The Best Programs For Weight Loss

The best diet plans teach you to incorporate fitness and a healthful approach to food, without forcing you to completely change your existing lifestyle. Any diet that asks you to cut out complete food groups or that offers a super quick fix are not going to be sustainable in the long term. Calories on the best plans are high enough to prevent you from feeling extremely hungry, but low enough to allow you to lose a reasonable 1 to 3 lb. per week. Several good diet plans exist, but no one diet fits the needs of every person. Find a diet that offers foods and strategies that work for your lifestyle; the best diet plan for you is the one you will stick with.

Body for Life

The top-selling "Body for Life" by Bill Philips offers a full diet and fitness program. Emphasis is on portion size and eating regularly--as many as five or six meals per day. "Body for Life" allows for a cheat day once a week on which you can eat your favorite food and lighten up on your routine. The diet basically requires eating a standard portion of a lean protein and carbohydrate for every meal. You are expected to exercise regularly, including 20 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise at least three times per week and strength training for 45 minutes three times per week. "Body for Life" asks you to be committed, but any weight loss requires diligence and discipline.

Eat Clean Diet

The book "The Eat-Clean Diet" focuses on eating foods that are close to nature and unprocessed. Tosca Reno, the author, emphasizes food quality and portion size over calorie counting. This diet also prescribes several minimeals evenly spaced throughout the day that include a protein and carbohydrate with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, lean protein like skinless chicken and fish, and monounsaturated fats. The diet asks you to forgo notoriously unhealthy foods like refined grains and sugar, alcohol and trans fats and to limit saturated fat. Exercise is an important component of the diet, with the recommendation of at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 3 days per week. There are times when Ms. Reno may seem overly zealous in her prescription for clean eating, but the principle of choosing fresh, natural foods over highly processed ones is sound.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers has helped people lose weight since 1963, and the fact that it is still around is a testament to its quality. The program can be adapted to your needs and teaches you how to make healthy choices--that every food has a place in your diet, albeit in moderation. The online support community, branded products and magazine make the program very accessible and offer a lot of variety. Weight Watchers encourages exercise, when you are ready, as an important part of the weight-loss process but does not prescribe a specific amount.

South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet plan focuses on a nutritionally sound meal plan that emphasizes whole grains, fish, chicken, fresh produce, low-fat dairy and healthy fats. The three-phase system was developed for cardiology patients by Dr. Arthur Agatston, based at Mount Sinai Hospital in South Florida, and because the diet was so well-received and effective for weight loss, Agatston released it as a book. The initial phase of the diet restricts carbohydrates, but as you progress with the plan, carbohydrates are reintroduced slowly to a healthful extent. The new and improved "South Beach Supercharged" encourages at least 20 minutes of interval cardiovascular training, three times per week, and offers more flexibility to help people adapt the meal plans to their liking.

You, On a Diet

Dr. Mehmet Oz, famous for his appearances on Oprah, wrote "You, On a Diet" with co-author Michael F. Roizen, M.D. to spread a message of healthy eating and smart exercise to help people reach a healthy weight. The book outlines a very sensible approach to eating with realistic recipes and strategies for eating out. The book also provides numerous exercises and incorporates stress-reducing techniques such as yoga. The principle of the book is that diets fail because they put you at war with food. Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen provide you with guidelines so that good food and movement choices come automatically, rather than as part of a prescribed plan.