What Type of Diet Should I Follow?

Diets are not created equal. Weight Loss Diet programs fall into ten main categories.

What diets can you lose weight with?

Calorie Counting

Calorie Counting is one of the few sure fire ways to lose weight and to maintain your weight loss. It may take some discipline to track everything you eat. However in todays society it’s easier than ever. There is tons of software that you can load in your computer or PDA that makes it a snap. You no longer need to look everything up in a book.

Reduce your caloric intake by 3500 calories to lose one pound.

Women should never go below 1200 calories per day and men should never go below 1500 calories a day.

Low Fat Diets

If you are keeping your fat intake to approximately 30% of your daily caloric intake you are doing well. This is what the FDA recommends. Your body needs a certain amount of fat to survive. Don’t risk your health by eating too much or too little fat.

You won’t lose weight just by watching your fat content. If you’re looking to lose weight you will also need to keep an eye on your caloric intake.

Low Fat diets are good for people who are good at planning and keeping track of what they eat.

(Don’t fall for the “if its low-fat it’s good for me” gimmick. This started back in the 80s with the low-fat food craze. 2 low fat cookies have just as many if not more calories than 2 regular cookies . For this reason people have gone all low-fat and still gained weight.)

Low Carb Diets

There is an ongoing controversy about low carb diets. The FDA reccomends 40% of your daily caloric intake come from carbs this is aproximately 200 to 300 grams of carbs per day. The most popular low-card diet Atkins Diet is an extremely low carb diet it recommends 20 grams of carbs per day.

If you love protein meats, beans, dairy, and can go with out bread, pasta and starches then a low carb diet might be for you.

It’s interesting to note that a 20 year study by Harvard School of Public Health showed no difference in weight loss between a low-carb diet and a low-fat diet.

Exchange Diets

Exchange diets are actually a healthy way to eat. You are allotted a certain amount of servings from various food groups. The foods in each group are interchangeable. For example you can eat an apple instead of an orange in the fruit group.

Just about anyone can follow an exchange diet to lose weight and improve their health. You have more variety in the food choices you make and it’s easy to follow while dining out.

Prepackaged Diets

There are several prepackaged diets you can choose from. The most popular/known are Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem both of which offer shelf stable foods. However there are many companies that also deliver Freshly Prepared Meals right to your door such as Diet to Go. These all vary in price and quality. Do your homework before you join these programs read pogram reviews.

Prepackaged diets are great for busy people always on the go that simply don’t have the time to plan, prepare and eat a healthy balanced diet.

Meal Replacement Diets

While following a Meal Replacement diet you’ll be eating one healthy well balanced meal each day. The other meals and snacks are replaced with a liquid formula and/or bars. The most poplar meal replacement diets are Slim Fast and Medifast.

These do promote fast weight loss but on the down side most people regain the weight as soon as they begin to eat normal again.

Meal Replacement diets are for people who want quick weight loss and a no brainer way to lose weight.

Natural diets

Natural diets cbasically consist of foods not processed by humans. These include diets such as the Raw Food Diet, The Paleothic Diet an eating plan similar to the Stone Age. There’s also various diets based on biblical dietary laws.

Some are simply fad diets while others can improve your health and assist in weight loss. Be sure to gather all the information you can to determine if a natural diet is right for you.

Vegetarian

Note that a Vegetarian diet isn’t a solution to obesity. If you plan on going vegetarian just to lose weight you’re missing the whole point.

A vegetarian diet is a lifestyle. Meat and poultry are eliminated. Some plans also eliminate eggs and dairy products.

Research the Vegan lifestyle to determine if it’s right for you. Eating healthier is just a small part of the Vegan’s beliefs.

Fad Diets

Fad diets do not work. They often are very low in calories and nutrients. They may make you very ill. You can spot a fad diet by its name. They are often named for a famous person or place such as The Beverly Hills Diet. Many fad diets are limited to one food group The Grapefruit Diet. Don’t waste your time or money on fad diets.

Fixed Menu Diets

Fixed menu diets give you a list of foods you can and can’t eat. Though they can be easy to follow fixed menu diets are not recommended. You’ll get very tired and bored eating the same thing day after day. It’s next to impossible to follow away from home.

Foods are not good or bad they just are. Thinking there is forbidden foods for weight loss or management sets you up for failure. The key is portion control and moderation. You can eat anything in moderation and lose weight.

Be sure to check with your physician before beginning any weight loss program.

Wishing you success in your weight loss journey!!!