More than a month into 2024, how are your New Year’s resolutions holding up?

It can be difficult to stay disciplined, especially this time of year, when cold and gloomy weather can make comfort food appealing.

If you are still trying to lose weight, perhaps a new diet would be in order.

A new study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that compared with a diet that includes plants and meat, a plant-based diet is more conducive to weight loss.

More than 240 overweight adults took part in the research. Half of the trial’s participants are an omnivorous diet while the other half adopted a plant-based diet.  After 16 weeks, participants who followed the vegan diet lost an average of 13 pounds.

The plant-based diet participants results correlated most strongly with weight loss.

Believe it or not — most participants lost weight, and it didn’t come from muscle loss. Instead, the lost weight was from body fat and visceral fat, which is located around the center of your body.

The study found whole grains and legumes drove weight loss. Nuts, fruits, vegetables, tea and coffee can help round out a nourishing vegan diet. It all comes down to nutrient density, which can be effective for those looking to lose weight.

Vegetables are rich in prebiotic fiber, which supports microbiome and digestive system health.

Less helpful foods, like meat, vegetable oils and sweets, were linked to weight gain in the study’s control group.

The study’s authors noted that the quality of the plant-based diet was important. The results showed that the best results came for those who consumed a healthful plant-based diet of nutrient-dense foods.