Any diet that reduces your total caloric intake will help you lose weight. But if you want to keep it off, you need to find a diet you can stick with for life. A low-carbohydrate meat-based diet may be appropriate for those of you who prefer eating meat to all other foods. Consult with your physician before starting any weight-loss program.
Atkins
The Atkins Diet has been a popular commercial low-carbohydrate, meat-based diet since the early 1970s. It was created by cardiologist Dr. Robert C. Atkins. Your intake on the Atkins Diet primarily consists of meat and fat. Carbohydrate intake is limited to 20 to 100 g per day based on which phase of the program you are following. You do not have to count calories following the Atkins Diet, but you do have to count grams of carbohydrate. Primary food choices include lean sources of protein such as poultry, fish, lean beef, eggs, leafy greens, low-starch vegetables and healthy fats. Fruits, cheese and nuts can also be consumed in small quantities as long as you stay within your carbohydrate goal.
South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet is also a commercial meat-based, weight-loss diet. It was created by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston. The South Beach Diet is not as restrictive as the Atkins Diet and is called a modified low-carbohydrate diet allowing up to 28 percent of calories from carbohydrates. The South Beach Diet aims to stabilize blood sugar to aid in hunger control and reduce your cravings for sweets. The diet consists of lean sources of meat--such as poultry, fish, lean beef and lean pork--healthy fats including olive oil and nuts and sources of carbohydrate such as fruits and vegetables. The South Beach Diet uses low glycemic index foods to determine which sources of carbohdydrate are good. In general, low glycemic index foods contain higher amounts of fiber and take the body longer to digest aiding in hunger control and weight management.
Carbohydrate Addict's Diet
The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet was created by Dr. Rachael Heller and Dr. Richard Heller in 1993 and is also a low-carbohydrate, meat-based diet. The Hellers believe that the reason most people are overweight is because they do not metabolize carbohydrates well, leading to increased insulin levels and cravings for carbohydrates. You eat from a specific list of allowed foods on the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. Each day you eat two main meals consisting of a source of protein, such as fish, poultry or beef and a serving of a high-fiber vegetable. The third meal of the day is called a reward meal. You can eat whatever you want for your reward meal, but the Hellers suggest it be balanced and contain equal amounts of carbohydrate, protein and low-starchy vegetable. In addition, the reward meal must be consumed within one hour.
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