So you have made the decision to lose weight. Congratulations! But now you are barraged with a slew of fad diets that all claim they will help you take the weight off. How do you tell fact from fiction? Read on and I will summarize some of the current diet trends and whether they will actually help or hinder your efforts.
The most current fad diet to hit the market is the Acai Berry Diet that was so skillfully advertised on the Oprah show. This diet is all about the abilities of the acai berry to increase metabolism and reduce your appetite. But the acai berry is really not a diet by itself. Added into an already healthy diet it can help to increase metabolism and enhance your digestion. Because the berry is a natural antioxidant it is good for you, but do not rely on it as your only weight loss tool. Based on the current evidence, adding in blueberries to your current diet would probably give you the same antioxidant boost, and at a cheaper price.
Another diet available at your local bookstore is the Atkin’s Diet. Dr. Atkins developed this diet based on the glycemic index of certain foods, mainly carbohydrates. Dr. Atkins states that by lowering your glycemic index you can lose weight. There are four stages to this diet: 1) Induction 2) Ongoing Weight Loss 3) Pre-maintenance 4) Maintenance. Induction removes most carbohydrates including fruit, pasta, rice, alcohol, and sweets. Then adding in a little bit of good carbohydrates, such as fruit, in the ongoing weight loss stage. The pre-maintenance and maintenance stages are all about maintaining your weight and finding the balance of Atkins approved foods that you will continue to eat. This diet will help you to lose weight, but many people cannot maintain the lifestyle of limited carbohydrates for long. If you need to jump-start your metabolism this is the diet to choose, but if you just need to lose a couple of pounds this is not a sustainable diet for you.
Another diet that focuses on low carbohydrates is the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet moves you from eating bad carbohydrates and fats, such as baked goods, to good carbohydrates and fats like fruit. Like the Atkin’s Diet the South Beach Diet has phases that you follow to achieve the full benefits. The first phase involves the elimination of all carbohydrates for a couple of weeks. Then as you begin to lose weight you move into phase 2 where you incorporate good carbs, like fruit, back into your diet. The final phase is a maintenance phase where you reach your goal weight and continue to eat the balance of carbs and fats you have individually decided on. There are a lot of good reports about the South Beach Diet and it has worked for many people. But again, the maintenance of the lifestyle with little carbs throws many people off of the proverbial wagon.
The final weight loss system I would like to discuss has also been the most successful. Weight Watchers espouses healthy nutrition and balanced living. The program gives people a point system to help them count their calories, and provides meals that are full meals but without any empty calories. They also provide a large amount of support throughout the weight loss process and beyond to help you get the weight off and keep it off. This is personally one of the best weight loss mechanisms I have seen in terms of people keeping the weight off. Because it allows you to splurge in controlled amounts you will not feel cheated out of treats. This is not just a diet, but also a way of life, which is really what being healthy is all about.