Diets that Work: Reviewed & Rated
Diets that Work...
Are you constantly battling with your weight? Have you been let down by some of the best know diet brands?
Well, you're not alone and the aim of this website is to show you the diets that work. Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Atkins are some of the most popular diets out there and as a result receive the most amount of exposure. However, there are some lesser known diets that work that have been proven to be far more effective and the aim of this website is to post the stories from members of our network who have been trying them out with success.
Fad Diets...
They are called fad diets for a reason, and that's because they don't last long enough to do you any good. The here today, gone tomorrow mentality is how these fad diets exist.
They want to make you think that they are diets that work but they are usually not sustainable. Most work on the premise that you reduce your caloric intake to such a small amount that you can't help but lose weight. You see results quickly, so it seems like a great diet.
The first reason they don't work for long is that the amount of food you are allowed to have is so small. They are so low in calories you aren't really eating enough to sustain your body. It can't decide if you are trying to reduce your weight or if you are starving it. This in turn will understandably mess with your metabolism. When your metabolism slows down, you won't lose weight. You will not burn the calories you consume, because your body doesn't want to starve. In order to remain healthy, you should not eat less than 1200 calories in a day. Less than this and you could jeopardize your health.
The second reason fad diets aren't diets that work is loss of muscle tone. Once your body thinks it is starving, it will start to use your muscles as its food source. By burning muscle to give you enough energy to get through a day you won't be losing any fat. You may see a reduction in your weight on a scale, but in reality it is not a true representation. Once you increase the amount of calories you will see your weight climbing again.
The third reason fad diets aren't diets that work is the most unbelievable of all the claims that they make. You can lose weight without exercise!!! While you want to believe this, it really isn't something you can hope to achieve. Burning calories is what exercise does and if you aren't giving those muscles a workout, how will you burn calories? The answer is, you won't. All you will do is have those calories turn into more fat.
The fourth reason fad diets aren't diets that work is that you will lose water weight instantly. Ask anyone who tries a fad diet where they spend most of their time in the beginning, and it will be the bathroom. Shedding excess water from their bodies shows up on the scale, but it is only temporary.
Number five is the biggest reason fad diets aren't diets that work. You will feel so deprived because you are restricted in your food allowance that you will go back to a normal eating pattern when the diet is over. You will be thinking about the foods you love but can't have when you are on this diet. So you promise yourself that when it is over you can eat them again. This leads to a pattern that can actually cause you to gain back more weight than you started with. Sticking with a balanced eating plan and exercise is the only real way to lose weight forever.
Effective Weight Loss...
Are you tired of dieting with no results? You are not alone. There are many of us out there seeking diets that work. Unfortunately, there are many variables when it comes to dieting and losing weight.
We will outline three diets that work that have been known to get results, but you must remember one very important thing. You are not the same as everyone else, therefore what works for one person may not work for you. Dieting is really about finding diets that work for your body type, lifestyle, and other life factors.
One of the most popular and effective diets that work is calorie counting. Each individual has a certain amount of calories they can eat and still function. The amount of calories you should be eating will depend on the weight you want to lose, your height, current weight, and your body type. A person at 5 foot will require less calories than someone at 6'3". The trick is not to eat three meals a day when you are calorie counting on your diet. You need to eat five meals a day, three regular meals, and then two snacks. Depending on the amount of calories you can eat in a day, you need to break the meals down evenly. For example if you can eat 1500 calories in a day you should have three meals of 400 calories. This totals to 1200 calories for the three main meals, and leaves 150 calories for the two snacks. You also need to drink enough water in the day and avoid fried foods or junk foods.
One of the other diets that work quite well is a no carbohydrate diet. This type of diet cuts out breads, and other high carbohydrate foods. Atkins is well known for this diet, though there are others. An individual who struggles to lose weight on other diets may find they are eating too much carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are difficult for the body to break down completely. While the carbohydrates offer more energy, they also are high in sugar and fat. This means you can gain weight with carbohydrates. A low metabolism often benefits from a diet with low to no carbohydrates.
The last type of diets that work is Weight Watchers. Many individuals have had success with Weight Watchers because of the meals. The meals allow for a proportion of healthy foods, and even desserts. For example on this type of diet you are able to eat vegetables, meat, fruit, and even a dessert in one day. The system is based on points. As long as you have the points for the chocolate or other dessert you can have it that day. You can also plan for desserts in your meals if you know you will want something. It works because you are kept to certain foods in a day.
These are just three of the diets that work. Remember that not all of these will work for you, and maybe none of them will. It takes knowing your body to get the right diet.
South Beach Diet - Benefits and Drawbacks
There are a lot of diets out there these days that promise quick weight loss with no deprivation, but the South Beach Diet is one of the few that actually fits that bill. Originally designed by Dr. Arthur Agatston , a cardiologist, for his heart patients, it's become a tried-and-true diet plan that is no fad. In fact, you can stick to it for life and health as well as weight loss.
One of the main factors in the South Beach Diet's success is that it utilizes the glycemic index to help control hunger. That is, by following the diet and eating mostly foods that are low in the glycemic index, you maintain blood sugar levels and therefore reduce your hunger for "simple" carbohydrates like sugars and sweets.
The diet in three phases, during which you wean yourself off of certain foods and focus on South Beach Diet friendly foods. You can also lose up to eight to 12 pounds in the first two weeks, as long as you follow those guidelines.
Basic benefits
Medical science actually supports this diet, because it focuses on "clean" eating, and it's full of lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and "good for you" fats, while minimizing or eliminating refined sugars, trans fats, and saturated fats.
Are there any drawbacks?
The first part of the diet, Phase I, has you severely restricting your carbohydrates, for the first two weeks. This also includes limiting intake of fruits and vegetables, by the way, so you won't be getting all the nutrients you need. You'll also likely experience difficulties because of the lack of fiber in this particular phase of the diet.
Nonetheless, if you can get through this first two weeks, you'll move on to the second phase of the diet, which is less restrictive. It might also be said that because you so severely limit your intake of certain foods during the first phase (namely, carbohydrates), you're going to clean your palate so that you're not going to be craving junk foods, refined sweets, etc., and can move on to the second phase fully ready to stick to it.
What happens with the rest of the diet
In the second phase of the diet, you're going to add certain foods back into your diet you had to avoid during Phase I. Because you've "cleared your palate," you're not going to be craving these foods as much, and you'll be able to eat them in moderation, though not as much as you could before.
The final phase, Phase III, is the maintenance part of the diet and is meant to be something you'll follow for the rest of your life. It's the least restrictive and is simply meant to utilize basic guidelines that will have you limiting certain foods and focusing on others so that you maintain rather than lose weight.
The results
The South Beach Diet is in fact a very good diet for the most part, and just about anyone can follow it. Because it severely restrict your access to what is mostly "junk" food, while focusing on an intake of "good" foods like lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and "good" carbohydrates and fats, it is certainly a healthy plan to follow and it doesn't so severely restrict calories or food groups (other than during Phase I) that you are at risk of deficiencies. Weight loss is generally sensible, with a focus of about one to two pounds weight loss after the first phase (which promises up to 12 pounds of weight loss), and medical professionals support this plan in general. All in all, a good sound diet that can be followed for life after the first phase, and that focuses on good healthy foods and sensible rather than extreme weight loss.
South Beach Diet - History and Origins
The South Beach Diet was developed by a cardiologist named Dr. Arthur Agatston and a dietician named Marie Almon. This diet was developed to provide an alternative to low-fat diets during the 1980's such as the Ornish Diet and Pritikin Diet. Dr. Agatston originally designed the South Beach Diet for his patients to help them prevent and fight against heart disease. Through word of mouth the diet gained popularity as a means to help lose weight in early 2000.
The South Beach Diet is often compared to many fads such as the Atkins Diet which promote low-carbohydrate diets. However, unlike diets such as Atkins, the South Beach Diet in principle seeks to replace the bad carbs with good carbs and bad fats with good fats.
Dr. Agatston believed that foods that are rich in carbohydrates which are digested very quickly by the body triggers the hunger cycle because such foods create spikes in the blood sugar. The Western diet typically includes foods that are made up in large part of heavy refined sugars and grains. South Beach Diet takes away foods that are high in these types of carbs and replaces them with whole grains, vegetables, and beans.
South Beach takes away foods that have trans-fats and frowns upon foods that have saturated fats. These types of foods are a leading contributor to heart disease and LDL cholesterol. Foods that are high in unsaturated fats and omega-3 fats replace unhealthy foods. The South Beach Diet consists of foods such as fish, lean meats, and nuts.
The South Beach diet restricts foods that are high in simple carbs such as white rice, white bread, and white potatoes. However, the South Beach Diet does not completely take away all carbs or measure the intake of carbs. This diet instead targets the source of carbs.
The South Beach Diet consists of three phases. The first phase of the diet takes place over the course of two weeks. During the first phase of the diet all processed carbs, sugars, fruits, and some vegetables that have a high-glycemic count are completely eliminated.
Foods such as rice, bread, pasta, fruit, baked goods, and potatoes are banned during the first phase of the diet. The goal and purpose of the first phase of the South Beach Diet is to take away the hunger cycle and produce a significant amount of weight loss. All types of alcohol including beer and wine are eliminated during Phase 1 and alcohol consumption during the long term diet is limited.
The second phase of the diet will continue as long as the dieter wants to lose weight. The second phase of the South Beach Diet re-introduces most vegetables and fruits and even some whole grains.
The third phase helps the dieter maintain a healthy eating lifestyle and is intended to last throughout their life. The South Beach Diet teaches you to eat foods that are normal in portions that are appropriate for a healthy lifestyle.
The South Beach Diet is one of the few diets that actually meet criteria for a healthy diet. This diet does not exclude any of the major food groups. The South Beach Diet is high in lean protein, fruits, whole grains, and vegetables. It has all the components to help one lose weight and get on track to living a healthy lifestyle.