The Top 10 Diets

Which diet will you choose when you want to shed weight? If you want a full list of all the diets in the world have a look on the The Weight Management Foundation website . Listed below are the 10 most popular diets launched over the last 10 years. The most important criteria are to pick a diet that fits in with your lifestyle and that you are more likely to see through to the end. Whichever one you choose factor into your day some exercise even if it is just a 30 minute fast walk becasue the basics facts to losing weight are simple. Expend more calories than you consume. 

Glycaemic Load Diet

Substantial and consistent scientific evidence of the highest quality shows that a Low GL diet is more effective than conventional low fat or low carb diets, causes more weight loss on the same calories, reduces hunger and sugar cravings, is easy to maintain and good for your health. It is maintained that it is more effective than the Glycaemic Index Diet.

Advantage:	Most Nutrition Experts agree with the concept of this diet.
Disadvantage:	You need to refer to a book to identify food values until you are completely au fait with the concept.

 

The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a three-phase plan that starts with eating fewer carbohydrates, except for essential vegetables, while consuming lean protein. After about two weeks, dieters add in more complex carbohydrates including bread and chocolate. The basis of the diet is to teach which foods are nutrient dense and what are healthy portion sizes. Dr Agatston, a leading American cardiologist, originally created the South Beach diet for his heart patients. While his main aim was to improve their heart health, he discovered that as a side effect of the diet they also lost significant amounts of weight. He claims this isn't a low fat diet or a low carb diet - instead it focuses on eating the 'right' carbs and the 'right' fats. In fact, the South Beach Diet is based on the G.I. Diet. In practice, the diet severely restricts carbohydrates in the first two weeks, before gradually re-introducing those with a low glycaemic index. Plus it recommends swapping saturates for unsaturates.

Advantages:	Encourages you to de-junk your diet and eliminate or cut down on foods containing high fats & sugars such as white bread, cakes etc.
Disadvantage:	Because you are not allowed any carbs in the first 2 weeks you can become weak and wobbly. Also, fruit is restricted therefore you may lose out on vitamins and minerals.

The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet works on the theory that excess insulin, a hormone that helps controls our blood sugar levels, makes us fat and keeps us fat. By closely regulating our blood sugar levels and therefore keeping our levels of insulin in a tight ‘zone’, the body burns fat more efficiently so that we lose weight. The Zone Diet consists of a balanced ratio of carbohydrates (40%), fat (30%) and proteins (30%) to achieve hormonal balance. The concept is to control your body's insulin production.

Advantages:	All foods are allowed no foods are forbidden
Disadvantages:	It’s complicated – you have to weigh and measure everything. It is also restrictive and if you eat out a lot the plan does not allow much slack.

 

Glycaemic Index

A diet that is often chosen by diabetics, the Glycaemic Index, or GI Diet, ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on blood glucose levels. It promotes consumption of low GI carbohydrates because they keep blood glucose and insulin levels steady, rather than fluctuating throughout the day.
Example Of Food To Consume: certain fruits and vegetables; whole grains such as oats, barley, and bran; basmati rice; some pasta; quinoa; chick peas; plain yogurt; and skim milk

Advantage:	Most nutritionists agree with the basic concept but feel you need to adjust to the disadvantage below.
Disadvantage:	It is hard to get your head around the fact that melon has a high GI and chocolate has a low GI. For More Information, Visit: www.glycemicindex.com

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers has expanded to consist of group sessions, personal consultants and online support. There are two plans to choose from: a Flex plan that lets a client eat the foods they want, but control the amount with a point system; or a Core plan that doesn't tally points, but consists of only nutritious food. Good for dieters who like support.
Example of Foods to Consume: Depends on which plan is chosen but basically any.

 

Advantages:	If you follow the recipes from the cookbook, you can include meals for your family. Does not include weird and wonderful food.
Disadvantages:	You have to pay a weekly subscription to go to the group sessions. Can be tiresome counting points

The Blood Group Diet

Created by Dr. D’Amano – he believes our blood group determines how our bodies react to nutrients. He believes that each blood group deals with food groups differently because each of us has a unique antigen marker (a substance that the body thinks is an alien and therefore inflammatory.

Advantages:	Helps you to de-junk high fats, sugars and rubbish foods.
Disadvantages:	Not everyone know their blood group and to find out you will have to pay privately (expensive). Not family friendly because you could all be in a different group eating different foods.

Rosemary Conley

First hit fame with the Thigh Diet. Covers all eventualities with classes run by Franchisees. Online slimming advice. At home with books, DVDs equipment. Classes follow the usual weigh in, motivational talk and have a unique feature of an optional exercise class. Clients follow a low fat programme.

Advantages:	Good for anyone who likes to be supported and needs a face to face approach. The exercise class introduces couch potatoes to movement.
Disadvantages:	Can be expensive.

The Atkins Diet

Devised by the late Dr Robert Atkins, this is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Dr Atkins' theory is really quite simple: when you cut out carbs, your body is forced into burning its fat stores to provide it with energy; as you burn more calories when your body burns fat compared with other diets.

Advantages:	The weight does come off and this spurs people on. It suits people who like to eat protein in big quantities. Men like it but that is not much good to you!!!
Disadvantages:	You get bad breath and sweat due to the release of ketones. Very high in fats therefore could cause heart problems. Not much in the way of fruit and vegetables allowed therefore loss of vitamins and minerals.

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