not produce any insulin during that time. Insulin is the hormone that enables fat storage. 

People often combine this strategy with ketogenic diets to accelerate the process of burning stored fat for fuel.

4. Flexitarian

For many people, it is quite difficult to stick to a certain type of nutrition plan. The challenge typically stems from needing to get rid of all animal products from their diet, including dairy, fish, and eggs. 

If this is you, you could go for a flexitarian diet. With this nutrition plan, you could occasionally indulge and include some animal-related products in your diet.

5. Raw food

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This is a very restrictive diet. But it is undeniably a very healthy way to live. 

The idea is to get all the nutrition in food when it is not cooked. The process of heating or boiling can destroy some of the enzymes and other nutrients in foods. This diet might have some benefits for increased longevity. But it’s definitely a more difficult path if weight-loss is your only concern. Furthermore, if you’re a busy mom and breastfeeding, solely sticking to raw food might not always be a good idea — for your health and your baby’s well-being. 

These five popular diets vary a great deal in their approach and effectiveness. The choice comes down to your eating patterns and how important health is to you versus your desire to quickly drop pounds. 

When choosing a diet, consider if that diet is sustainable and would provide you with sufficient nutrition as a busy mom who also needs to nourish her child. A sensible approach is more likely to yield lasting results.