How to Lose Weight by Following the Mediterranean Diet
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Following the Mediterranean diet can help you lose weight, balance blood sugar, and reduce your risk for a variety of health conditions. In the fall of 2020, I lost 20 pounds and drastically improved my health by following the Mediterranean diet, and I want this for you too!
In this blog post, I’m sharing the key things you need to know to successfully lose weight on the Mediterranean diet.
I’ll be sharing:
An Overview of the Mediterranean Diet
How I lost 20 pounds on the Mediterranean diet and how you can, too
The key things you need to do to start losing weight right away
A 30-Day Mediterranean diet meal plan designed for weight loss
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + A Free Shopping List
Don’t forget to pin it!
What is the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean Diet is a diet that focuses on eating lots of healthy fats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans.
It became popular in the 1950s when it was discovered that people living in the Mediterranean region had a drastically lower rate of heart disease. Many studies have been done on this diet since that time that has shown the Mediterranean diet provides many health benefits.
The Mediterranean Diet focuses on:
healthy fats rich in Omega-3s
eating fish at least twice a week
preparing meals with lots of vegetables served with whole grains and high-quality protein
enjoying lots of fresh fruit
Health benefits of the Mediterranean diet include:
lowers the risk of developing high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke
supports longevity
improves brain health and decreases the risk of developing dementia
How You Can Drastically Improve Your Health By Following the Mediterranean Diet
In 2018, I was struggling to make healthy food choices and experienced constant joint pain, brain fog, blood sugar highs and lows, and extreme fatigue every day. These were symptoms that had become a part of my every day and was something that I thought I would always have to live with.
However, I knew there had to be a way for me to feel better, so I started doing research on evidence-based ways of eating that supported long-term health. As one of the healthiest diets in the world, the Mediterranean diet showed up repeatedly in my searches. In 2020, I decided to make the shift toward eating a more Mediterranean-based diet to support my health.
I started applying what I learned by following a Mediterranean-based diet and immediately saw great results!
After implementing a Mediterranean-based diet, I quickly noticed my energy levels drastically improve, I was sleeping SO much better each night, and my skin had become clear and glowing (yay for no more “adult acne!”) and I did all of this in a healthy, balanced way. I was so ecstatic about my results that I put together all my recipes that I had used and developed at this time and started sharing them with others with the hopes that they would feel just as amazing as I was feeling.
Eating a Mediterranean diet restored my physical and mental health.
My goal for you is to experience these same incredible benefits. My 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan is the exact plan I used to improve my health and eat intuitively.
How to Start Losing Weight on the Mediterranean Diet
#1: Know what you can and should not eat on the Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is one of the least restricting “diets” around, but that doesn’t mean you can go on eating sugary junk food and expect to lose weight. As I highlighted above, the Mediterranean includes lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and protein, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes. Once you add all these delicious foods to your diet, there won’t be much room for sugary, carb-loaded junk food.
Check out my blog post The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Shopping List for Beginners for an extensive breakdown of what you should be shopping for, including a free PDF print-out of the list to keep with you on the go.
#2: Keep a Food Log and Count Calories to Stay on Track
Counting calories is especially important if you are trying to lose weight. As I mention in my blog post Top 5 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight on the Mediterranean Diet (And How to Fix It), when it comes to weight loss, the amount of carbohydrates, fat, and protein you eat is extremely important. If you find you are eating all the right things but still not losing weight, it could be that you are eating too many calories. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Counting calories can also be beneficial to make sure you are eating enough calories. I often see meal plans that focus on eating 1,200 calories a day, but I do not believe this “magic number” is a one-size fits all. By figuring out my unique calorie needs, I was able to lose 20 pounds by eating around 1,400 calories each day.
While that’s not a huge difference, other people may find they do require more calories each day. For example, my husband’s Basal Metabolic Rate alone is 1,900 calories a day, meaning his body needs 1,900 calories each day just to perform basic functions! So if he only ate 1,200 calories each day, he would become malnourished!
Your daily calorie needs are unique to you. If you are new to counting calories and macros (carbs, fat, and protein), check out my post here on how to calculate your unique carb, fat, and protein needs. In addition to eating the Mediterranean diet, this is THE key thing I did to lose 20 pounds.
Recommended Blog Posts from Beyond the Brambleberry:
How to Calculate Your Macros to Reach Your Weight Loss Goals
#3: Focus More on Healthy Fats & Protein and Less on Carbohydrates
It’s easy to justify eating a delicious bowl of pasta filled with veggies and chicken because it is part of a well-balanced Mediterranean diet. While that is true to some extent, it is true in moderation. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to focus more on healthy fats and proteins and less on carbohydrates.
In my blog post The 3 Simple Things that Finally Worked to Lose 20 Pounds After Failing for Years, I highlight the three things that finally worked for me to regain my health and lose 20 pounds in just 3 months. Those three things included:
Figuring out my unique caloric goals for each day (as highlighted above)
Adjusting my macros to eat a moderate protein, high fat, low(er) carb diet
Eating a Mediterranean-based diet
Once I adjusted my focus to eating more healthy fats and protein and fewer carbohydrates, I saw the weight come off almost effortlessly!!
My 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan is the exact meal plan I used to lose weight, so it already includes recipes higher in healthy fats and protein and lower in carbohydrates. Save yourself time by getting a copy here and having everything you need to start losing weight right away.
#4: Keep Your Sugar in Check
Being mindful of how much sugar you are consuming is vital to successfully lose weight. Sugar and carbohydrates go hand-in-hand, and even eating too much of the good sugars (i.e. fruit) can stall your weight loss progress. Log your fruit intake in your food journal so that you still stay within your calorie and macro goals for the day.
If you struggle with sugar cravings or afternoon energy crashes, visit my blog post 4 Tricks to Manage Sugar Cravings to better understand why we crave sugar and how to keep our sugar levels more balanced throughout the day.
#5: Engage in Activities That You Enjoy
There’s more to the Mediterranean diet than just eating delicious food. There is also a social and physical component that cannot be overlooked. The Mediterranean diet encourages preparing and enjoying meals with friends and family and engaging in activities that keep you active.
Finding activities that keep you fit and active will also aid you in losing weight. For me, I love hiking and yoga. Other activities you may enjoy including evening walks, tennis, golfing, horseback riding, bicycling, rock climbing, and tai chi. The options are nearly endless - you just have to find what you personally enjoy! Do these activities with friends and loved ones and you are truly living the Mediterranean way.
#6: Don’t Overthink It and Take It One Day at a Time
After my last few tips, you may be thinking….. “did you seriously just say not to overthink it?” But trust me, once you get the hang of it, you will be choosing the best foods and eating correctly on autopilot, all while enjoying incredibly delicious recipes.
Start Eating Healthy with the Mediterranean Diet
If the Mediterranean diet is very different from how you have been eating, I HIGHLY recommend you follow a meal plan that has already been designed to help you be successful and quickly see results. The 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan I created includes everything you need to get started on the Mediterranean diet. It includes over 80 easy and delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that you can simply follow along to and enjoy all the delicious flavors that come with the Mediterranean diet.
Once I learned how to eat a balanced Mediterranean diet, I quickly saw great results! By having an understanding of what my own body needed each day, I was able to set myself up for success and have maintained this healthy lifestyle for almost 2 years.
I want this for you too! If you are ready to fully benefit from the Mediterranean diet, I urge you to get started with my 30-day meal plan now while it’s the lowest price it will ever be! Click here to get started.
Choosing the right foods makes all the difference in how you feel. Even if you’re not yet ready to go all in, I have something that will help you make a step towards eating healthy and reaping the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet. Download my Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes ebook by using the form below to get instant access to this valuable resource. I have also included a Mediterranean Diet Shopping List to help you get started.
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + A Free Shopping List
I have also put together a resource library containing my top recommended books, kitchen must-haves, supplements to support your health, and more! Click here to check it out!
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