Weight Loss The Atkins Diet

Weight Loss Diet
Weight Loss The Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is a modern weight loss phenomenon. Founded by Dr Robert Atkins, 1930-2003, it was first published as a diet book, “Dr Atkins Diet Revolution” in 1972. This was followed by a series of books on the subject. There were worries about the safety of the diet and although it dwindled in status, it became popular again in the 1990’s.

The popularity of Atkins as the ultimate fast weight loss system was helped by the rise of the celebrity fascination and the fact that many celebrities that had shown fast weight loss, attributed this to the Atkins diet. The diet became very popular, with some hotels and restaurants offering special menus for followers.

The Atkins weight loss system is based on the diet being restricted in its intake of carbohydrates. These are largely replaced by allowing more fat and meat based products into the diet and this has been one of the main areas where the diet has been criticized as this can affect the balance of food groups that are eaten.

Many health experts contend that it is not good for the body to have a restricted level of carbohydrates in the diet and that this is also not the best way to achieveweight loss. However those in favor of Atkins point to sudden and dramatic weight loss that, so long as you follow the principles, it is possible to maintain.

If you reduce your daily carbohydrates to less than 40 grams, (some Atkins texts suggest this should be no more than 20 grams), then you will be subject to a state known as ketosis. This means that instead of using sugar from carbohydrates as fuel, the body will instead to use fat.

Some dieticians believe that this is not a good way to diet and that some of the material that is used as energy, is normal tissue rather than fat. Some also think that at least part of the loss is water. Although it has to be said that there are also health professionals that do not have a problem with the Atkins weight loss system.

Part of the problem that some people have with this, as good way to weight loss is that Atkins advises that when the desired results are achieved, then the participant should remain eating a low carbohydrate diet, or they will return to their former weight. Although a gradual increase in the carbohydrates is allowable, it is still low.

One of the main criticisms that is leveled at the Atkins weight loss plan is that it does not contain any carbohydrates and so is unhealthy. This is inaccurate, although the level is low and this is mainly what the diet is based on. Another problem is that, as some fresh vegetables and most fresh fruits contain sugar, that this can restrict your intake of these and so is bad for the general health of
the dieter.

The Atkins weight loss system undoubtedly works if adhered top strictly, as the amount of carbohydrates that are taken from the diet lowers the amount of calories that are eaten and you lose weight. But there are many other effective diets that are based on restricting calories.

When starting any weight loss diet, especially one that is restricting certain food groups such as the Atkins, it is a good idea to see your doctor and get advice as to whether this is the right diet for you and whether it is the best alternative. There may be other weight loss systems that provide a better all round nutrition and yet
still let you lose weight at a reasonable rate.

Weight Watchers A Diet System

Weight Loss Diet
Weight Watchers A Diet System

Nearly everyone who has ever been on a diet, or who has ever read about diets will have heard of Weight Watchers. They have been the most recognizable product in the diet field since the early 1960’s They are not really a diet as such, more a brand that is well known in the weight loss industry as being one of the leading players, in helping others to reach the weight that they want to achieve.

Weight watchers has Probably the largest amount of dieters of any of the weight loss clubs and the fact that they have been established for that amount of time is an indication of their success. They have been estimated to have around 20,000,000 involved in their diet clubs at any one time.

Their success is based not so much on the diets themselves as much as the support system. The diets have been changed over the years to fit with current thinking and best practice, but have generally been based on a calorie-controlled system of weight loss.

They do not offer the guaranteed fast weight loss of some diets, but prefer theslow steady approach, that helps dieters to gradually lose weight through sensible eating and then keep it off. But their diets are not based on a particular focus, such as low fat or carbs, but on having a generally good, low calorie diet.

The Weight Watchers diet is actually fairy simple to follow. They have given all foods a number according to how much they are likely to make you put on weight. Each person has an amount that they can consume in a day according to how much they weigh and their ideal weight loss.

Then they can eat whatever adds up to that number each day. That is a very simple version of the Weight Watchers weight loss system. It is brought together with advice on good diet and how and when to eat and is a very comprehensive system for the helping the dieter, to not only lose weight but also to keep that weight off.

It should also be said that the Weight Watchers diet does lean heavily towards their own products. But for all that it is a very useful and well tried and tested weight loss system.

Weigh Watchers also have a very useful aspect that sets them aside from any of the books you buy, their weight loss meetings. This is the basis of the entire weight watchers system and is fundamental to their success.

The meetings are usually on a weekly basis and are lead by an official Weight Watchers leader. These clubs are a great encouragement to those who like to have some help and support when they are dieting. Although they can also be a little daunting if you haven’t reached your weekly weight target.

If you prefer not to go to the meetings they do have an online version that you can also use if you are not able to get to the meeting that week. They also have a very well populated forum that can be a great help to those who are struggling or those who just like to share how the weight loss is going.

Weight watchers are undoubtedly the brand leaders in the field of diet clubs and products and are very well thought of by many, the only real drawback is that the meetings are obviously much more expensive that just buying a book. But if you like to be part of a group and think that your weight loss would be more successful with this encouragement, then the Weight Watchers clubs may be
worth considering.

The Traffic Light Weight Loss Diet

Weight Loss Diet
The Traffic Light Weight Loss Diet

Many of the weight loss diets that are popular today can be quite complicated to follow and awkward to apply to everyday living. Take the GI diet for instance where you apply different values to foods, based on their glycaemic index number Then you add up the number of these that you are allowed to eat in any one day. This can be extremely difficult when going out, unless you would like to go and ask the chef what is in your meal. And with the Atkins diet you can forget about going for a pizza with your friends.

For many dieters these diets are cumbersome to use in everyday living and can lead to many just giving up and returning to their normal eating habits. The Traffic Light Diet has found a very good way to simplify this. They have devised a straightforward weight loss system that is easy to follow and can be used in most social situations, such as when dining out.

The diet is based on (perhaps unsurprisingly), a traffic light weight loss system for different foods. There is an extensive list that will tell you what the color is for each different food or food group. Although this in itself may at first appear cumbersome and slow,you can pick up the general gist of it very quickly. It doesn't take long to get a good idea, even if you haven’t got the book with you, of what food is in which category.

The idea is that each food is given a color according both to its calorific value and its nutritional value. These are then combined to give you a quick and easy reference to show you which foods to eat more of and which to eat less of. If you follow the instructions carefully then the author believes that the diet will both help you to have a nutritionally sound diet, as well as one that promotes weight
loss.

Foods are given a red light include those that are high in calories and fat and also those that are not of any great value nutritive value to the dieter. Foods that are amber are more neutral and can be eaten with a little care and moderation. This can involve such foods as cheese, milk, nuts and lean meats. The green light foods are those that are more helpful for weight loss and can include such foods as low fat milk, vegetables, fruit and white fish.

The idea is really one of moderation. You eat as much of the green foods that are thought to be helpful, less of the amber foods that, although not being as beneficial to weight loss, still have a place in a well balanced diet. But not toomuch of the red foods that are thought to be less beneficial and are generally higher in calories and lower in nutritional value.

When you are familiar with which food fits into which group then you will find that the traffic light weight loss diet is very easy to use and much less complicated than many others. The Traffic Light diet can be an easy way to achieve weight loss for those that are really not interested in the latest fad diet, or in counting calories and keeping track of everything that they eat all day.

It is not an extreme diet but more a way of promoting gentle weight loss that you may be more likely to maintain through sensible eating and learning what foods are good for you and what foods are more likely to make you put on weight.

The High Fiber Diet

Weight Loss Diet
The High Fiber Diet

The high fiber diet is one of the more familiar weight loss diets that still have a good following. This is possibly a more gentle and easy to follow weight loss system than the more extreme diets such as Atkins. Many dieticians and nutritional consultants favor high fiber diets as they are generally considered to be a safe option that can have a positive effect on health.

It is always advisable to check worth your doctor before embarking on any weight loss diet. The high fiber diet has had many fiends and very few critics in the weight loss world and is thought by some to have beneficial effects on health, as well as being a good, reliable way to lose weight.

High fiber weight loss diets generally rely on a combination of increased fiber in the diet, through more consumption of foods such as whole grains and cereals and also restricting the amount of calories in the diet. This approach allows the dieter to promote weight loss through eating less calories while eating normal
amounts of food and so not getting hungry and being tempted to eat foods that are not a part of the diet.


Although fiber does not contain any calories that are available to
the dieter it can be beneficial as it helps you to feel full and not to
always be craving more to eat, when on a calorie controlled diet. It
is often this difficulty that many face when on a restricted weight
loss diet. Also high fiber foods can take longer to chew. Although
this is not directly beneficial to weight loss, it does allow the dieter
to feel as though they have eaten a more substantial meal and it
also makes the meal take longer and this in turn helps.

As well as weight loss, some dieticians believe that high fiber
foods can make a positive contribution good health by helping the
food to move more efficiently through the body. Also many of the
foods that are helpful in a high fiber weight loss diet are very good
nutritionally. Many fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain
large amounts of vitamins and minerals and are thought to be very
good for the health, as well as beneficial to the promotion of
weight loss.

There are two different kinds of fiber, soluble and insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber is found in many foods such as fruits, vegetables,
pulses and beans. Soluble fiber is thought to help in keeping
cholesterol down and to reduce the risk of heart disease, according
to some dieticians.

Insoluble fiber is usually found in whole meal foods such as flour,
grains, rice and pasta. And is thought to help with the passage of
the food through the digestive tract and so to promote good
digestive health.

A high fiber diet an take a little getting used to, although this is
also true with many other weight loss diets, but is easy to follow
and has been established for much longer than many of the diets
that are an ever changing feature of the bookstores. It has many
recommendations from health professionals but it is always a good
idea to consult your doctor before chancing your diet or starting a
new weight loss system.

The Gi Weight Loss Diet

Weight Loss Diet
The Gi Weight Loss Diet

The Gi plan diet certainly seems to be taking off at the moment. Endorsed by an ever-growing band of celebrities it seems that this is the diet of the moment. But how exactly does the GI weight loss program differ from the other diets on the market and what does GI stand for?

The Glycaemic Index weight loss system is based on the fact that some sugar-based carbohydrates affect the glucose levels in the body differently to the more complex starch based carbohydrates. A nutritional expert called Dr. David Jenkins made the claimed discovery, that many sugar-based foods do not greatly affect the sugar levels in the blood, in the early 1980’s.

This means, according to the GI diet, that foods that provide a slow delivery of sugar to the body will be helpful to weight loss, in that it will prevent the dieter from feeling the need for energy and so curb hunger and the need to keep on eating.

By contrast, foods with a high glycaemic index provide a sudden influx of sugar to the body that gives you energy at first, but then leaves you feeling tired and hungry, as the need for more energy kicks in.

This leads to the need for more sugar to get the quick rush of glucose to replace the loss of energy, which in turn has the same effect. This constant need for more sugary food means that weight loss is not likely to be achieved.

There is a plethora of information about the glycaemic values of different foods for weight loss, so there is no problem in ascertaining the value of anything that you wish to include in your weight loss diet. The general concept of the diet is fairly straightforward. You eat more of the foods with a low GI than you do of the foods with a high GI.

This is however not the entirety of the GI weight loss system as it also encourages the dieter to limit their intake of high fat foods, even if they are also low GI foods. This aspect, of course, means that as well as being based on the glycaemic index of a food; the GI diets are also, in part, a low fat diet.

The GI weight loss diet is easy to follow if you are eating standard foods that easily recognizable in the GI indexes. The problem is that many foods have different GI’s depending on whether they are cooked, or the state of ripeness of foods such as fruit.

This can, if you are not experienced with this diet be very time consuming and make the whole thing, not very user friendly. It can be especially difficult when a meal is prepared with many different ingredients, to work out the GI value of the whole meal.

When you have got over this initial hurdle and are used too the different values of foods, then the whole weight loss system starts to be a lot more easy to use. And you need to spend a lot less time looking then up to see if they are within the allowed limits.

The GI weight loss system can be very healthy in that it actively encourages the dieter to eat fruits and complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice and pasta. Many health professionals believe these types of foods may contribute towards a healthier diet. It also discourages the intake of processed foods and also foods that are high in fat, such as fried foods like French fries or chips.

The GI diet can be a very healthy weight loss system and does not require you to give up the foods that you like. Although restrictive it can be a very varied and enjoyable diet as so as you get used to working out the different values of food groups.

South Beach Diet an Overview

Weight Loss Diet
South Beach Diet an Overview

The South Beach weight loss program became very popular in the 1990’s,as a successor to the stringency of the Atkins diet. It was seen by many, as a more healthy and lees obsessive alternative to the low carb regime of Atkins. Although it still encouraged the participant to avoid many cooked and processed carbohydrates. This included many bread pastries and cakes. Also refined carbohydrates such as sugar as in soft drinks and chocolate.

The diet was originated by Dr. Arthur Agatston, an American cardiologist. The system does not follow other diets in a single interpretation of itself as “Low fat or” or “low carb”. It seeks to help the dieter to understand how to eat what is good for them, from both groups of foods so that weight loss can be achieved by eating both “good carbs” and “good fats”.

The diet is in three very distinct sections, and each one has it’s own particular function's, first part is the stricter of the two and is designed both to give a quick start to the weight loss and also to develop the pattern of eating a healthier, more stable diet.

In the first part the dieter is encouraged to eat three proper meals a day. But foods such as many cooked carbohydrates are excluded from this, although good portions of lean meat and fish and plenty of fresh vegetables are recommended. This provides a good start to the diet and also eliminates the problem faced by many weight loss systems, hunger.

The South Beach Diet ensures that you are not plagued by the hunger pangs that ruin so many weight loss aspirations, by making sure that you have three good meals a day. This is one of the reasons that many people succeed on this diet, where they have failed on others. By making sure that you are not hungry in the early phase of the diet, The south Beach Diet gives you a head start and lessens the chance of a failure due to just being too hungry and all the associated lack of enthusiasm that goes with it.

The first part of the South Beach weight loss plan is very limited. Although you will be able to eat three meals a day, the foods that those meals may contain, such as limited carbohydrates reduce the choices available. Part of the thinking behind this is that when the weight loss starts, you will use carbohydrates more efficiently and as such, the need for then will be at a much lower level.

The second part of the South Beach Diet is slightly less restrictive, in that is allows some carbohydrates and other foods that were disallowed in the fist section, back into the diet. It also allows more dairy foods. Many of the foods that were not allowed in the first section (at least the healthy ones) are allowed in the second part.

This is a very good incentive for staying with the program and encourages you towards your weight loss goal, by giving you something to work towards. The second segment is adhered to until you have attained your weight loss target. It is a less strict way of eating, but nevertheless can be effective if followed properly.

The third segment of the diet is put into practice after the weight loss has been achieved, This section is to allow you to ease off, without slipping back to old habits and regaining the weight. It also gives what some believe to be a good basis for normal, healthy everyday eating and may help to eliminate the problem of yo-yo dieting.

One of the topics that The South Beach Diet does not cover is exercise. Many practitioners consider this to be integral to the
notion of weight loss as a route to a healthier lifestyle.

Low Fat Weight Loss Diets

Weight Loss Diet
Low Fat Weight Loss Diets

Not as popular now as the more heavily publicized diets such as Atkins, South Beach and The GI diet, low fat diets still have a great deal to recommend them. Although diets based on lowering the amounts of carbohydrates, recommend the intake of a variety of fatty foods, many dietitians have long been of the opinion that a low fat and high fiber diet is the best combination for weight loss and health.

There have been many diet books covering the low fat weight loss diet, such as the Rosemary Connelly Diet. This maintained that a very low level of fat together with an increased amount of dietary fiber, as in whole meal bread, pasta and brown rice, would aid weight loss and help you to maintain a satisfactory level.

Although a low fat weight loss diet is generally considered to be one of the more sensible diets, you should always consult your doctor before starting a new pattern of eating. One of the easiest ways to start a low fat diet is to cut down on the amount of fried foods that you eat. There are perfectly acceptable alternative ways of cooking most foods that are normally fried. Even French fries can be made in the oven, using very small amounts of fat when compared with deep-frying.

An easy way to get a good start with a low fat weight loss diet is to buy a steamer. This is a very quick and efficient way of cooking foods, with a minimal loss of vitamins and minerals and is of course very low fat. Steaming is a very good way to cook and can replace a deep fat fryer for some cooking, as well as providing a
simple way of cooking many healthy alternatives to bought in convenience meals.

Lowering your intake of butter and margarine is another simple way to lower your intake of fat and help weight loss. You don’t even have to change what you eat. You can make a difference by either spreading the butter or margarine very thinly or just leaving it our altogether.

Reducing fat in your diet does not have to be complicated and there are some very simple things that you can do to make a difference. When cooking meat it is possible to remove some of the fat before you start cooking and if you also grill the meat instead of frying it, you have removed a substantial amount of fat and possibly helped towards your weight loss goals.

Cutting down on eating pastry is a good way to help weight loss. Pastry can contain a large amount of fat, so just by choosing a lower fat alternative you can make a difference to your chances of reaching your target.

There are some fats that many dieticians believe are good for you, such as olive oil and oily fish and these can be included in a low fat diet. It is really a question of balance. A good low fat weight loss diet can be a very healthy way to lose those extra pounds. Your doctor should be able to provide you with good advice on the
best way to choose a diet and how best to make it work for you.

RAW FOOD HEALING DIETS

Weight Loss Diet
Weight Loss
RAW FOOD HEALING DIETS

Next in declining order of healing effectiveness is what I call a raw food healing diet or cleansing diet. It consists of those very same watery fruits and non-starchy vegetables one juices or makes into vegetable broths, but eaten whole and raw. Heating food does two harmful things: it destroys many vitamins, enzymes and other nutritional elements and it makes many foods much harder to digest. So no cooked vegetables or fruits are allowed because to maintain health on this limited regimen it is essential that every possible vitamin and enzyme present in the food be available for digestion.
Even though still raw, no starchy or fatty vegetables or fruits are allowed that contain concentrated calories like potatoes, winter squash, avocados, sweet potatoes, fresh raw corn, dates, figs, raisins, or bananas. And naturally, no salad dressings containing vegetable oils or (raw) ground seeds are allowed. Nor are raw grains or other raw concentrated energy sources.

When a person starts this diet they will at first experience considerable weight loss because it is difficult to extract a large number of calories from these foods (though I have seen people actually gain weight on a pure melon diet, so much sugar do these fruits have, and well-chewed watermelon seeds are very nourishing). Eating even large quantities of only raw fruit and raw non-starchy vegetables results in a slow but steady healing process about 10 to 20 percent as rapid as water fasting.

A raw food cleansing diet has several huge advantages. It is possible to maintain this regimen and regularly do non-strenuous work for many months, even a year or more without experiencing massive weight loss and, more important to some people, without suffering the extremes of low blood sugar, weakness and loss of ability to concentrate that happen when water fasting. Someone on a raw food cleanse will have periods of lowered energy and strong cravings for more concentrated foods, but if they have the self-discipline to not break their cleansing process they can accomplish a great deal of healing while still maintaining more or less normal (though slower paced) life activities. However, almost no one on this diet is able to sustain an extremely active life-style involving hard physical labor or competitive sports. And from the very beginning someone on a raw food cleanse must be willing and able to lie down and rest any time they feel tired or unable to face their responsibilities. Otherwise they will inevitably succumb to the mental certainty that their feelings of exhaustion or overwhelm can be immediately solved by eating some concentrated food to "give them energy." Such low-energy states will, however, pass quickly after a brief nap or rest.

Something else gradually happens to a body when on such a diet. Do you recall that I mentioned that after my own long fast I began to get more "mileage" out of my food. A cleansed, healed body becomes far more efficient at digestion and assimilation; a body that is kept on a raw food cleansing diet will initially lose weight rapidly, but eventually weight loss slows to virtually nothing and then stabilizes. However, long-term raw fooders are usually thin as toothpicks.

Once starchy vegetables like potatoes or winter squash, raw or cooked, or any cereals, raw or cooked, are added to a cleansing diet, the detoxification and healing virtually ceases and it becomes very easy to maintain or even gain weight, particularly if larger quantities of more concentrated foods like seeds and nuts are eaten. Though this diet has ceased to be cleansing, few if any toxins from misdigestion will be produced and health is easy to maintain.

"Raw fooders" are usually people who have healed themselves of a serious diseases and ever after continue to maintain themselves on unfired food, almost as a matter of religious belief. They have become convinced that eating only raw, unfired food is the key to extraordinarily long life and supreme good health. When raw fooders wish to perform hard physical work or strenuous exercise, they"ll consume raw nuts and some raw grains such as finely-ground oats soaked overnight in warm water or deliciously sweet "Essene bread," made from slightly sprouted wheat that is then ground wet, made into cakes, and sun baked at temperatures below about 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Essene bread can be purchased in some health food stores. However, little or no healing or detoxification can happen once concentrated energy sources are added to the diet, even raw ones. During my days at Great Oaks School I was a raw fooder for some years, though I found it very difficult to maintain body heat on raw food during chilly, rainy Oregon winters and eventually struck a personal compromise where I ate about half my diet raw and the rest fired.

Grocery Shopping For Your Diet

Weight Loss Deit
GROCERY SHOPPING FOR YOUR DIET

The first rule of shopping when you’re trying to lose weight is to shop with a list. This is extremely important, because you don’t want to fall prey to the natural instincts of wanting to grab those cookies that are there on that special display at the end of aisle four. Stick to that list faithfully, too.
Plan before you shop. Of course! If you didn’t plan, how could you have the list, right? You need to decide what your meals are going to be and what ingredients you will need to prepare them. Be sure to include portion sizes when planning your meals.Don’t just plan for dinners. Remember, you will be eating several smaller meals per day, so include all the meals in your agenda.
When you first start shopping for your weight loss trip, it might be a good idea to take along someone to keep you in check as you stroll the aisles. This needs to be someone who knows your struggles with weight loss and who can support this journey with you.
They need to be your shopping police, so don’t blame them if they take those cookies back out of your cart. Remember, you want their support, so don’t blame them. Give them permission to keep you focused. You may also want to involve them in the planning process as well so they have a better idea of what exactly you are trying to accomplish.
We can’t stress this next point enough: EAT BEFORE YOU GO SHOPPING! It’s a well known fact that if you are hungry when you go to the grocery store, you will be more prone to making impulse purchases that aren’t good for you because it sounds so yummy!
Learn how to read labels. As we’ve said before, you have to avoid products that have ingredients that will be bad for your diet. Look at the fat content, the sugar content, the salt content, etc. Be sure that you are buying weight friendly foods that you will be able to eat and not have to worry about when they’re in your cupboard. Avoid convenience foods. Even though they are easy
to fix and taste pretty good, these types of foods often contain additional calories, fats, and carbohydrates that you just don’t need. If you find yourself drawn to the diet
dinners in the frozen food section, be sure to read the ingredients before you buy!
You will always be better off if you prepare your meals yourself. That means plan to cook from scratch. If you think you don’t have the time, think again. We’ll give yousome great recipes that you can either make ahead of time or that you can prepare in less than 30 minutes!
When you cook your own meals, you will have complete control over what you put into your food (salt,sugar, etc.) plus they will taste a lot better than convenience foods.
While it may seem painfully obvious, we can’t stress enough – don’t buy foods with empty calories. Those foods include chips, cookies, candy, etc. You don’t need the temptation, and they provide absolutely NO nutritional value for you at all, so avoid them like the plague!
No matter how good you eat, you will have to exercise in order to lose weight.