Review of Diet Programs

Before getting into the reviews, it's important to know what makes a diet plan worthwhile.

Anyone wanting to lose weight is faced with a bewildering array of diet programs to choose from, and unfortunately, many of them are terrible, either because they are unhealthy and unbalanced, too restrictive, too complex and difficult to follow for normal busy people, or they involve buying huge amounts of expensive special foods, pills and/or supplements. Worst of all, they just provide a sort term quick fix - sure, you lose some weight, but since the program is not sustainable in the long term, you'll eventually go off it, and probably regain the weight again because you haven't really changed your eating habits.

So, a good diet program will:

• Be based around natural, healthy, nutritious foods - not overpriced ready meals filled with junky ingredients, diet pills or meal-replacement drinks and other products.
  
  
• Be balanced, and not eliminate any of the major food groups (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) - these are all important for long term health.
  
  
• Be flexible to some extent - most dieters fail when faced with an extremely rigid menu.
  
  
• Be varied - eating a wide variety of foods is important for nutritional purposes, and to prevent boredom.
  
  
• Include exercise - you can lose weight though diet alone, but doing a bit of regular exercise helps the weight to stay off, promotes health, and gives a psychological boost too.
  
  
• Talk about the psychological factors behind weight loss, such as staying motivated.
  
  
• Include enough food - portion sizes should be large enough for your individual requirements, and you should be eating often enough to keep your energy levels high.
  
  
• Help you to plan your meals - it's all very well learning about nutrition and which foods to eat, but you need to know how to easily work them into your life too.
  
  
• Most importantly - it will go beyond just being 'a diet', and emphasise the importance of retraining your eating habits for life. By developing a preference for healthy foods, and breaking the overeating habit, you will have no problem maintaining your weight loss, and will eventually be able to leave the plan behind if you like, because you'll have learned to eat in accordance with your body's true needs. Avoid diets that are impossible to stick too over the long term, and just provide temporary weight loss that is not sustainable.
  

The Atkins diet is very well-known, and was originally introduced by Dr. Robert C. Atkins back in the early 1970s. It enjoyed a resurgence of popularity a few years back, and made low carb diets mainstream again.

The Atkins plan involves eating a low carbohydrate/high protein diet. Atkins claims that you can eat unlimited amounts of protein and fat, and still lose weight, so long as you keep carbohydrates to a minimum. The amount of allowable carbs depends on how long you've been following the diet: during the initial induction phase, you can only have 20g a day (in comparison, most people normally eat well over 200g a day), whereas later on you can increase them gradually until you get to the point where you are continuing to lose 1-3lb a week. People who reach their goal weight usually end up eating about 90g of carbs a day, or less.

The Atkins diet was popular with many people because it allows (and encourages) them to eat high fat foods that most diets frown on, such as cheese, red meat, cream and the like. At the same time, it attracted negative attention from many health authorities for just this reason. Atkins has also been criticised for his claim that calories don't count - according to him, so long as you're only eating low carb foods, and your body stays in the fat burning mode known as ketosis, you won't gain weight. In fact, this is not true - overeating any foods will make you gain weight, and the reason that many lose weight on Atkins is because it is difficult to overeat on high fat, high protein foods, especially in comparison to carbs. Personally, I tried Atkins out of curiosity after eating a mostly raw vegan diet for a long period, and I gained about ten pounds, despite being in ketosis the whole time! So don't believe anyone who tells you that you can't gain weight eating this way.

On the plus side, if you're overweight, you can lose weight relatively easily with Atkins, often quite dramatically so (though some of this will be water weight, as cutting out carbs causes the body to release stored glycogen from the muscles, which is accompanied by a release of water). It also means cutting out refined sugar and flour, neither of which are good for your health or your waistline (though unfortunately, good carbs such as wholegrains and fruits are eliminated too). However, its long term health effects are dubious, it is highly restrictive (unless you dislike carbohydrate foods and really love meat and dairy!), it causes bad breath and body odor (ketones are released through the skin and mouth), and it is very difficult to do if you're a vegetarian.

Verdict
This diet is definitely not sustainable for most people, and for many, the negative effects generally outweigh any weight loss achieved.

More information about the Atkins Diet.

The Master Cleanse diet, also known as the Lemonade diet, has received a lot of publicity recently, as it has been used by high profile celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles, who used it to drop 20lb for her role in Dreamgirls. However, the Master Cleanse is not new; it was originally introduced by Stanley Burroughs in 1941, and is itself a variation on age-old fasting techniques.

The Master Cleanse involves preparing a drink made from water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, and drinking it throughout the day. No food is eaten, and no drinks are usually taken other than a laxative tea and a saline drink in the morning. The cleanse is supposed to last for a minimum of ten days, although some people carry on for longer.

As the name suggests, the Master Cleanse's main purpose is detoxification, not weight loss. The idea is that by abstaining from food, the body is relieved from the usual work involved with digestion, and can direct its energies towards releasing stored toxins (which typically accumulate in those following a standard diet which may include undesirable substances). Once cleansed, people may find freedom from cravings and addictions, experience benefits such as clearer skin and greater energy, and may even find that health problems resolve themselves.

The Master Cleanse has attracted a lot of criticism from conventional health professionals, although fasting in various forms has been successfully used as a healing modality by cultures throughout the world for millennia. I personally have conducted fasts in the past, with beneficial results, and many people have found that the Master Cleanse works well as a short term detox plan, especially when followed by an excellent diet based on natural foods.

However, I don't recommend that anyone do the Master Cleanse as a weight loss diet. You will lose weight (much of it water weight), but as soon as you return to your normal way of eating, it will go right back on again, and this kind of yo-yoing is not good for long term health. Other negative effects of the Master Cleanse include bad breath, low energy, constipation and bloating, and the risk of disordered eating in vulnerable people.

Verdict
The Master Cleanse can be good for detox when used by knowledgeable people in a sensible manner, but should not be used for weight loss purposes.

Master Cleanse Secrets - an updated guide with extra information for those who find the Master Cleanse difficult.

The Jenny Craig Diet is a long-established plan that originated in 1983 in Australia. It involves signing up to the Jenny Craig program, and either visiting the support centers in person, who (for those who live too far away) receiving support by phone, mail and online.

The program consists of three levels through which clients progress, and aims to get people eating a balanced, calorie controlled diet, and to establish healthy eating habits. It also encourages increasing activity, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle generally. Psychological wellbeing is stressed - members are offered an impressive level of support, and there is a lot of written material provided too. The program is developed in association with various health professionals.

The diet itself is heavily dependent on Jenny Craig's own-brand frozen ready meals, which adhere to the USDA food pyramid. No foods are banned, although dieters are encouraged to be moderate in their choices, and to restrict high calorie foods to occasional treats. Portion control is stressed, as is calorie counting. Although the ready meals are a major part of the diet, the eventual aim is that people will learn to eat this way for the long term, and apply what they learn to their own cooking.

Overall, this is a balanced way of eating, and the level of support is excellent. On the downside, the program is relatively expensive, as are the meals, and some people have reported that the meals are not very filling, and not always very tasty either (though others have had positive experiences). If stuck to, the program will lead to weight loss, and the lifestyle changes that are made alongside the diet make long term success more likely.

Verdict
The Jenny Craig diet offers a balanced mind-body approach, and the diet itself can work well. However, participation requires quite a lot of ongoing expense for as long as the support structure of the program is needed. And you'd better like eating ready meals!

More information about the Jenny Craig diet.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots is a memorably-named online diet program that has gained enormous popularity in recent months, and claims that you can lose 9 pounds every 11 days. The diet is pretty easy to follow, although it's not particularly flexible. It is based around the idea of 'calorie shifting', which basically means eating different types of calories (fats, carbohydrates and proteins) on different days. The authors claim that doing this will jumpstart your metabolism, releasing fat-burning hormones and encouraging faster weight loss. The calorie shifting takes place over an 11 day cycle, and then you can have three cheat days, where you can eat what you like.

The diet encourages you to eat a wide variety of foods, and most people will be able to include their favourite foods, thus avoiding feelings of deprivation. There are no ready meals, meal replacements or special foods or pills to buy, you don't have to count calories, and can eat as much as you like (though not to the point of feeling stuffed). In addition, the Fat Loss 4 Idiots site includes a diet generator that you can use to plan out a wide variety of meals.

I think that this is a good plan in many respects, as it involves eating an array of foods, although it's up to you to make good choices. You don't need to count calories or keep track of everything you eat - but on the other hand the diet depends on you recognising when you're full and stopping eating at that point. This sounds simple enough, but many overweight people are overweight because they haven't been doing this, so in the early stages a bit more emphasis on portion control would be good.

The calorie shifting element is somewhat controversial and unproven, and does introduce an element of rigidity - for 11 days out of every 14, you have to eat in a particular pattern. Some people might also find that switching between major food groups in this way causes them to feel tired or out of sorts, especially when they've been used to eating more balanced meals every day. On the other hand, those who like low carb diets may get on well with this (although the diet isn't low carb overall). Personally, I think that a way of eating that is more balanced on a day to day basis is preferable, even if it lacks the metabolism boosting effect that calorie shifting may provide (if indeed it does).

The diet is delivered online via Clickbank (a highly reputable digital product provider), and like all Clickbank products comes with a 60 day money back guarantee, so you can try it without risk.

Verdict
Fat Loss 4 Idiots is ok, but not great, IMO. It can be healthy (depending on your choices), and has worked well for many people, but may not be sustainable in the long run, unless you're dedicated and enjoy the planning aspect.

More information about Fat Loss 4 Idiots

Strip That Fat is a relatively new online diet program that has been taking the web by storm. However, it is not just some new diet gimmick - Strip That Fat is unusual in that it aims to help readers re-educate their eating habits, and develop a way of eating that can be sustained for life. The focus is on healthy foods, eaten regularly throughout the day, and in sufficient variety to provide great nutrition. There's nothing earth-shatteringly novel about this plan, which is a good thing. The diet industry is too full of fads and hype, so it's refreshing to see a successful product that provides readers with solid, time-tested principles, and a way to lose weight now, to keep it off for life, and to stay healthy (and probably become healthier in many cases) - all while eating a wide array of delicious foods that are simple to prepare.

With the Strip That Fat plan, all the usual reasons why people hate dieting and rarely stick to them are eliminated. It's varied, and flexible. You can eat out, have treats, eat often, eat decent portions and eat delicious foods which are easy to make. There are no dodgy diet pills to take, no overpriced meal replacements to buy, and no preservative-filled ready meals to clutter up your freezer. You eat real, tasty food, in large enough quantities to satisfy (but not stuff) you, and so long as you stick to the plan, you'll lose weight and keep it off - permanently.

The book also comes with some nice bonuses, such as a very useful Diet Generator, which you can use to plan your meals (it even gives you a shopping list based on your chosen meals to print out too!). You can also get a recipe book, and if you like to count calories, there's a worksheet to make this easy (although you certainly don't have to count calories if you don't want to).

On the downside - well, there aren't any major downsides with this plan in my experience, although if you're a vegan (as I used to be), you won't be able to use the Diet Generator as it is, without making substitutions, as most - though not all - of the meals have some eggs or dairy, and many have meat. The rest of the advice in the book is still applicable though. It's also probably not a good choice for die-hard junk food addicts, because you simply have to learn to clean up your diet and eat healthier foods - if you're not willing to do that, this isn't the book for you.

Verdict
I follow Strip That Fat's recommendations myself, and love eating this way, and maintaining my desired weight without even thinking about it. I've written a more in-depth Strip That Fat review here, or you can just visit the site for more information. This is my top recommendation, and I strongly encourage anyone who is tired of the usual diet scams, and of yo-yoing up and down the scales to check it out. The book bills itself as 'the last diet book you'll ever need', and that's not an exaggeration (besides, there's a 60 day money back guarantee, so if you don't like it for some reason, you can get a refund straight away).

More information about Strip That Fat