Fad diets
uncovered
uncovered
You may be hoping that this is the big moment and you finally get the number one diet that works every time… If that is the case, I have some bad news for you. There are many fad diets out there and if there was one that was easy and worked every time, we would all be supermodels. Read on for a quick break-down of the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers and Diet for Life.
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OK, maybe not supermodels, but at least deal with a lot less anxiety around mirror time… Your exact diet may not make an appearance, but never fear, I picked diets that are popular (hence the fad) and were representative of many other diets, so if yours doesn’t show up, it is probably similar to one of the selections and the concept behind all of them still makes a lot of sense.
Atkins Diet
The premise: Eliminate carbs in your diet for 14 days sending your body into ketosis. After 14 days you add 20 grams of carbs/ day until you achieve your desired weight at which time you increase your carb intake until you reach equilibrium (neither losing or gaining weight).The verdict: I won’t be like your doctor and/ or over-concerned mother/ best friend. I’ll be honest with you about how this bad boy works. Downsides: questionable health implications. Many doctors are not big fans of eating all the fat/ saturated fat you want. Also, very difficult to live by in that it virtually eliminates 1/3 of the foods out there.
South Beach Diet
The premise: Created by a real doctor, this diet severely limits carbs for the first 14 days (allows things like cabbage and broccoli). They also promise losing around 13 pounds in the first two weeks. Phase two adds fruit and some low glycemic index carbs (whole wheat cereals and pasta). Phase three is a little more liberal and meant to be on for life.The verdict: This one works and is pretty effective and healthy. The only hesitations are the first 14 days really limit carb (even healthy vegetables) intake and this can really test willpower. My only other concern is the drastic weight loss in the first two weeks (13 pounds). Most experts agree that two to three pounds/week is the most you can lose safely. Other than that it is a pretty heady diet with a lot of ciphering of what sits where on the glycemic index and might take some time to get used to… say what you will, it is one hell of a sexy name!!
Weight Watchers
The premise: Every food is assigned a certain point value and you can eat whatever you want, but when your points for the day are up, you stop eating.The verdict: As popular as this diet is, it is not love at first sight for me. They are working the take in less calories than you burn angle, which makes sense, but has some yucky implications. You can eat nothing but ice cream and beer all day and as long as you eat the prescribed amounts you are supposedly good to go. Also, this would be hard to maintain as a lifestyle of constantly weighing in and numbering food can get old.
Body for Life
The premise: Eat early and eat often. Six balanced meals (protein, unsaturated fat and carbs) coupled with three 20-minute aerobic sessions/week and three 60-minute weight based workouts/week.The verdict: I am a big fan. This is the only diet that incorporates physical activity with food choices. It is a reasonable diet, you are eating all the time and not only do you lose weight, but gain muscle. This is what creates the “tone” and “sculpt” and really reshapes our bodies…
I know, I know, there are a hundred more diets to cover, but never fear, I will be back for more weight loss discussion and more fun next month!
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