The Controversies Involved With Detoxification Diets

Detoxification or starvation?

Diets for detoxification have come under immense scrutiny over the months that have passed. There are numerous claims that only weight that can be lost is the weight of water from the start of the fasting period and the subsequent loss of weight due to the reduction of caloric intake. A detoxification diet can be quite restrictive, and can go as far as being called as a starvation diet. A lot of articles made by "experts" explain that a detoxification diet is hazardous to people, saying that it is just a "yo-yo" diet, creates a wrong impression on many food groups and can even lead to some eating disorders.

We are also aware of the fact that most of these "experts" making these articles are working or are related in the field of health and weight loss which are people like health program supervisors, nutritionists, weight loss counselors, and common people who have great interest and knowledge on fitness and health. Although I am not saying that anyone of these people are just making up their statements or may be fabricating the truth regarding this matter, I am just saying that usually a person of this education level will have a hard time seeing things on a different perspective. This may be because they only believe in what they have learned or experienced, and may not be ready to accept facts other than what they had. Like for example, when a nutritionist enters college and has been educated with the teaching that green beans can cause cancer, this same person will finish college with the belief that this food is bad for people's health. This will also cause him to share this information with his clients and other people he comes in contact with. And when after a few years, a particular person gets in the picture and debates that green beans does not cause cancer, do you think it is possible for the nutritionist to believe what this current person is stating?

This kind of anomaly is not only related to nutritionists and other related fields in health and fitness. It can happen in other fields as well. Being a writer, I learned that you must never communicate in double negatives. It is just a simple ethical consideration I apply each and every day. If someone would approach me and did everything to convince me that what I have learned before is now different, whether right or wrong, I always see to it that I don't speak in double negatives. And if I make criticisms on this current idea without first making my own investigation and revisiting my knowledge of basic English and grammar, then I am simply only just depending on my former knowledge to debate on this issue.

So why don't we deviate away from conventional nutritionists and just discover what detoxification diets have to offer from a completely blank slate. No, I am not a nutritionist, I'm just a writer who is curious and wants to learn if a detoxification diet really is a healthy method of body cleansing, or is it just a kind of starvation diet that does no good for the body besides just losing some water while making people believe that it makes them feel better. I have gathered 3 people who have undergone a detoxification diet and another 3 who did not. This population may not comprise a huge percentage, but I am not getting these people as guinea pigs, I just want to get information based on their experience in order for me to confirm or negate the detoxification diet statements from both dieticians and those who are subjects of a detoxification diet.

Fasting and purity

People have relied on fasting for centuries in order to be purified. If we backtrack through ancient writings, we will discover that fasting was not only done as a means of purification of the spirit, but also for physical purification. Those fasting for purity experienced significant loss of energy, but regains strength after the period of fasting, usually within a period of 36 hours. This statement can easily be debated upon, since those people might have felt that their body has been cleansed because of their spiritual inspiration from the fasting process. The three persons I have invited to undergo fasting were not looking to be spiritually enlightened, and stated that they felt very weak after being deprived of food for a while, although they began to feel better and cleaner before the second day ended. Also, none of the three said they experienced starvation, but instead felt the fasting process did give them some level of physical purity.

In the science of medicine, there are instances wherein physicians will advise you to fast. Setting aside pre-surgical procedures, most fasting methods are done in order to prepare or cleanse the body for something. Take the case of people taking diets like the ketogenic diet, which requires a period of fasting prior to starting it in order to better treat illnesses.

Those criticizing the detoxification diet plan state that headaches and other undesirable symptoms show up on the first stage of the diet program due to the food deprivation. But advocates of the detoxification diet program argue that the headaches and other symptoms are only temporary and due to the body being accustomed to the new process it is going through. The three persons I invited to undergo a detoxification diet program all had the same result in the quality of their urine and bowel excretions; they look clearer and had less odor. And although they did feel some level of headaches and fatigue, they did not attribute this to the fasting process.

I also did some research online and found 11 dieticians who disagreed undergoing a detoxification diet. Each individual debated that headaches were due to the fasting process, but in essence, they are also recommending some form of detoxification diet. Interesting enough, their versions of special diets included some form of fasting as well. Their version was just different in a few things, like just eating only some varieties of fruits and yogurt. Most detoxification diets actually don't have a complete fasting period.

People who don't agree with getting into a detoxification diet are not really happy with the weight loss results that it offers. They argue that it is only the weight of the water lost during fasting, and will easily get back to what it originally was the moment normal eating regimen is resumed. The weight loss benefits of detoxification diets actually come from different sources. Like when you are undergoing an overall body detoxification, some of the weight lost from the body has already been flushed down the toilet (if you know what I'm talking about that is). You might be surprised to know that two of the people I invited to take a detoxification program even called for a plumber because of the surplus waste they excreted. The weight they lost in the process has been maintained as well, and two of these individuals have started with the program more than 6 months before this article was even written. The weight they lost has been maintained simply because they made smarter eating choices. Although they resumed with their normal eating routine, they did not go back with consuming lots of junk and processed foods. They all stated that they have learned how to keep their body's toxin levels low after undergoing the detoxification diet and it has gave them a better overall health.

So is this just another diet craze?

Critics of the detoxification diet that this new trend in dieting, similar to others that had the "diet" word with them, is no different than its predecessors, particularly in its effectiveness. Every time a new diet craze comes in the market, a lot of people rush to the scene, saying that it does them no good. In reality, not all diet programs are suitable for everyone. I myself have tried Atkins diet for quite some time and my efforts proved to be futile, although a friend of mine swore that it worked wonders for him. Apparently, the Atkins diet is not made for those who are not significantly overweight, as most critics say, and my own body as well. So can we now conclude that the detoxification diet is beyond everyone's standards of a regular diet craze, or is it just a hyped-up failure just like everyone claims it to be? Of the 3 individuals who had undergone detoxification, 2 state that it is not a diet craze. They say that is an effective procedure of cleansing the body, in which most diet programs fail to do. The third person states that it is just a trend in diet, but since it is effective for him, then he does not really care about it.

Diet crazes and trends usually do not really have much inside them. They are actually just ideas made to convince you that this particular diet trend is the best and most effective, and they can allow you to lose weight and keep it from coming back. Detoxification diets aims for something beyond all this, which is why I really exerted some effort to find out the truth about this diet program. I simply had to find out.

There is a huge amount of data that proves that Americans and Canadians have the worst health condition in general, considering the health support readily available. The health support available in our area is supposed to make us one of the most physically fit and healthiest countries in the world, but unfortunately it is the opposite. A lot of doctors state that this can be attributed to the kind of food people take in nowadays, which are usually filled with toxic substances from too much processing. And even with the wide range of healthy options available to us, we are still at the top of the list on cancer rates, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Not surprisingly, we also rank high on the list of countries with the most number of overweight and obese people.

The detoxification diet intends to address the growing problems regarding the overall health of American citizens, which will go beyond just their waistlines. The diet trends that we have seen in the past have only focused on shrinking people's waistlines, but did not even touch how to improve overall health. So is this detoxification diet just another trend in dieting? Technically speaking, a diet trend simply means any new program introduced in the market, which promises a lot of good stuff and gains a lot of new followers as well. If this is how we define it, then yes. But by another standard, this may also not be considered a diet trend. This is because this was not designed like the usual diet trends that came before it.

Both overweight and slim people can benefit from undergoing a detoxification diet. In fact we can say that everyone can enjoy the benefits that this diet program has to offer. This program was not made to induce weight loss; it was made in order to encourage people to live a healthier lifestyle. Losing weight is just a side effect of the program. This diet program strives to achieve a long-term optimum health condition. After being cleansed and detoxified, your body will surely feel a lot better, more energized and rejuvenated. It will also help you keep you in the right track and you will find out that you never want to get back to your unhealthy lifestyle again.   

Beyonce Knowles recently announced on the Oprah Winfrey talk show that she had lost a massive 20 pounds on the Master Cleanse detox diet! Compare the best detox diets used by the Hollywood's superstars!

All Diets Types and Their Explanations - How to Navigate and Choose the Best One For You

Atkins Diet

"The Atkins Diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate weight loss diet developed by Robert Atkins, M.D., during the 1960s. In the early 1990s, Dr. Atkins brought his diet back into the nutrition spotlight with the publication of his best-selling book "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution".

The Atkins Diet severely restricts the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods and encourages the consumption of protein and fat. The diet is divided into four phases: Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-maintenance, and Maintenance. During the Induction phase (the first 14 days of the diet), carbohydrate intake is limited to no more than 20 grams per day. No fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables, or dairy products (except cheese, cream, and butter) are allowed during this phase. During the Ongoing Weight Loss phase, dieters experiment with various levels of carbohydrate consumption until they determine the most liberal level of carbohydrate intake that allows them to continue to lose weight. Dieters are encouraged to maintain this level of carbohydrate intake until their weight loss goals are met. During the Pre-maintenance and Maintenance phases, dieters determine the level of carbohydrate consumption that allows them to maintain their weight. To prevent weight regain, dieters are told to maintain this level of carbohydrate consumption, perhaps for the rest of their lives. According to Dr. Atkins, most people must limit their carbohydrate intake to no more than 60 grams per day to keep lost weight off. In addition to the dietary restrictions discussed above, Dr. Atkins recommends regular exercise and nutritional supplementation as part of his weight loss program.

Note: The dietary recommendations issued by various organizations, including the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Heart Association, encourage a daily carbohydrate intake of approximately 300 grams. To stay healthy, you will need to consume five times more what Atkins prescribes in his diets. Can a human being last long enough on this diet without experiencing any side effects? If the dieter dares to cheat on this program, the result can be detrimental and the weight can be regained easily, twice as much as what has been lost during the diet. The quick weight gain brings about eventual depression and the dieter will eventually reach his original weight before the weight loss.

What is so attractive about the diet that so many individuals have taken the time and effort to apply?

High-protein diets are the fad regimens of the moment. Their theory for weight loss consists of eating lots of animal proteins and skipping carbohydrates such as breads, rice and pasta. The theory behind these diets is that if you load up on animal proteins, you will feel fuller faster, so you'll end up eating less.

The Atkins Diet is attractive to dieters who have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight on low-fat, low-calorie diets. Atkins dieters can eat as many calories as desired from protein and fat, as long as carbohydrate consumption is restricted. Consequently, many Atkins dieters are spared the feelings of hunger and deprivation that accompany other weight loss regimens.

The underlying premise of the Atkins Diet is that diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates cause weight gain, and ultimately lead to obesity. Such diets increase the production of insulin (a hormone secreted by the pancreas). When insulin levels are high, the food we eat is quickly and easily converted into fat, and stored in our cells. By restricting the consumption of carbohydrates, the production of insulin is moderated. In addition, the lack of available carbohydrate (the body's preferred fuel source) forces the body to burn stored fat as energy.

What do the critics say?

Many nutrition experts disagree with the basic premise of the Atkins Diet - the notion that high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets cause obesity. For evidence of the implausibility of the Atkins Diet, some nutritionists point out that the traditional Japanese diet is very high in carbohydrates, low in protein, and very low in fat; however, before the introduction of high-fat and high-protein Western foods, being overweight was rare in Japan. Such findings make sense because ounce for ounce, carbohydrates contain far fewer calories than fats (4 calories from carbohydrates versus 9 calories from fat). These critics blame the over-consumption of calories (from any source) and lack of physical activity as the primary causes of obesity.

One concern about a high-protein diet stems from all the saturated fats one eats - those fats that we're told cause high cholesterol, clogged arteries and, eventually, heart disease. Critics also express concern about the impact of the Atkins Diet on the overall health of the dieter. Depending on the foods chosen by the dieter, the diet may contain a large amount of saturated fat and trans fat, putting those at risk for heart disease in danger. Recent research has found that high-protein diets speed up the progression of arteriosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks. Moreover, contrary to Atkins' claims, extremely low-fat diets have been found to reverse heart disease. In addition, the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in the Atkins Diet may lead to deficiencies of key nutrients, including dietary fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals. Finally, high protein diets may increase the risk of osteoporosis and accelerate the rate of deterioration in kidney function associated with aging.

Critics concede that Atkins dieters often experience significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. However, these critics argue that the diet has a diuretic effect and that the initial weight loss is due to water loss, not fat loss. Eventually the body restores its water and sodium balance, and the rate of weight loss declines. Critics also note that there is no evidence showing that the Atkins diet leads to greater weight loss than do other diets that provide more carbohydrates, yet the same number of calories.Critics also note high-protein diets can lead to dangerous imbalances - bone loss and kidney problems - because too much protein can overwork the kidneys.

Dr. Atkins was the first person who brought a low-carbohydrates diet to major prominence in the U.S. and I credit him for defying "the system" and offering a weight loss plan that works for some people. He presents scientific fact, but for the most part his recent book provides anecdotal information from many of his patients.

Dr. Atkins claims that some people have a condition of "hyper-insulinism", in which they produce excess amounts of insulin when they eat carbohydrates, which in turn causes fat storage, diabetes, and a craving for more carbohydrates. This theory is scientifically logical but has not been accepted as proven by the medical community.

In Dr. Atkins' "maintenance phase", he advises that persons increase their carbohydrate intake to the point where they do not gain or lose weight.

All that is great, however, how can we understand the whole concept behind his diets and why do people truly believe in it? How does it actually work?

Insulin is a hormone, which is a substance that travels through the body and stimulates chemical reactions. The human body has mechanisms to regulate how much of each hormone is produced, so that their effects can be controlled. With insulin, however, there is no "shut-off" switch as there is with other hormones. The digestion of carbohydrates produces insulin, and there is no way to stop its activity once it is present in the bloodstream. There is also no way to prevent it from being produced when carbohydrates are consumed, even if these are in excess of what the body needs for fuel.

So, the more carbohydrates you consume, the more insulin the pancreas will produce to help digest the sugars of the carbohydrates. The more insulin that is being produced, the more stored fat will be sent to the cells, especially to those around your waist.

I believe Dr. Atkins' diet may be useful for persons who are very sensitive to carbohydrates and have extremely slow metabolic rates.

Dr. Atkins' diet does not restrict protein intake, which is the correct approach. However, his advice to add carbohydrate grams for the maintenance phase so that continued weight loss does not occur is not scientifically sound. There is no indication that a person will continue to lose weight below his ideal bodyweight, taking in consideration his body type and metabolism. Your body is predisposed to a certain weight, even though you interrupt carbohydrates consumption from your diet, the body will still maintain the same weight. After that phase, you will simply need to maintain it and be happy with it.

Extreme dieters will need to understand that all the information mentioned above and below these lines is to make you realize some facts that you've never taken the time to research. When a diet becomes popular, people jump on it without researching in more detail what it can do for their bodies or if the diet fits their standard. It is not because "John Doe has lost some weight on this specific diet" that you will have a similar result. The same goes for diet pills: be careful with them. If they work temporarily for some people, it doesn't necessarily mean they will have the same effect on you.

As for me, experiencing my own programs enabled me to lose weight, maintain it and still eat as much as I want of the right foods. I eat and exercise plenty.

Remember that moderation is important. If you want to eat something that is not healthy, go ahead and eat it. However, make sure to moderate the rest of the day with the right food. The following information should be helpful when it comes to moderation regarding a well-balanced diet.

Here are some good reasons to avoid high-protein diets:

1. They violate almost every known fact about nutritionally balanced eating. For some dieters, these diets can even be life threatening.

2. Popular high protein diet foods are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, which are now established as major culprits in heart attacks and strokes.

3. They overload you with protein, which results in loss of calcium from your bones, which may lead to osteoporosis. Protein overload also pressurizes your kidneys as they try to eliminate large amounts of urea, a by-product of protein metabolism.

4. They forbid foods known to lower the risk of heart disease and many cancers.

5. They deprive you of carbohydrates, the nutrient group most readily converted to energy. Even moderately active people will notice this lack during exercise.

6. They deprive your brain of glucose, which it needs for normal functioning. The result is a slowdown in thinking and reaction time.

7. They deprive you of the enormous benefits of fiber, which is a form of carbohydrate (cellulose).

8. They are deficient in essential vitamins. Indeed, some high protein diets even require you to take vitamin supplements for the sake of your health.

9. They cause potentially dangerous changes in your body chemistry.

10. They deliver temporary weight loss. However, a large part of it is water weight and lean muscle mass - not fat. (You lose water because your kidneys try to get rid of the excess waste products of protein and fat, called ketones, that your body makes.)

Note: Weight gain is usually rapid when you go off the diet.

11. Finally, it's worth knowing that while your body burns up 23 calories for every 10o carbohydrate calories it digests, it only burns up 3 calories for every 100 "fat" calories it digests. Therefore, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet makes it easier for you to stay fat!

FYI (For Your Information):

The average Western diet contains TOO MUCH FAT.

That's why an estimated 1 in 3 American children are overweight!

That's why heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America and Europe.

We should be eating less fat, not more.

High protein diets encourage high-fat eating and - for this reason alone - should be avoided.

What are those medical miracles that are being publicized to consumers for their rapid weight loss programs? The magazine Self, in March of 2002 investigated some of the programs that are simply bogus.

"Healthy weight loss" is not a particularly sexy marketing slogan. It is quite impossible to sell these types of slogans to Americans: "Drop pounds by eating fewer calories and increasing physical activity!" Instead, manufacturers of weight loss concoctions resort to selling their products with dubious promises of magically speedy results. Thankfully, separating fact from fiction is easy.

Try to separate bogus slogan from reality:

o "Lose 30 pounds in just 30 days" - Very tempting, isn't it? However, it is physically impossible to lose so much weight in such a short time. Moreover, it is not healthy. You could only hurt your health throughout the process and I can reassure you, you will gain back the weight faster than a speeding bullet.

o "Lose weight while you sleep" - Yeah! Heard that one before. If all you have to do is sip a magical potion or swallow a miracle pill, the product is as likely to be as real as your "wet dreams" at night.

o "Lose weight and keep it off for good" - The only permanent weight loss plan involves changing your diet and exercise regimen. It is all about burning more calories than you are consuming. It's all about simple mathematics. You burn more than what you ingest.

o "John Doe lost 90 pounds in just six weeks". Yes, and I am Superman! As I said previously, it is very dangerous to try to lose that much weight in such a short period. Let's analyze this slogan. We'll have some fun!

One pound equals 3,500 calories. You will need to reduce your diet by over 315,000 calories (90 pounds x 3,500 calories) during that 6-week period. Now how is that going to happen? Let's say your body needs 2,000/day calories to function. That equals 14,000 calories weekly, right? Multiply that by 6 weeks. That equals 84,000 calories for 6 weeks. Now, I am not a rocket scientist, but do you get my point? You will actually need to fast for 6 weeks in a row, and still have to burn an extra 231,000 by exercising. What are these morons thinking when they try to advertise these slogans to the American people? I would suggest that they go back to school and retake elementary math. It seems they can't even do a simple calculation.

Bottom line, ladies and gentlemen. There is NO MIRACLE DIET. Quit being triggered to spend your money by these bogus slogans.

Low Carbohydrate Diets

We all love carbohydrates. Pasta, bread, rice and potato are America favorite foods, to say the least. However, we all know that they contain ingredients that can lead to what we are most afraid of: being overweight. The problem with carbohydrates is that they cause the body to produce insulin. However, insulin turns carbohydrates into sugar, and whatever sugar we don't use right away gets stored in the body as fat.

On the other hand, a lack of carbohydrates tricks the body into thinking it's starving, at which point it flicks on an internal switch that causes the body to burn its own fat. This is called ketosis. We did mention that if the body doesn't use the extra sugar produced by the intake of carbohydrates, it would be stored in fat. Hmmm, now what about exercise? Have we thought about that?

After studying in depth the way the human body's nutritional processes work, and considering the type of diet these processes evolved with, I must conclude that consuming carbohydrates in limited amounts (not eating a whole pizza, loaf of bread, or a pound of french fries) is the most natural and healthy way for us to eat, not just for weight loss but for ongoing weight and health maintenance - even for people who do not have a weight problem. The "low carb diet" has become extremely popular in the United States in the past few years and continues to have a large following despite the frequent criticisms by various diet experts. Although many of them are without scientific validity, some of them are on target, especially when considering the calorie intakes of some of the formulas presented.

There is a major issue here with all of these plans - that is whether the diet is being used merely for weight loss, or for long-term weight maintenance. As a weight loss diet, any of these plans can work. However, if they are then discarded and previous eating habits are restored, it is likely that any weight lost will be regained, as with any short-term diet. Eventually, going off the low carb diet can definitely promote weight gain in excess of that which was lost, due to metabolic changes that occur. The only sensible way to use a low carb diet for weight loss is to remain on this type of diet on an ongoing basis afterward. The question then asked, "Is it safe for weight loss" and "is it safe for ongoing use as an eating plan?"

Americans now eat more carbohydrates than ever - 50 more pounds per person, per year, than a decade ago (ABC.NEWS). Carbohydrate-related diseases have also reached a peak. After decades of being warned away from fats, many people have turned to carbohydrates instead. At the same time, obesity levels in the country are greater than ever.

Is there a connection? Do carbohydrates lead people to become obese? Experts in the field have different opinions.

The Zone

Biochemist Barry Sears, author of the best selling low-carbohydrate diet book The Zone, believes carbohydrates do cause people to gain weight. He has developed a controversial theory that suggests that people who eat a lot of carbohydrates get caught up in a cycle of overeating because carbohydrates can be addictive in a way other foods are not. People who critique Sears' theory have various problems with it, including some of his basic premises that carbohydrates lead to weight gain or that carbohydrates are more addictive than other foods. Zone dieting is designed to avoid ketosis, which the author claims causes one to lose muscle weight even with high protein diets. The author also claims that high levels of protein in a meal cause high insulin levels, which converts the protein into fat.

The concept of The Zone is that food should be treated like a prescription drug that is designed to promote the desired hormonal response throughout the day. The hormones in question are insulin, glucagon, and eicosanoids. Insulin and glucagon are well known hormones, and their functions are described accurately.

Sears says eating lots of carbohydrates triggers a flood of insulin. Because there is so much insulin, sugars are cleared from the blood so quickly that people feel hungry again after a very short period. Therefore, carbohydrates drive the sugar level up and then the insulin drives it down. The obesity crisis in America is a result of "carbohydrate hell." Sears suggests that eating a lot of carbohydrates triggers a biological mechanism that lowers the blood sugar level and leads people to need a sugar boost and therefore to crave more carbohydrates. He says the cycle of eating and craving keeps them hooked on carbohydrates and causes overeating.

"You eat a big carbohydrates meal at 12. By 3 o'clock you're hungry again. You eat more carbohydrates. By 7 you're hungry again," Sears says. His theory accepts some of the basic principles about how the body processes carbohydrates and takes them a step further. The basic principle is that carbohydrates turn into sugars that trigger the release of insulin. The insulin routes the sugars to our muscles for energy and stores the rest as fat.

To reach the "Zone", one must consume foods in a protein-to-carbohydrate ratio of 0.75, which is 3 grams of protein for every 4 grams of carbohydrate, at every meal and snack, and without allowing more than 5 hours between meals or snacks. The author converts grams into blocks of protein and carbohydrate and provides food lists and meal plans for these. He distinguishes between carbohydrates with high versus low glycemic indexes, which is a measure of how fast the carbohydrate is digested for each food type. In addition, he adds fat "blocks" to his meal plans and distinguishes between various types of fats, recommending against saturated fats and favoring monounsaturated fats, due to their effect on eicosanoid production. Protein requirements in the Zone are based on lean body mass and level of physical activity (the same method that is used in Protein Power). Lean body mass is calculated using standardized charts that use height, hip, and abdomen measurements in women and weight, wrist and waist measurements in men.

The calculated protein requirement is not to be exceeded, and is to be spread throughout the day to avoid increased insulin levels caused by protein digestion. Therefore, a person would end up with a calorie limit on their total daily intake, since protein has a maximum value, and carbohydrate and fat intake are measured by protein intake.

The second half of the book is a description of how Zone dieting can improve numerous health conditions, primarily based on the eicosanoid activities.

In this program, the author provides excellent scientific explanations for how too many carbohydrates in a diet cause fat storage. The entire design of the Zone diet is also explained in a very scientific fashion, however, it is greatly lacking in scientific evidence to support it. The concept that providing higher levels of carbohydrates would avoid ketosis, which is a condition that may be hazardous over the long term is correct, however, because of a restriction on the intake of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, it is likely that insufficient calories and carbohydrates will be available for most people to avoid ketosis. In other words, the ketosis that results from starvation - getting too few calories to meet basic needs - can easily occur in many persons based on their calculations for daily intakes. There may also not be enough protein in the diet to prevent loss of muscle mass.

Dan Amzallag Mission Possible: Eat MORE 2 LOSE more: Combating obesity epidemic in America http://www.fitnesstrainersnetwork.com Top accredited fitness and personal trainers network for USA and Canada To register as a trainer, please visit our site. For clients looking for accredited trainers, this is the right site to be: http://www.fitnesstrainersnetwork.com

Free Diet Programs - How to Create Diets From Your Food Choices - And is Your Diet "Tricking" You?

One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing people tell each other how much weight they've lost in the last few days on their new diet "kick."

It's not that I don't want people to lose weight; in fact, I'm probably going to be your biggest advocate if you want to lose weight.

The reason why I get frustrated with this extremely quick "weight loss" is because I don't want people to just lose "weight," I want them to lose the RIGHT kind of weight.

And believe me it really matters.

Hear me out for a second...

People who lose a ton of weight right after starting up a new diet are not losing the right kind of weight.

Very low calorie diets and very low carbohydrate diets will cause you to lose lots of water weight and glycogen stores (glycogen stores are just carbohydrates stored in your muscles.)

And for every ounce of glycogen, you store 3 ounces of water.

When you are eating a very low calorie diet, or a diet that totally restricts or severely limits carbohydrates then guess what?

Those glycogen stores and the water surrounding them gets used up very quickly, and all that water, and glycogen weighs quite a bit and it also burns up very quickly.

So the actual weight loss you see on the scale is just this initial flushing of the glycogen and water, and nothing more.

In addition to this loss of glycogen, you will probably lose quite a bit of energy as well, because this glycogen is used to give energy to your muscles.

To make things worse, you can't visibly tell if anyone has lost water and glycogen. No one walks around and says, "Wow it looks like you've lost lots of glycogen lately! How did you do it? What's your secret?"

No one cares, and no one can see it, so why should you care?

And that's the thing, you shouldn't really care, but lots of people are tricked into thinking that a specific diet works "magically" because they see this initial drop of bodyweight is such a short period of time.

And they see this drop in water weight when they step on the scale.

Don't be fooled by these "tricks."

You probably want to lose weight to get healthier, or to look better, or maybe both. And I'll tell you right now that flushing this water weight and glycogen is not going to help you do either.

If you think these diet tricks are bad...

They are only half the problem.

There's an even bigger issue that can really set you back on your quest to lose weight that is rarely brought up in the dieting community.

And that problem is:

After you're done flushing out this "non-visible" weight, often times you begin losing something you really don't want to lose... your muscle.

You really don't want to lose muscle because muscle burns fat, and muscle is what gives you your tone, and lot of your shape.

Also, it's much harder to get back the muscle that you lose.

Unfortunately, most diets are geared towards eliminating muscle.

But why would they want to destroy your muscle?

Simple, it's because muscle weighs more than fat, and muscle is easier to lose than fat because your body wants to hold on to it's reserves.

And your body's reserves are fat.

When you get on a really low calorie diet your body will begin to think it's starving.

And when your body is starving, it really wants to hold on to it's fat stores, but it has to get energy from somewhere... so your body will literally eat away your muscle for energy.

But again, why would diets target muscle loss?

Because it's a quick and easy way to see results on a scale, and if you see results on a scale you'll probably think the diet is working.

But this muscle loss is a problem because just like water weight, losing muscle is not really a "visible" way to lose weight, especially if you have a good deal of fat covering your muscles.

Think about it for a second, if you can't see your muscles right now, if you lose some muscle, will you see that weight loss in the mirror?

Probably not.

Sure, if you lose some of your muscle you will see the scale weight go down, but you'll most likely look in the mirror and wonder why you aren't actually SEEING any results.

And once you get rid of too much muscle, it just gets that much harder to lose fat, or any weight at all, because remember muscle is what burns fat.

And if you're losing your muscle just to make your scale happy, you're really asking for trouble.

What you want to do is to find a way to preserve your muscle while losing fat.

Basically, you want to keep the muscle that will give you your toned shaped body, and burn the fat that is on top of that muscle.

That is really the ultimate goal. Not just blind weight loss.

If you didn't need to know your body weight to find out the best nutritional plan for you, I'd say just throw the scale away.

But that's another story...

People who experience the initial "scale weight" drop from these restrictive diets often get excited and think that the diet is working extremely well...

But the truth is their weight loss will level out quickly and they will either stop losing weight, or just lose weight at a slower rate.

And the really bad part is that the second they start eating more food, or eating more carbohydrates then they will almost always gain all of, or a majority of the weight back in just days.

This is especially true if they've only been on one of these restrictive diets for a month or less.

The weight gain you will experience when you switch back to your normal eating habits will be just as fast, and just as dramatic as the initial weight loss.

And that's no fun.

But why does this sudden weight gain happen?

Remember that when you are on a very low calorie diet, or a diet that is very restrictive on carbohydrates, that the carbohydrates in your muscles (glycogen stores) are extremely low.

As soon as you begin to replenish them you will gain weight at an incredible pace as the glycogen goes back into your muscles, and along with that you will also gain three times as much water as the glycogen you get back.

Because remember, for every ounce of glycogen you have, you store three ounces of water.

And this water and glycogen is really heavy, so it will show up on your scale.

Keep in mind that this weight gain may be shocking, but it is mostly weight that no one can see. So although it's kind of scary, it really does not matter in the mirror.

What does matter is the fact that if you've been on these kinds of diets for any significant length of time, the diet has probably destroyed a good chunk of your muscle tissue.

Remember that muscle burns fat, and now you don't have as much.

What do you think that does to your ability to burn fat?

And what do you think that does to your ability to eat the same amount of food and maintain your weight?

That's right, you have a lower ability to burn fat, and you're likely to gain fat at a faster pace.

Does yo-yo dieting sound familiar?

And in addition to this problem, extremely low calorie diets can severely slow down your metabolism beyond just losing muscle.

Your body adapts very quickly, and when it realizes that you're not giving it enough food it starts to panic and begins to conserve energy as a defense mechanism.

Basically, your body slows down it's metabolism as a direct response to extremely low calorie diets.

Sow now we have an even bigger problem to compound the problems we already had.

To summarize...

-We have a body that didn't have any glycogen stores

-And we've destroyed a lot of our muscle tissue

-And now we have a slowed down metabolism

-Which means we can't eat as much food as we used to or else we'll probably gain weight.

As you can imagine, we've put ourselves in a very bad environment for trying to maintain any type of weight loss. And this is probably one of the biggest reasons why people have so many problems with keeping their weight off.

In summary, extremely low calorie diets or diets that severely limit your carbohydrate intake often do these things:

-Give you rapid weight loss that you can't see in the mirror (glycogen, water)

-Destroy muscle tissue

-Slow your metabolism

And when you go back to your normal eating habits, these things often happen:

-You gain back the weight you lost as quickly as you lost it

-You probably gain back more than you lost because you destroyed muscle and damaged your metabolism.

Now we know what happens when we go on these extremely low calorie diets and carbohydrate restrictive diets, and why the weight loss is "fake."

And we also know that this "fake" weight loss can also cause you to gain back more weight than you lost originally because this "fake" weight loss can slow down your metabolism and destroy your muscle tissue.

Alright... but what can we do to prevent this from happening?

The solution may be simpler than you were expecting...

You can avoid these negative side effects first and foremost by making sure you are eating enough food, so you don't damage your metabolism.

Eating enough calories (food) is the key here.

Food is the key because when you drop too low in calories (food) your metabolism slows down, and you begin to destroy your lean muscle.

Eating the right amount of calories is the most important factor to looking great and losing the right kind of weight.

And if you want to take your weight loss to the next level, you can see even greater results by making sure you have enough protein in your diet.

Protein is the building blocks to muscle, and when you give your body enough protein, it will help your body hang on to as much lean muscle as it can because you are giving your body what it needs to keep your muscle around.

With calories (food), there really is a fine line between being too little and too much. And each person is different.

That's actually another reason why a lot of these "popular" diets are really bad. They simply don't take YOU into account. They just engineer a diet for the average person, and they just assume that you are that "average person."

Because most diets don't tailor their plan around YOU, they simply won't work for YOU, unless you get lucky and fall into the definition of the diet creator's "average person".

There's such a fine line between losing and gaining weight.

You have to make sure you don't eat too little, and make sure you aren't eating way too much.

You really need to find the right number for you. Not the "average person."

So how do we find your number?

First let me say this...

If your diet is not asking you these questions before giving you a recommendation on how to lose weight, then you're probably not going to want to use that diet.

These are the questions that will determine how many calories you need to lose weight that you can actually see in the mirror:

-How old are you?

-How much do you weigh?

-How tall are you?

-What is your gender?

-How active are you?

It seems simple, but I bet you've never been asked those questions before starting a diet... but you really do need that information to recommend anything that will work effectively for you.

"Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice." (Think about that quote for a bit.)

But, really these are really the two biggest factors...

1.) Get your calories right. Make sure you aren't eating too little or too much food.

2.) If you want to turbo charge your visible weight loss, make sure you're eating enough protein.

Finding out your optimum protein level also depends on your goals, what you want to look like, and how much muscle mass you want to retain.

Most diets won't ask you those types of questions.

The fact is that most diets are just trying to be a one size fits all solution.

The only way they can make it appear like their diets work is if they just give you a really low calorie, or really restrictive diet. That way they know they'll at least get that quick "fake" weight loss to trick you and get you hooked.

Even if the diet isn't really working, and you're not seeing any results in the mirror.

Here's something to think about...

Notice that we did not talk about specific foods, such as whole wheat bread, salads, fruits, fast foods, etc?

We didn't talk about them because the truth is, specific foods don't matter as much as you might think.

Even eating "junk food" does not matter in moderation, and yes you can lose weight while eating "junk food" or even candy. (It may not be the healthiest thing to do, but that doesn't mean you can't do it and still lose weight.)

It's probably one of the best kept secrets in the diet industry.

The concepts we talked about in this post were all about eating enough calories, and not restricting carbohydrates.

And now that we've started to understand that you can eat more calories, and don't need to eliminate specific things like carbohydrates, or fat out of your diet.

You may begin to realize that this opens up a lot of possibilities...

-You can eat protein.

-You can eat fat.

-You can eat carbohydrates.

Did you know that these three categories (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) are the building blocks to all foods?

All foods have at least one of these, if not two or all three of them.

What does this mean for you?

Well, it means that all these building blocks are ok for you to eat while losing weight.

And because all foods are made of these building blocks, then that means almost ALL foods are ok for you to eat.

Even while losing fat.

You just have to know how to come up with the right combination of these building blocks to help you lose weight.

I've spent over a year of my life developing a tool that not only helps you figure out how much of each building block you need to lose weight.

But this tool figures out the right numbers for you based on who you are right now and what your goals are.

This tool also lets you pick the foods you want to eat, and it figures out how to create a diet for you using the foods you chose.

Yes you can eat more use it to eat all organic, vegan, raw foods, or even a diet based entirely on fast foods, or candy it's your choice. And I'll be perfectly honest with you, this software program is not for everyone. Some people will love it, and others will choose not to use it. But either way it's at least worth checking out.

I've named this tool OK-Cal.

And OK-Cal actually asks you the right questions, and ensures that you get enough calories, and if you want it will help you get the right amount of protein too.

OK-Cal figures all of this out for you, based on who you are, and what you want to eat.

It's your choice, and you can have a custom tailored weight loss diet created just for you every day based on the foods YOU choose.

100% organic, or 100% fast food, it's your choice. OK-Cal has the technology built right in to handle almost any food preference.

Wishing you great success and happiness in 2008.

For your free diet programs created by OK-Cal just click here. And for more free dit and fitness advice visit YummyFitness.com today.

Diet's Don't Work - 12 Facts Why They Never Do Or Will!

You heard me right! They Never Have! They Never Do! They Never Will!

The Diet Industry is a 40 Billion Dollar Industry filled with misinformation.

96% of people who go on diets can't stay on them to reach their desired goal.

98% of people who go on diets gain the weight they lose back + 5 extra pounds. (National Institute of Health)

50% of Americans are on a diet at any given time yet 70% of Americans are overweight and 30% are obese.

My Story

When I was in my late teens I took up bodybuilding and after a couple of years I began competing. A typical year consisted of me gaining fifty or more pounds in the off season by eating lots of food and then dieting and loosing fifty or so pounds over the next few months as I prepared for the competition. After doing this for six years I stopped competing in bodybuilding. Over the following years I continued to gain fifty or so pounds a year and then go on a diet and lose all or most of it over the following months. I became an expert and gaining weight and loosing weight. I became an expert dieter. I could lose weight on the Atkins, Stillman, Scarsdale or any other diet. I was master of the low calorie, low fat and low carbohydrate diets. The only problem that once I lost the weight I couldn't keep it off and eventually would gain it all back plus some. I eventually ended up gaining and losing almost a thousand pounds. After giving up on dieting I began researching why people gain weight and why diets don't work. After spending over five years researching why diets don't work and discovering what does work when it comes to loosing weight and keeping it off. I began applying the principles I discovered and today I am celebrating over ten years at a body weight that hasn't fluctuated more then five pounds up or down.

Why Diets Don't Work

Fact #1: Diets are downers. People hate to diet. Have you ever met anyone on a diet that liked it? Does anyone like doing anything with the word DIE in it? When I went on diets I hated it. It made me unhappy and depressed.

Fact #2: Dieting slows your metabolism. The longer you diet the slower your metabolism gets causing you to eat less and less until your weight loss stops entirely. Then when you resume normal eating the weight quickly returns + extra pounds due to it taking months for the metabolism to return to normal. Then guess what? You need to go onto another diet.

Dieting simply is a way to create an artificial famine. Your body doesn't know that it's a diet. All it knows is that its in a famine. So it slows the metabolism as much as 40%. If you naturally need 2000 calories a day to sustain your current body weight and go on a diet where you are consuming 1000 calories a day your metabolism will get lower and lower to say 40% or 1200 calories below its natural level of 2000 calories. At that point weight lose is minimal and extremely difficult. Then when you return to eating 2000 calories a day which is what the majority of people do you begin adding 800 extra calories daily. That's 800 calories about 1.75 pounds of fat per week.

When I was on the dieting roller coaster I'd lose 50 pounds in six months and go off it and gain all the weight back over the next six months. One thing I noticed was that as soon as I'd go off the diet the weight would quickly come back due to my metabolism having slowed due to the dieting.

Fact 3: Diets offer a poor temporary fix What's really needed is a lifestyle change. The only people who lose weight and keep it off are the people who change their lifestyle once and for all. Changing your lifestyle is easier then dieting and far more rewarding.

I used to go on diets knowing that they were only a quick fix. After losing hundreds of pounds and gaining it back convinced me that dieting could never able me to sustain the weight lose. Dieting was just a superficial way of treating symptoms instead of the cause of my weight gain.

Fact 4: Since 96% of people who go on diets gain the weight they've lost back plus some the next time they diet it gets a little harder to lose weight. With each never dieting round the body becomes more resilient to giving up the weight and dieting gets tougher and tougher. With each new diet I went on it became more and more difficult to get the weight off. Finally after years of yo-yo dieting It became almost impossible to get the weight off dieting.

Fact 5: Diets fail to deal with the things that cause people to overeat. People overeat due to a number of psychological reasons. Some overeat because they fail to eat consciously. After years of eating on the run, in the front of the television or while stuffing a hot dog into their mouth while driving down the highway; they eat like dogs never stopping to taste, savor and enjoy the food their eating.

Another thing that causes people to overeat is previous conditioning that can go back to their childhood. As a child I was told to clean my plate because children were starving in Africa. I was also told that if I didn't clean my plate I couldn't have desert. The experts in my life conditioned me to eat every scrape on my plate even if I was stuffed. They conditioned me to overeat. Something that took me years to understand and change.

Fact 6: Dieting Causes Eating Disorders. People who get onto the dieting roller coaster can develop eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Dieting serves as a precursor to these illnesses.

During my weight gain and dieting cycles I frequently would binge and after the binge think nothing of purging while standing over the toilet. I eventually got pretty good at it and could down five burgers and a dozen Dunken Donuts and drop them in the toilet only to be back eating fifteen minutes later.

Fact 7: Dieting Causes Obesity. Dieting slows down the metabolism making it harder and harder to lose weight. Eventually the metabolism slows to a crawl and even a well balanced healthy diet causes the person to gain weight. Have you ever seen an obese person who says, "I don't eat a lot and continue to gain weight." They may be telling the truth. After years of dieting their metabolism is running slow and low making it really easy to keep on adding the pounds.

You would think that in America with all the diets, diet pills, and diet centers that we would be the thinnest country on the globe. But instead we are the fattest and getting fatter every year. With all the dieting I was doing and all the expertise on dieting I was gaining I still just kept getting fatter.

Fact 8: Diets cause starvation or semi starvation. Starvation occurs at 900 calories or less that's when you start to die. Most diets are in that range. Starvation plays havoc with the systems of the body and brain and if continued will cause permanent damage. When faced with starvation your body will do everything it can to survive. Things like slowing your metabolism to conserve energy and creating intense hunger to drive you to find food. When I was dieting I has hungry all the time. I didn't know it at the time but I was starving. I was putting my body through what people in famines go through.

Fact 9: Diets damage your body and cause disease. Studies show that ongoing dieting causes heart disease, osteoporosis, gall stones, high blood pressure, anemia, constipation, kidney stones, dry skin, hair lose, depression, anxiety.

When I was on the dieting roller coaster I would frequently get sick. I would get frequent colds, the flu, tonsillitis, sinusitis, and constipation was a daily experience. Over the past ten years I've had two colds.

Fact 10: Dieting Causes Malnutrition. Dieting restricts people from getting the necessary macro and micro nutrients. Not getting these nutrients causes damage to our bodies and results in sickness. I didn't know It back when I was dieting that the main reason why I was getting sick so frequently was that I was suffering from malnutrition. I simply wasn't getting the nutrients that me body needed.

Fact 11: We don't fail at dieting, diets fail us. Diets simply don't work. Every person who ever quit dieting or gained the weight they lost back did so due to the fact that diets are built upon false premises. If you build a house upon a foundation of straw it will crumble. Diets are built upon a foundation of straw.

While on the dieing roller coaster I continuously felt like a failure. I struggled to stick to the diets I would go on and always gained the weight back. I felt like a frustrated failure. I didn't know at the time that I wasn't the failure but that the entire diet industry and everyone of their diets was a failure.

Fact 12: Diets Cause Death. The name Diet fits well. Dieting shortens your life span. Diets cause a number of problems that lead to sickness, disease and eventually death.

Had I not discovered the truth I likely would have dieted myself to death. I am eternally grateful for discovering the truth. For the truth truly set me free.

Why Diets Don't Work

1. Diets treat superficial symptoms instead of causes.

2. Diets cause major deprivation. You deprive yourself of food. Not only food, but food that you like. This drives people crazy. When I used to diet all I did day and night was think about food. When I wasn't dieting I thought about other stuff like the geo-political situations in the world and sex. But while on the diet I just thought about Italian bread, pasta, and cannoli's.

To Your Health!

Frank Bolella

Learn how to lose weight without dieting ever again...Ever! Health & Vitality is the only true way to prevent disease and create a happy healthy long life. Let me reveal to you many of the ways I can help YOU live a Healthier life! By revealing things like the Real Fountain of Youth...and what foods you are eating that could be killing you! What Super Foods could change your life dramatically! I invite you to learn more at http://frankbolella.com

The 5 Most Effective Diets This Decade - A Review

Out of the thousands of diets that have been written over the years 5 really stand out as being the most effective. One of them, Weight Watchers, has been around for over 40 years, while the others have been introduced more recently. One of them, the 9th Law Diet, is only a year old.  Although each diet has philosophical differences on the best way to lose weight, they all are effective and have shown to be safe.

Here is a summary of each diet. Each summary includes information about the general philosophy, type of foods, overall expense of each diet, as well as the most commonly attributed pros and cons. The diets are listed in no particular order. These are just the top five weight loss diets this decade based on the formerly listed criteria.

Skinny Bitch: This diet was written by two fiery and passionate best friends who are proud to call themselves skinny bitches. Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin call Skinny Bitch, a no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous. Skinny Bitch is definitely telling it to you straight.  The way your best girlfriend would tell you over a cocktail.

These girls make no apologies for the attitude, wit, and even the language found in this colorful guide to basically getting your ass in gear once and for all. They refer to sugar as the devil, and themselves as pigs, and encourage you to get a sweet ass. They love food just as much as anyone. But, they have also learned a successful way to enjoy food and enjoy eating without depriving themselves and maintaining sexy little bodies.

The diet lets you eat all the carbohydrate packed goodness you could ever want including bread, potatoes, pasta, cakes, cookies and muffins. Of course, nothing good ever comes for free, so what is the catch? No dairy. No meat. No sugar or artificial sweeteners. Sound a little vegan? That is because it is, and Skinny Bitch is even endorsed by P.E.T.A.

These skinny girls don't like to feel hungry and they don't like to feel like they're being deprived. And they know you're the exact same way. There is plenty to eat when you decide to make the switch to Skinny Bitch. The basic premise is simple: being skinny means being healthy. The two ideas are not independent of one another. They come right out and show the flaws of some of the more popular diets around, probably some you have followed yourself. They say in the end, those diet programs are quick fixes that will never help you get a grip on your overall health and wellness.

Skinny Bitch will educate you about the foods you're eating, how and why they have the effects on your body that they do and where you have been going wrong all along. They release you from the constraints of counting calories, but tell you to start reading all of those food labels. The expense is the cost of the book, Skinny Bitch. The book itself is an entertaining, albeit brash, read. The diet is perfect for vegetarians or vegans. The book can be purchased online and through all major booksellers

South Beach: If you are looking for a diet plan that has grown wildly popular over the past few years, gives your eating habits a dramatic makeover, and shares the name of one of the world's favorite beaches, then the South Beach Diet is for you. Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, created this friendly contrast to other prohibitive weight-loss plans and offers a chance to achieve success where you might have previously failed.

The South Beach Diet differs from its low carbohydrate competitor Atkins, in that it restricts saturated fats, which are linked with health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol. It promises that cravings for sugars, sweets and other carbohydrates will disappear as you go along because the diet is supposed to keep blood sugar levels maintained.

The South Beach Diet has three separate phases in which in each phase, you wean yourself away from certain foods and incorporate other South Beach Diet friendly foods. The diet promises that you will lose 8-12 pounds in the first two weeks as long as you adhere to the guidelines.

The South Beach Diet supports a clean way of eating that is void of refined sugars and trans fats. It also has thousands of satisfied clients, updated research in the 2008 release South Beach Diet: Supercharged, and a maintenance plan after weight loss goals have been achieved.

A problem is the fact that many South Beach Diet food products contain sugar-alcohols, which may cause diarrhea and other GI tract problems. The best recommendation is to adhere to the diet without consuming all the specially made products.

The diet has various phases. The first phase lasts for two weeks and has you remove starches like bread, pasta and rice, potatoes, fruits, milk, yogurt, honey and baked goods. Sugars are completely eliminated. During the first phase of South Beach, you will enjoy three balanced meals and some snacks that should include lean meats and fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, fresh vegetables, beans and nuts.

Phase two of the South Beach Diet will allow you to slowly re-introduce fruits, whole-grain breads and pastas. You will choose just one carbohydrate and include that in one meal each day for one week. Phase two will continue until you meet your goal weight. You will begin the maintenance, or third, phase of South Beach once you have met your goal weight. It is here that you will put to practice all that you learned in phases one and two.

The cost is the price of the book, South Beach, which is available online as well as all major book outlets. There is also a complete line of South Beach Diet foods that can be purchased in your grocery store from cereals to frozen meals. But many of the nutrition bars and snack items contain artificial sweeteners, which have been known to induce gastrointestinal problems.

The 9th Law Diet: This is a relatively new diet that has been sweeping across the country due to its simplicity and overall effectiveness. The 9th Law Diet was created by a physiology professor out of the St. Louis area. He is well known on the web as Professor Jay, but his real name is Jay Snaric.

The diet was formally created after a student of professor Jays lost over 90 pounds following his weight loss guidelines.  The student convinced the professor to get it into the hands of so many people who really need it.  Professor Jay created a website where he gives the diet away for free, as well as offers on-going email support.  The rest is history, as the 9th Law Diet has swept across the country and around the world in record time.  Thousands of people have lost major weight and have changed their lives with the 9th Law Diet.

The 9th Law Diet emphasizes cutting out what he refers to as negative carbohydrates and fats, and incorporating more positive carbohydrates and fats. Its emphasis on fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats is an eating plan that is full of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids Support for this diet comes from the science provided by Harvard Medical school and other predominate members of the medical science community. Professor Jay Snaric himself has studied human physiology, nutrition, and health at New York University, The Medical University of South Carolina, and University of Southern Illinois.

The 9th Law Diet does not just promote dieting, but overall behavioral and lifestyle changes. As stated earlier, you can get the 9th Law Diet for free at secretloss.com.  The cost is zero.  At the very least this diet is worth a read, and subscribing to Professor Jays mailing list is well worth your time.  It's not coincidence that this diet has grown is popularity so fast.

Jillian Michaels, The Biggest Loser: The biggest loser background Fitness guru, Jillian Michaels, known for her tough approach for losing weight on NBCs The Biggest Loser, has written a guide on how to drop those pesky last 10 or 15 pounds in 30 days. Making the Cut: The 30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You sets itself apart from the myriad of fitness and weight loss books at your local bookstore because Michaels' program uses the process of oxidizing as a way to determine what kind of a metabolism your body has in order to lose weight effectively.

Michaels takes you through the steps to determine what kind of an oxidizer you are: slow, balanced or fast. Your new body classification then dictates what you will eat supported by Jillian's own menus and recipes. She promises that you will feel comfortable in a bikini if you commit to her disciplined fitness and diet regimen. As part of Making the Cut, you must take a body fat percentage test and a "fit test" before starting the program as a measure to evaluate your pre and post self.

Michaels does not under estimate the power of the mind in the battle to lose weight. She includes helpful tips and advice for how to improve self-esteem and confidence. The book is also full of various exercises to improve strength, flexibility and endurance. Michaels also unveils some well-kept celebrity diet secrets to get your body prepared before a big event.

The diet is Inexpensive and personalized.  The program focuses on the mental aspect of losing weight in addition to the exercise and nutrition components - Jillian Michaels is a popular weight loss coach with nearly 20 years experience

Michaels supplies a list of recipes and menus for each of the three oxidizer classifications. As part of your commitment to the Making the Cut program, you are supposed to adhere to her menu and calorie plan. During Making the Cut, you will take a fit test which is outlined in the book. The test establishes your level of fit-ness and you are then required to exercise about 5 hours each week. Michaels provides you with various exercises to do. She also has her own line of exercise DVDs that can be purchased at an additional cost over the book.

The cost is $14.95 for the book. Many online booksellers sell new and used books for discounted prices.

There is no refuting Michaels knowledge and training expertise when it comes to getting in shape and losing weight. Her 30-day promise, like any similar promise is no guarantee but it packs a three-pronged approach of diet, exercise and mental awareness to help you to lose those lingering pounds. The clinical science behind her oxidizer theory is scanty but her belief that the road to weight loss is a personal journey that begins with changes in behavior, lifestyle and self-motivation is an important component that many diet plans disregard.

Weight Watchers: It has been more than 40 years since Weight Watchers came on the scene and started helping people live healthier lives. Weight Watchers helps members create a foundation to introduce healthier choices and physical activity into their lives.

The original Weight Watchers plan invites members to weekly meetings where they hold group sessions, helping dieters form a network of support with people sharing similar experiences. Upon arrival, each person checks their weight privately. Meetings are conducted by a trained Meeting Leader who motivates and offers the group support through information about nutrition and fitness.

Members are also welcome to join the Weight Watchers community online.  From the comfort of their homes, members can form virtual support groups, monitor progress and access hundreds of approved recipes, like Blue Cheese Muffins, Sweet and Sour Pork, Grilled Beef Fajitas and even delectable treats like Chocolate Mint Brownies. If it's not convenient to prepare the approved meals at home, they offer a wide variety of frozen meals and point-complimenting menu items at Applebees.

Weight Watchers was made popular by a points system called Flex Plan. A point value is assigned to each food on the comprehensive list of more than 27,000 foods. The Flex Plan allows you to eat the foods you like. Just stay within your daily points and you can still enjoy fried chicken and Diet Pepsi. It is an easy plan to follow, offers great flexibility and has proven successful for more than 40 years. Read this full explanation of how Weight Watchers Points work, or use our free Weight Watchers Points Calculator.

Weight Watchers emphasizes eating more wholesome food through its Core Plan. Members don't count points, just choose a balanced combination of whole grains, lean meats, fruits and vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy. Whether you choose the Flex Points or Core Plans, you can find hundreds of delicious, satisfying and good-for-you Weight Watchers recipes right here at Diets In Review. Weight Watchers Online helps its members with 60 workout demonstrations. There are fitness recommendations for all skill levels. As little as $5 a week with their 3-month plan. Weight Watchers is a trusted diet company with 40+ years experience - Programs to suit men, women and all adult ages - Flex Points or Core Plan programs - Choose one-on-one counseling or the online program for anonymity and convenience - Comprehensive Web site membership - Provides exercise guidance - Thousands of recipes and meals to choose from - Partnership with Applebee's to make dining out more healthful. Counting points can be time-consuming - Web membership detracts from the traditional social aspect of Weight Watchers meetings

Weight Watchers is a tried and true veteran of the weight loss industry. With a variety of methods to choose from for both men and women, you're almost certain to find the right path for your weight loss journey. Weight Watchers provides support from every aspect of weight loss- so you're never left without information or support. Food is one of the primary concerns of any dieter and Weight Watchers goes above and beyond most other weight loss programs with thousands of recipes that anyone, dieting or not, will find tempting and delicious. If their style appeals to you, go for it.

Overall, all of these diets have proven to be very successful for many people, and have changed many lives.  The key is finding the diet which works best for you.  Obesity increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.  Obesity is an epidemic.  We need more diets like these to help people get their health back.

Dr. Kimberly Lee has been studying and guiding on health, fitness, and diet for over 15 years. She works as a nutrition expert consultant for several major companies.

Let's Talk About Fad Diets

Although the big push for fad diets has died down a little bit, it is still estimated that at least two-thirds of Americans are on some type of diet at any given time. Although research shows the importance of eating from all the major food groups, people are still confused about what type of diet to follow, keeping the window open for more quacky solutions to pop up.

In an effort to help readers determine what makes a diet healthy and when it's time to steer clear, I am going to discuss what makes a diet a 'fad' diet and why these diets are something best to stay away from. Along the way, we will discover what each food group has to offer that can be beneficial to our health.

Our bodies are uniquely designed to take advantage of the proteins, carbohydrates and fats that we eat. In order for the liver to do the best job it can for us, we actually need all of these nutrients, known as macronutrients. Even a 'detoxifying' diet should also include all of these macronutrients!

During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. Currently, more than 64% of US adults are either overweight or obese, according to results from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). So, look at the facts: Two thirds of all Americans are on some 'diet', yet we are getting fatter and fatter. Would that perhaps mean that the fad diets don't work? Let's talk about it.

Identifying a fad diet

A 'fad diet' is defined as something temporary. Therefore, it's no surprise that these diets are not successful. Let's begin by looking at how to identify a fad diet.

#1 - Promises a fast weight loss.

This is great, in the short term, but how many readers have or know someone who has followed one of these diets, only to regain the weight back, plus more for added bonus? When people lose weight very quickly, they lose a lot of lean muscle tissue, and the weight that comes back will most likely be more fat and less muscle, making it easier and easier to regain weight each time they drop the last fad diet. A healthy diet to follow will be one that will encourage slow, progressive weight loss over a longer period of time. It will have enough calories to support vigorous exercise, so that you lose fat and not muscle. Diets that are too low for the body's basic needs will result in the body breaking down it's protein stores (muscle) for the fuel it needs. Sort of defeats the whole purpose of the diet!

#2 - Eliminates foods or food groups.

The very first thing that alerts us that a diet is a 'fad' is when a particular food, or entire food group, is considered off-limits. This is a good time to talk about the low carb diets.

What is it that has made carbohydrates a bad nutrient? When you look at other countries, where the intake of carbohydrates is as high as 80%, and see that many of these countries are not suffering even close to the obesity rates we are in America, you have to wonder why they are not having the same problem. So, can it really be the carbs? Probably not. But, maybe it's the type of carbs. Many people who decide to go on one of the popular low carbohydrate diets start to eliminate a lot of food from their diets, including all the snack foods they were eating, particularly at night. Gone are the chips, the cookies, the crackers, the ice cream. Gone are up to 300 to 1,000 calories per day! Anyone would lose weight if they cut out those many calories from their daily diet.

Another problem with eliminating entire food groups, especially on low carb diets, is that they are recommending eliminating or limiting the intake of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. With all the substantial research showing how beneficial these foods are to preventing various diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, it's amazing that anyone involved in healthcare would recommend such a diet. Something to also notice, however, is that none of these fad diet books are written by anyone with a degree in nutrition. Even the medical community is confused, which explains why physicians will fall for some of the hype fad diet authors write.

But let's talk a little more about fruits, vegetables and starches: A diet high in animal protein and animal fat has been linked to various disease and inflammation states. A diet very high in protein puts a great load on our kidneys and can contribute to constipation, gout and bone loss due to calcium depletion from the high protein load.

Combine that with decreased fiber from lack of whole grains and fiber-rich fruit and vegetables, and many people just don't feel well; they feel fatigued, sluggish and their immune system is depressed.

#3 - Starts with a shock or follows a strict plan.

When the diet says you have to start with an extremely restricted diet, or you can only eat certain foods on particular days, you know it's a fad diet. They justify this by saying you have to clean out the body, or only certain foods will help with the weight loss process. Any change in how you currently eat will result in changes on the scale. Very few people can remain on these diets very long, so once they are 'off' the diet, the weight returns. The dieter learned nothing other than the misinformation the author provided them with. This can actually have far-reaching consequences, as then the dieter is more confused than ever and doesn't know what to believe!

Once a person learns what the qualities of a healthy diet consist of, they find that their optimum calorie level is for their own needs, and they are able to achieve their goals, combining their eating plan with exercise. Not only do they start to enjoy life again, but enjoy food AND see weight loss!

Although fad diet authors want you to believe their 'miracle' (and buy their products), there really is no get-thin-quick solution that is permanent.

But what does constitute a healthy diet? A healthy diet is one that is adequate in calories to support healthy weight, low in animal fats and saturated fats, animal protein should be very lean and adequate enough to support a diet high in fruits and vegetables and whole grain starches. Any healthy diet can include foods that are just for enjoyment, however. All foods really do fit, in moderation. A general rule is an 80/20 rule: Eighty percent of the time the diet should be healthy and then 20% of the time it can include foods you would not eat on a regular basis if you were trying to eat for health and weight loss.

#4 - Contradicts what experts say.

Authors of low carb diets say that the carbohydrates are what have made American's fat. But they can't explain why other countries whose diets are very high in carbohydrates don't have the same problems with obesity. You know it's a fad diet when the author says they have the 'inside' or 'hidden' truth about our health or diets. You also know it's a questionable publication when they say there is a hidden agenda among health professionals or the government.

But why is America getting fatter and fatter? America is a country of grab-and-go: The faster, the better. Families seldom sit down to meals, together. There are fewer physical fitness programs in school and many of the school food choices are fast foods. People and entire families eat 2-3 of their daily meals from a drive-through or a restaurant, most of which provide very few of the foods high in nutrients and low in calories. Restaurants add extra fats to their dishes to enhance the taste, so a meal you could make at home without added fats could have up to 60% of it's calories coming from fat to make it taste better! Plus, the serving sizes are much larger than they were 20 years ago, so most of the time the size of the meals could actually feed us for 2 to 3 meals, instead of one! However, many people still feel they must clean their plate rather than let the food 'go to waste'. They really should say, "go to waist"!!

As you read this, think back to the last week. How often did you sit down at home and eat a home-cooked meal? Do you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner each day? How often do you exercise vigorously? In Europe, the meals are much smaller and people walk a great deal more than in America. In some neighborhoods, it's actually impossible to walk to work, even if you live very close! Our road systems are no longer built for riding bikes or walking to work. You take your life into your hands, either from passing traffic or crime.

#5 - Relies on testimonials rather than scientific research.

The fact that Jane lost pounds in a week because she just ate cabbage soup does not mean it's safe, effective, or that it will work for you! What if you don't LIKE cabbage?

An example of testimonials, combined with the research to back it up, is the National Weight Control Registry. In order to join the Registry, a person has to have lost pounds and have kept it off for a year. Currently consisting of over 4500 individuals, the Registry was founded in 1993 as a longitudinal prospective study. Currently, there have been six studies resulting out of the Registry. For more information on the Registry, along with how most of the Registry members have in common, here is the website: http://www.nwcr.ws/.

#6 - Has a gimmick.

The problem with diet plans that have some type of gimmick, is people can't stay on them and they don't learn how to eat for the long-term. It's no secret that all the books must have something to 'catch' the reader. However, hidden among all the hype are books that really DO offer safe and effective solutions to weight loss. A book written by a registered dietitian (RD) is a guarantee that the material is accurate and safe. An RD is someone whose education, training and experience all revolve around the science and practice of nutrition; these truly ARE nutrition experts.

Consider this: If you had heart disease, you would see a cardiologist who specializes in heart health. If your teeth needed work, you would see a dentist. However, many people will buy 'diet' books from people who are not educated in nutrition! People will buy a diet book from a person who found what worked for them, or a movie star or a physician. In many of these books, because the author does not understand nutrition, many facts are distorted or misrepresented. It may not always be on purpose, but the point is these books are written by someone who really does not know nutrition and the science behind it, so either they distort the facts, or they make them fit the gimmick they are trying to sell.

So, the next time a friend mentions this great new diet they're on, or you see a new book that offers 'miracle' weight loss or something that 'health professionals don't really want you to know', take a step back and ask yourself these questions:

1- Does it promise fast weight loss?

2- Does it eliminate any major foods or food groups?

3- Is there a strict plan that must be followed for success?

4- Does it contradict what nutrition experts and science has to say?

5- Does it rely primarily on testimonials and 'before and after' pictures too good to be true?

6- Is there a gimmick?

If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, after you have stepped back, walk away and find a better plan. Isn't today time to get real and make your weight loss plan permanent and realistic?

Marjorie Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and now helps other nutrition professionals start up their own private practice.

To learn more about the services Margie offers, go to her website at http://www.megfit.com or email her at margie@megfit.com.

Weight Loss and Diets - What Diet Plan is Best?

Fad diets come and go with new versions out every week. Many of them are big on promises and small on delivery. So what's a person to do? I for one have spent way too much money on the latest greatest diet plans over the years.

If a friend tells me they've lost a lot of weight on a diet and says how great it is I try it, only to find myself bloated, tired, grumpy or hungry all of the time. Then another friend will recommend a different diet and I'm right there, ready to try that one too.

It seems what works for one person, doesn't necessarily work for another. But short of spending a fortune on diet plans, how do you know what will work best for you?

Well for starters, you put your wallet away and take a common sense approach to the problem. Basically, there are three and only three diet versions out there. They have different names and different menu types, but they all fall into one of these three categories.

The Low Fat Diet. This would include most of your calorie counting diets, Weight Watchers, DASH and the Ornish diet. These diets reduce calories and the amount of fat you take in; which is a very sound plan. But remember, there are only three types of food - proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
When you reduce the fat in a diet, you have to raise one or both of the other two types of food. And because raising the amount of protein usually raises the fat level too, most low-fat diets are high in carbohydrates.
The Low Carbohydrate Diet. This diet would include diets such as the Atkins Diet and The South Beach Diet. These diets increase the amount of protein you take in and lower the carbohydrates. But just like the Low Fat Diet, when you reduce the amount of one type food from a diet, you are going to raise another. When you reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet, you usually end up with more fat.
And the third type diet is something in between. We'll call it a T'ween diet. This type diet includes the Mediterranean Diet, the G.I. Diet (Glycemic Index Diet), the Idiot Proof Diet and the Zone Diet. These diets reduce the amount of fat in the diet and get rid of simple carbohydrates while replacing them with fewer, but more complex carbohydrates.

And while it would be tempting to make a blanket statement that the T'ween diet would come closer to being the perfect diet for most people (and I do believe these diets are better for more dieters than the other two), not all dieters respond the same to all diets.

So if you're ready to find the last diet you'll ever need, you need to first decide which of these three diet versions is best for your body type. But once again, how do you determine what type is best for you?

If you'd like to know how to determine the right diet version for your body type, go to Top10-Diets.com. We have answers for all your weight loss and diet concerns.

B.J.Gordey is the owner of Top10-Diets and editor of the Top 10 Diet's Blog.

Top Ten Fad Diets Reviews

Many people want to lose a lot of weight and are willing to try anything from a stomach staple to a far out wacky diet. Some diets are controversial and can be injurious to health. Others are short-term starvation. Here is a list of the top ten fad diets.

#1 The Atkins diet is a one of Americas most popular and still endures after many years. The Atkins diet basis is that processed foods and a high carbohydrate diet are the core problems that make and keep people fat. The diet has four phases.

The first phase and most restrictive is the OWL phase. The Owl phase (Ongoing Weight Loss) restricts the carbohydrate intake to just 20 grams per day. Twelve to fifteen of those grams must come from salads. Meat, seafood, fish and poultry are plentiful in this stage. A little soft cheese is allowed daily, some low carbohydrate vegetables, no alcohol, limited caffeine, butter or oils and water, lots and lots of water, needs to be consumed.

Phase two allows more carbohydrates each week selected from a food ladder. The dieter gets an increase of five grams of carbohydrates per week from a different food group each week during this phase.

The next phase increases the carbohydrates until weight loss stops. Once the dieter reaches the final weight goal the maintenance phase kicks begins.

The Atkins diet shows immediate weight loss but is difficult to stick to because of rigid eating patterns. A study showed that the diet might cause kidney damage.

#2 The green tea diet uses a nutritional low calorie diet and adds green tea to every meal and snack.

#3 Number three on the top ten fad diet list is the negative calorie diet.

The diet gets its name from the theory that the foods on the diet use more calories to digest than they contain. While there is no scientific proof that you can eat your way thin, many of these foods are healthy, nutritional foods that are low in calories. The foods on the list increase the body's metabolism and aid in faster weight reduction.

#4 The grape diet is number four of the top ten fad diets and one probably the worst. Nothing but grapes and water becomes the fare for days on end. This diet, originally created to cleanse the system and fight cancer, became a weight loss diet somewhere along the way.

#5 The three hour diet takes into consideration the time of day that you eat. The diet breaks the food down to mini-meals eaten every three hours. It resembles a diet for hypoglycemia. The diet is nutritionally balanced and keeps blood sugar levels stable. That stability reduces the urge for a 5:00 o'clock feeding frenzy that frequently occurs in dieters. This one makes sense. The down side is the need to constantly eat, even if you're busy or not hungry.

#6 The lemonade diet was another cleanse diet that switched to a weight loss one. Nothing but a concoction of maple syrup, cayenne pepper and lemon juice is on the list of edibles for the ten day fast.

#7The ice cream diet is just a regular calorie controlled diet that makes room for a little ice cream at the end of the day. Of course, if calories are controlled, weight loss occurs. The diet is nothing more than allotting for ice cream. The calcium in the ice cream is good for the bones and aids metabolism, but outside of that, you could substitute a brownie and call it the brownie diet.

#8 The cabbage soup diet uses a soup created from cabbage and other vegetables and mixes it with rations of other low calorie foods and cranberry juice or tea for five days of monotony and gassy stomachs.

#9 The raw food diet is a vegan diet with all foods left uncooked. Blend them, chop them and arrange them but don't cook anything or heat it beyond 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Raw food contains more vitamins in many cases than its cooked counterparts do. Nuts are included in the raw food diet as the protein source. The diet consisting mostly of vegetables is a low calorie diet, but it is difficult to keep it well balanced. It is a lot healthier than most fad diets and the introduction of raw vegetables into the body brings in many nutrients. The fiber of the raw vegetables cleans out a lot of noxious waste.

#10 The final diet on the list of the top ten fad diets is Zone diet. Much like the Atkins diet it has phases and attempts to change lifestyle and eating habits. The Zone diet uses a balancing act for its carbohydrate ratio. Each meal consists of 40 % of the food as carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% of the meal in fats. The popularity of this diet created by Oprah's endorsement puts it on the list of the top ten fad diets.

Get rid of all that nasty stuff in your system and Lose 1 Jean Size Every 7 Days!... What nasty stuff? Find out HERE! Top 3 Weight-Loss Programs Reviewed Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days!
http://www.honestweightlossreviews.com

Rating the Fad Diets

THE 200 POINT SYSTEM

With so many different diets available, how are we to know

what works and what is safe? The only way to be sure is to

discover the author's background and the research behind

the diet's methodology. Every good diet should give a

background about the author and his/her credentials and

experience in the fields of nutrition and biochemistry.

However, even a vast resume does not mean a credible and

safe diet. But it does suggest, at least, that the author has

some knowledge of nutrition. Providing research behind the

diet proves that the diet is not something the author

invented, so long as the research is not self-serving and

altered to fit a hypothesis.

Some diets may not need a great deal of tests and studies

behind them, simply because they are based on

fundamentals. For example, many women's magazines

have articles on dieting and weight loss, but they are

common sense suggestions that most people concerned

about weight should know already: "Eat smaller meals", "cut

down on sugar and fat", etc., are typical philosophies. More

structured diets should give some scientific reasons for its

suggested success, preferably case studies and research

performed on everyday test subjects, as well as athletes.

Since we have established the importance of eating a

balanced diet in accordance to selecting healthy foods and

obtaining RDA minimums, it is possible now to rate the

diets in accordance to those specific criteria. Begin with a

score of 200 and subtract 10 points from the total for each

statement below in which the diet concedes. An ideal diet

should maintain a score of 200, but a score of 160 or

greater is acceptable.

1. The diet does not include the food groups in adequate

amounts. Some fad diets eliminate one or more of the food

groups. Do not deduct 10 points if a food group's nutrients

(e.g., carbs, proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals) are

adequately substituted with that of another food group.

2. The diet does not provide at least 45% of its calories from

carbohydrate sources. In order to prevent ketosis, at least

150g of glucose/day is required. That's 33-50% of total

calorie intake on a 1200-calorie diet. Keep in mind that is

the minimum. For highly active individuals, that amount

should increase to 60% at times, i.e., immediately after

exercise.

3. The carbohydrate content exceeds 20% concentrated

sugars. At least 80% of carbohydrate sources should be

complex, and preferably in the form of vegetables, seeds,

and legumes.

4. The protein content exceeds 30%. A very high protein

intake is unnecessary, it places additional strain on the

urinary system, and it is a poor source of energy. Thirty

percent is more than adequate, even for growing children

and teenagers. The only group that requires higher protein

intake are those who recently suffered a severe injury (e.g.,

leg amputation), infection, or surgery. However, these

individuals will be under the care of a physician with a

special high protein diet.

5. Protein content accounts for 15% or less of total calories.

Although unnecessary in large amounts, protein still has

many vital functions, including tissue repair and the

formation of enzymes.

6. Fats exceed 30% of total intake. Besides increasing the

risk of cardiovascular disease, high fat diets have not been

demonstrated to decrease weight better than other methods

of 'proper' eating.

7. Total fat consumption is less than 15% of total calories.

Fat in moderate amounts is essential for a healthy diet, and

such a diet provides taste to many foods. Fat intake below

15% for long periods, for most individuals, is unrealistic.

Fat intake that is too low can also be detrimental to children

and teenagers who require ample kcalories for continued

growth.

8. Total fat consumption is less than 25% essential fatty

acids, and saturated fat is more than 30% of total fat

consumption. Deduct 10 for each.

9. The diet does not suggest common foods, meaning

foods you should be able to obtain at any grocery store or

market.

10. The foods for the diet are expensive or monotonous.

Some diets require the purchase of 'their' foods or

expensive 'organic' foods only obtained through health food

stores. Some foods taste so bad they are difficult to

tolerate repeatedly (e.g., seaweed). Deduct 10 for each.

11. The diet consists of an inflexible meal plan. The diet

does not allow for substitutions or deviations, requiring a

person to live under 'house arrest' with the same food

selections every day.

12. The diet provides less than 1200 kcalories per day.

Less than that and the body's basic functions may not be

getting the energy, vitamins and minerals needed to work

properly, and the dieter almost is certain to feel hungry all

the time. Diets below 1200 kcalories should be reserved for

those under the supervision of a dietitian or licensed

physician.

13. The diet requires the use of supplements. If the diet

provides adequate energy and it is well balanced,

supplements are unnecessary. 'Fat accelerators,' such as

ephedrine, may increase the rate of weight loss, but the diet

should be able to stand on its own merit. Some diet clinics

promote a vast array of herbal preparations and fat

accelerators, and this is where these clinics make their

money - not in their knowledge and ability as nutritionists.

14. The diet does not recommend a realistic weight goal.

Diets should not be promoting the body of a Greek god or a

supermodel. They should not be suggesting that a person

lose 100 pounds (even if 100 pounds overweight). Nor

should diets recommend weight loss below an ideal

weight.

15. The diet recommends or promotes more than 1-2

lbs/week weight loss. Do not expect to lose more than 1-2

pounds of fat a week - it is physically impossible unless

chronically obese, at which point 3 pounds may be

possible. If more than two pounds is lost per week, the

body change is due to a loss of water and/or muscle tissue.

Gimmicks that promise 10 pounds in 2 weeks are either

simply not true or else something other than fat is being

lost. Also keep in mind that the more fat a person wishes to

lose, and the less a person has, the more difficult and

slower it will be to lose additional fat.

16. The diet does not include an evaluation of food habits.

Dieting should be a slow process by which a person

changes normal eating habits. It should not include looking

for quick fixes and quick plans promising short cuts and

extreme changes - a person would never stay with these

programs and such diets do not work long-term. The

number of kcalories eaten, and the food selections and their

amounts, should be reevaluated on a regular basis...

perhaps once every 1-2 months to determine the program's

effectiveness.

17. Regular exercise is not recommended as part of the

plan for proper weight loss. Weight loss occurs twice as

fast with exercise, and without exercise there is a greater

tendency to lose lean muscle tissue as well as fat. This is

not ideal.

OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS DIETS

Low Carbohydrate Diets: Ketosis occurs, and this presents

the same problems as fasting. Once glycogen stores are

spent (which happens quickly with athletes and those who

exercise regularly), glucose must be made from protein

sources, and there is greater wear on the kidneys as a

result. Even on a high protein diet, some protein will be

taken from body tissues in order to produce enough energy

for the nervous system and regular activity. The onset of

ketosis is an indication that this process has begun and it is

not a positive aspect, regardless of what pro-high-fat

authorities indicate.

Great weight loss on a low-carb diet is evident because of

the fact that carbs hold water in the muscles at a ratio of 1:3.

As carb intake decreases then so, too, does water retention.

Much water flushes as a result of lack of glycogen to hold

water molecules. Moreover, by increasing protein intake,

excess nitrogen flushes with even more water since the

kidneys use water to dilute the concentration of nitrogen.

Once leaving a low-carb diet and the muscles refill with

glycogen, fluid concentrations increase and the dieter

regains some of the weight.

Low calorie diets of 400-600 kcalories that consist primarily

of protein have the same problems as fasting and

low-carbohydrate diets: proteins are used for energy and

weight loss comes largely from water. Low-cal diets must

be supervised properly by a medical professional and only

as a last resort for those who cannot seem to lose weight by

other methods. However, even those individuals tend to

regain most of their weight back once they return to a

balanced diet.

Beverly Hills Diet - a diet consisting of grapefruit, eggs, rice,

and kelp; it is deficient in minerals and vitamins.

Cambridge Diet - a very low kcalorie (300-600 kcal/day);

protein/carb mixture with mineral imbalances; the dieter is

close to fasting.

Complete Scarsdale Diet - this diet is unbalanced

nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter

alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the diet

consists of low carbs (20-50 g/day), and high fat and

protein; the diet has a high meat (saturated fat and

cholesterol) content.

Dr. Atkin's Diet Revolution - this diet is unbalanced

nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter

alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; carbs are

very low (20-50 g/day), whereas fat and protein are high;

there is high meat (saturated fat and cholesterol)

consumption.

Dr. Linn's Last Chance Diet - this diet has a very low

kcalorie intake (300-600 kcal/day); it consists of a

protein/carb mixture with a mineral imbalance; the dieter is

close to fasting.

Dr. Reuben's The Save Your Life Diet - this is a calorically

dilute diet consisting of high fiber (30-35g/day); the diet is

low in fat and animal products; there is poor absorption of

minerals because of too much high fiber.

"Fake" Mayo Diet - this diet consists of grapefruits, eggs,

rice, and kelp; it is deficient in minerals and vitamins.

F-Plan Diet - this is a calorically dilute diet consisting of

high fiber (30-35g/day); it is low in fat and animal products;

there is poor absorption of minerals because of too much

fiber.

LA Costa Spa Diet - this diet promotes weight loss of 1-1_

lbs/day; there are various plans of 800, 1000, and 1200

kcal/day composed of 25% protein, 30% fat (mostly

polyunsaturates), and 45% carbohydrate; the diets includes

the four food groups.

Medifast Diet - this diet is balanced nutritionally, but

provides only 900 kcal/day; use of liquid formulas makes

this diet monotonous and expensive.

Nutrimed Diet/Medifast Diet - this is a nutritionally balanced

diet, but it supplies only 900 kcal/day; the use of liquid

formulas makes this diet monotonous and expensive.

Optifast Diet - this diet is nutritionally balanced, but

supplies only 900 kcal/day; use of liquid formulas makes

this diet monotonous and expensive.

Pritikin Permanent Weight-Loss Diet - this is a nutritionally

unbalanced diet; some days are calorically restricted; the

dieter alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the

diet consists of high protein (100 g/day); unless the foods

properly chosen, it may be low in vitamin B12.

Prudent Diet - this is a balanced, low kcalorie (2400

kcal/day) diet for men; it is low in cholesterol and saturated

fats; a maximum of 20-35% calories are derived from fat

with an emphasis on protein, carbohydrates, and salt; there

is ample consumption of fish and shellfish, and saturated

fats are substituted with polyunsaturated fats.

Quick Weight Loss Diet - this diet is unbalanced

nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter

alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, although

there is low carbs (20-50 g/day), and high fat and protein;

there is high meat consumption (saturated fat and

cholesterol) with this diet.

San Francisco Diet - this diet begins at 500 kcal/day,

consisting of two meals per day of one fruit, one vegetable,

one slice of bread, and two meat exchanges; the second

week limits carbohydrates, with most food coming from the

meat group and with some eggs and cheese, and a few

vegetables; week three includes fruit; in week four there is

an increase in vegetables; week five the dieter add

fat-containing foods (e.g., nuts, avocados); week six

includes milk; week seven includes pastas and bread,

where the diet is maintained at about 1300 kcal/day; this

diet avoids the issue of saturated fats and cholesterol.

Slendernow Diet - this diet is unbalanced nutritionally;

some days are calorically restricted; the dieter alters

portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the protein is

generally high (100 g/day); unless foods are properly

chosen, there may be a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Weight-Watchers Diet - this diet is balanced nutritionally, at

about 1000-1200 kcal; use of high nutrient-dense foods are

consumed; economic and palatable food makes it one of

the most successful diets with no real health risks.

Wine Diet - this diet is about 1200 kcal/day, containing 28

menus together with a glass of dry table wine at dinner;

besides the medicinal components of wine, it is believed

that individuals reduce portion sizes when wine is

consumed with a meal; the diet is low in cholesterol and

saturated fats; there is a focus on fish, poultry, and veal with

moderate amounts of red meat.

Yogurt Diet - this diet consists of two versions, being

900-1000 kcal/day, and 1200-1500 kcal/day; plain low-fat

yogurt is the main dairy dish, consumed at breakfast, lunch,

and as a bedtime snack; the diet is high in protein, and it is

low in cholesterol, saturated fat, and refined carbohydrates.

Diets that do not provide 100% of the U.S. RDA for 13

vitamins and minerals:

Atkins

Beverly Hills

Carbohydrate Craver's Basic

Carbohydrate Craver's Dense

California (1200 kcal) California (2000 kcal)

F-Plan

I Love America

I Love New York

Pritikin (700 kcal) Pritikin (1200 kcal)

Richard Simmons

Scarsdale

Stillman

Brian D. Johnston is the Director of Education and President of the I.A.R.T. fitness certification institute. He has written over 12 books and is a contributor author to the Merck Medical Manual. An international lecturer, Mr. Johnston wears many hats in the fitness and health industries. You can visit his site at http://www.ExerciseCertification.com