There are at least as many diet plans as there are dieters. According to a survey published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, one successful tact might be having "eating more protein" as a guiding goal.
In the survey, 1,824 middle-aged women were asked what they knew about dietary protein and if they ate more protein as a way to prevent weight gain. Most of the women could correctly identify protein sources and the recommend amount of protein in the diet.
"Eating more protein" was reported by 43% of the women as a way to prevent weight gain. When researchers looked at current protein intake and changes in weight in the preceding two years, they found the women who reported eating more protein had lost weight.