StereoHealth: Top Ten Diets

StereoTopical Health: Top Ten Diets

The first thing to do in the New Year – right after you found enough energy to move off the sofa after a roast dinner – is to lose weight, but with so many diets out there which one is the best?

Dieting is a multi-billion dollar market, with so many fad diets out claiming to be the best, here is what we thought about the most popular diets.

10) Vegan:

As a diet that excludes meat and dairy products, Vegans tend to have a healthier lifestyle and lower body mass index by eating foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and leafy greens. As well as a plan to shed pounds by filling up on foods that are low in fat and calories, Vegans also experience reduced risks in diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Click on www.vrg.org for more info on Veganism.

9) Biggest Loser Diet:

The Biggest Loser Diet combines healthy eating with regular exercise which will almost certainly get your body into shape. By exercising regularly your body will burn off the calories that you have consumed healthily, almost doubling your chances of weight loss. www.biggestloserclub.co.uk

8) Jenny Craig:

A weight-loss program designed to restrict the intake of fat, calories and portion size. Each Jenny Craig plan is designed around your current lifestyle, encouraging members to exercise and eat healthily through personalised plans, as well as one-to-one counselling sessions from a Jenny Craig consultant. Jenny Craig claims that members drop on average 2 pounds a week. www.jennycraig.com

7) LighterLife:

Categorising its members on their BMI, LighterLife weight-loss plans combine a very low-calorie meal-replacement diet with weekly counselling. If you have a BMI of 30 or more, you eat four ‘food packs’ a day, consisting of shakes, soups, mousses or bars, and no conventional food. For those with a BMI of 25-30, involves eating three food packs a day, plus one meal from a list of approved foods. Once you have reached your ideal weight, you no longer stay on the diet.

6) The South Beach Diet:

Designed to be delivered in three phases, depending on how much weight you have to lose, The South Beach Diet focuses on replacing bad fatty and high calorie foods with good, healthier foods. Most people claim to lose on average 10 pounds in the first two weeks, and 1-2 pounds a week then after, but this all depends on your initial start weight. For example, if you needed to lose 10 pounds, then you would skip the first phase of the diet, by starting on the second phase. There is no calorie counting as you’ll eat three meals a day, two snacks and a dessert. This diet focuses on low carbohydrates and high, lean proteins, but typically just healthy foods. www.southbeachdiet.com

5) Slim-Fast:

The Slim-Fast diet is a low-calorie meal replacement plan for people with a BMI of 25 and over. Using Slim-Fast’s range of products, the plan recommends three snacks a day from an extensive list, including crisps and chocolate, two meal replacement shakes or bars and one regular meal, taken from a list of recipes on the Slim-Fast website, up until you have reached your desired weight. Although restricted to using Slim-Fast’s own products, this is a great way of losing 1-2 pounds a week or more. www.slim-fast.com

4) Akins:

Claimed to help lose 15 pounds in the first two weeks, the Atkins diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet spanning ‘four’ phases. After losing up to 15 pounds in the first phase, you hope to be losing 2/3 pounds a week by the second phase. Although you are encouraged to give up alcohol and carbs, the freedom of eating meat, fats, cheeses and cream makes the Atkins diet a favorite diet among men. www.atkins.com

3) Cambridge Diet:

Depending on your weight loss goal, there are six flexible plans to choose, ranging from 415kcal to 1,500kcal intake a day. As well as receiving advice and support on healthy eating and exercise from a Cambridge adviser, there is also a long-term weight management programme to keep you in shape even after the diet. www.cambridgeweightplan.com

2) Slimming World:

Designed to help you lose between 1/2 pounds each week, some slimmer’s often lose more, on the diet that simply encourages you to swap high-fat foods for low-fat foods. You can choose to become more active with exercise plans, or become more confident by sharing your experience with other slimmer’s and consultants at weekly group meetings. www.slimmingworld.com

1) Weight-Watchers:

With no fixed membership period, many people join Weight-Watchers to not only lose weight, but to eat healthily as well. Weight-Watchers works on a point system which now has a database of over 40,000 different foods, so your choice is extensive than ever. Designed to shed 1-2 pounds a week, Weight-Watchers boasts, a healthier and gradual weight-loss program that is designed for life. www.weightwatchers.co.uk

Dieting Tips:

Of all the diets listed above the main objective when losing weight is to lose it gradually, rapid weight loss is not only difficult for the body to cope with, but will also increase the chances of putting the weight back on.

Dieting is all about understanding the body, food groups and eating in moderation. Combined with an exercise plan, you could see great results to have an ever-lasting figure throughout the year and not just for summer.

What is your top diet plan?