If you've ever tried to lose weight on your own, you're aware of how difficult a task it can be. However, there are many widely successful diet plans and programs that you can use to assist in your weight loss efforts. Choosing the most effective one can be a challenge, though. While testimonials and reviews are helpful, you have to find the diet that works best with your lifestyle, so you will have no problem sticking with the diet and have a better chance of success. Before beginning any diet program, be sure to consult a medical professional.
SlimFast
SlimFast is a popular program developed by the company Unilever, explains the health and fitness website Epigee. The SlimFast diet features the use of patented meal replacement shakes and bars, which are low in calories and offer vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy on a reduced calorie diet. Epigee notes that this plan is simple to follow, thanks to the use of meal replacements that require little preparation. In addition, Epigee explains that a scientific study comparing diets found that dieters who followed the SlimFast plan were significantly thinner than those on other diets.
South Beach Diet
As CBS MoneyWatch has reported, the South Beach Diet is a weight loss plan that emphasizes eating good carbs and good fats along with adequate levels of protein. The first two weeks of the South Beach Diet mandate extremely low carbohydrate intake, after which additional carbohydrates are gradually added. CBS MoneyWatch explains that this diet provides lots of options, including customized menus, a large database of recipes and online support from dietitians. This diet may help you lose up to 13 pounds during the first two weeks, CBS MoneyWatch claims. In addition, research indicates that carbohydrate-restricted diets lead to greater weight loss than low-fat diets, says CBS.
Paleo Diet
The Paleo Diet is touted as a lifestyle, rather than just a diet plan, and differs from many diets in that it intends to teach you about proper nutrition instead of just fueling weight loss. Due to the restrictive nature of the diet--the official website for the Paleo Diet explains that you can only eat foods our Paleolithic ancestors ate--it can fuel quick weight loss. Part of the reason the Paleo Diet is effective is that it forbids you from eating processed foods and refined sugars. As the Paleo Diet's official website notes, this diet consists of lean meats, seafood and fresh vegetables, making it a protein-rich, relatively low-carbohydrate diet. Research from the August 2009 issue of the European Journal of Clinic Nutrition also notes that the Paleo Diet reduces blood pressure and decreases insulin secretion, which is related to obesity.
References
- Epigee: Learn More: Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Slim Fast Diets
- CBS MoneyWatch: Diet Plan Review: Best Ways To Lose Weight
- The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy Eating The Food You Were Designed To Eat
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet; LA Frassetto et al; August 2009
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