Nutrition

There are three distinct phases with the No Grain diet:

Phase 1 – The “Start-Up Phase” – This is a 3 day phase that forces the dieter to eliminate all carbs from the diet. This includes any breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, and even fruits and starchy vegetables. Dieters are encouraged to eat at least every 2 hours.

Phase 2 – the “Stabilize Phase” – This phase lasts as long as it takes to lose all the weight needed. In addition to cutting out carbs, you are also encouraged to structure your meal plan to eat 3 meals per day, as well as 3 snacks per day, spaced out evenly. Dieters are encouraged to exercise at least 5 times a week, which should include aerobic exercises as well as strength training routines.

Phase 3 – The “Sustain Phase” – Once you have lost all the necessary weight, you are supposed to slowly re-introduce carbs back into the diet. However, it is recommended that certain types of carbs – such as those with refined sugars and high starch content – be avoided even after the weight is lost.

Pros

Due to the elimination of carbs altogether, you can expect to lose weight quite rapidly. This is an aspect of any diet that many dieters can get excited about. In addition to addressing weight issues, this diet also helps people develop a healthier lifestyle and healthier eating habits. Psychological issues are also dealt with that may be responsible for emotional overeating.

Cons

Many people might have a hard time giving up their beloved carbs, especially those who have a tendency to show signs of carb addiction. Also, this diet may get a little expensive considering all the organic produce that is recommended. It will also take some time to prepare all the necessary meals and snacks that avoid carbs.

The Bottom Line

This diet can be quite restrictive and tough to stick with, but the results are amazing if the diet plan is adhered to. In addition, other health issues can be alleviated along with the weight loss. This diet is highly recommended for anyone who needs to lose weight and improve their well being.

Nutrition

There are no specific meal plans to follow on this weight loss plan. Rather, the only rule to follow is to remove all sugars and flour from your diet. This means that there will be a lot of foods to eliminate from your diet, as well as a lot of labels to read on packaged foods. The premise is that since sugars and flour have no real nutritional value, they are essentially empty calories that need to be avoided.

Portions and calories still need to be paid attention to, but there are no stringent rules as far as these are concerned. By having to cut out these foods, you will have no choice but to stick to fruits, vegetables, fresh lean meats and fish, low fat dairy products and nuts. There are so many foods that contain sugar that it can literally cut out a huge portion of food products available for you to eat while on this No Sugar, No Flour Diet plan.

By reducing or eliminating carbs from your diet, your body will look to its fat stores to burn for energy sources. If you were to eat sugar, the body would simply turn to fat. By eliminating these empty calories, your body has no choice but to burn fat for energy, therefore resulting in weight loss.

Pros

Reducing sugar and flour from your diet will allow your body to burn fat more efficiently. It will also reduce your blood sugar levels, and therefore release of insulin to tackle this blood sugar. Lower amounts of blood sugar will in turn reduce cravings and hunger pangs, and will reduce feelings of sluggishness.

Cons

Staying away from sugar and flour can be quite a challenge, especially if you crave foods loaded with these ingredients. This really is the only down side to this diet. As far as health and nutrition goes, avoiding sugar and flour is one of the healthiest diet changes you can make to lose weight.

The Bottom Line

This diet is definitely recommended to try. Reducing sugars and flour can actually help you lose weight faster than simply cutting calories. Calories are not all the same – if you stick to consuming some types of calories, while avoiding others, your chances of weight loss success are greater. However, this diet should only be done for a limited time, as a certain amount of carbs – like whole grains – are essential for proper health and nutrition, as well as digestion.

Nutrition

The diet that you go on is determined by your blood type. A person’s blood type will determine how they will digest certain foods. Here is a general idea of how different blood types react with foods:

Type O – People with this blood type generally have a stable digestive and immune system, and are able to digest meats with their strong stomach acids;

Type A – These people are able to digest plant proteins and grains well;

Type B – This blood type is more balanced than Types O and A;

Type AB – This blood type has a combination of the pros and cons of both Types A and B.

The diet plan for each blood type will have a list of foods that are highly recommended and foods to avoid altogether. It will also list foods that are somewhat neutral. Foods recommended are most easily digested, and do wonders for the body. Foods that are to be avoided can sit on your stomach and cause negative reactions in the body.

Pros

Dr. D’Adamo has published a book that is very detailed and clearly lists all the exact foods in all three categories that people with a certain blood type should adhere to, and those that they should not consume. His book outlines a number of delicious recipes using the exact foods and ingrediants that each individual can prepare and enjoy.

Studies have shown that 90% of people who have tried this diet plan have enjoyed success in both weight loss and healthier living.

Cons

Although this diet is based on theories that makes good sense, there is no scientific evidence that has been conducted that has proven the medical soundness of such a diet plan. In addition, if a family has numerous blood types in the house, you may find it difficult to stock your fridge accordingly. Or else, the fridge will have to be filled with every kind of food found on the lists for each blood type.

The Bottom Line

This seems like a good diet to at least try out to see if the adherance and avoidance of certain foods really does have an affect on how you feel, and how well it helps with weight loss. The foods listed are all healthy, so there really is no harm in giving this diet a shot.

1) Reduce Calories and Eat a Healthy Diet

This might be a no-brainer, but it an essential practice that must be done in order to achieve weight loss and a trimmer belly. In order to lose the weight, you should eat no more than 1500 calories per day in order to put your body in a calorie deficit. By consuming less calories than your body needs, your body will look to fat stores for energy sources, and will therefore cause fat loss.

Staying away from refined sugars and empty calories is another strategy you should practice. Sticking to a diet high in whole grains, fiber, lean proteins, and fresh fruits and vegetables will put you on the path to a healthy lifestyle and a slimmer mid-section.

2) Stop Eating After 7pm

Your metabolism slows down a bit after a certain time of the day due to a reduction in activity. Eating after this time will allow the food to sit on your stomach, and be stored as fat since these calories are not burned up as quickly as they would be had they been eaten earlier in the day. If you are very hungry before bed, try having a tea with some milk instead.

3) Eat Smaller Portions, More Frequently

Eating smaller portions at mealtime will help your body burn the calories much more efficiently, and will help keep your metabolism working properly as well to continuously burn calories and fat. In addition, eating smaller, more frequent meals will also help to keep the metabolic rate going, so it is constantly working to burn fat stores and calories consumed.

4) Exercise!

Working out on a regular basis is crucial to losing weight and trimming belly fat. Any 6-pack abs you may have can be covered in belly fat, so losing the weight is essential to uncover the muscle you may have been building up. Exercise will encourage the burning of fat and calories, and will further boost your weight loss efforts.

At least 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise should be done in a day, about 4 or 5 times per week. In addition, weight training should be incorporated into your routine at least 3 times per week. In order to focus on your belly area, try to do ab work, such as crunches or any core exercises that target the mid-section. Pilates and yoga are especially useful for targeting the core area of your body.

Flattening your belly does not happen immediately. You need to stick to a few dieting and exercise rules. But with a little hard work and perseverance, you can achieve the lean look you desire.

Nutrition

Participants in the Pocket Diet are encouraged to eat four or five pita pockets per day, which are only to be filled with healthy ingredients, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and legumes. The use of high fat and high calorie sauces and condiments is not recommended, such as caesar or ranch dressings. Instead, light dressings such as olive oil, vinegar and mustard are encouraged to season and flavour the pita pockets.

Dieters are allowed to have healthy snacks in between their pita pocket meals. Snacks encouraged on this diet include:

• Raw veggies
• Fresh fruits
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Yogurt
• Cottage cheese

Breakfast is never to be skipped while dieting. This will help to ensure that over-eating does not occur later on in the day.

Exercise

An exercise routine is highly encouraged while on the Pocket Diet. A combination of cardiovascular exercise, weight training and stretching should be done in order to help facilitate weight loss and keep the body toned with lean muscle tissue.

Pros

There are really no foods that are strictly prohibited on this diet, which gives participants the opportunity to have a treat once in a while to satisfy any cravings, as long as it is within reason. There is no calorie counting involved either, which frees up a lot of time and takes the stress off of dieters to constantly think about the exact number of calories they are consuming. In addition, this weight loss program incorporates all the food groups so that dieters are not deficient in any particular vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health.

This diet is rather easy to follow – all one has to do is fill a pita pocket with healthy ingredients, and their meals are prepared for the day rather quickly. Performing such a task will help dieters identify what the proper portion at meal time should be.

Cons

Some dieters may find that eating four or five pita pockets a day can get rather boring and stale, which may make dieters vulnerable to straying from the diet plan.

The Bottom Line

This diet is very sensible and easy to follow, and includes all the major food groups. There is no starvation involved with this program, which helps dieters maintain this eating plan while losing weight. Overall, the Pocket Diet is recommended for those who lead a busy lifestyle and want something quick and convenient to follow.

“HCG” actually stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Hormone, which is the hormone released when a woman becomes pregnant. This hormone can also be present within people who have a specific type of cancer, such as testicular. HCG has also been known to be used in conjunction with certain anabolic steroids, which can classify it as an illegal drug in the sporting realm.

At one point in the 60′s and 70′s, weight loss clinics would prescribe HCG to patients to fuel their weight loss efforts. Studies seem to be inconclusive as to whether HCG is actually effective in weight loss efforts.

Nutrition

Dieters on the HCG Diet plan are on an extremely low calorie diet. Dieters consume as little as 500 calories per day, which consists mainly of lean proteins. In addition to this extreme calorie restriction, dieters are injected with the HCG hormone on a daily basis. The premise behind this theory is that the body will actually start to metabolize fat reserves within the body as the HCG prevents any muscle within the body to be broken down for energy requirements. With such limits in calories and an aggressive approach to hormone injections, dieters can potentially lose up to 26 pounds in 26 days.

While on this particular diet plan, dieters are allowed to eat the following foods:

• Lean protein, such as poultry, fish and lean beef
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Apples
• Strawberries
• Oranges
• Tea

Dieters are completely discouraged from consuming any type of carbohydrate in the form of flour, grains or legumes.

Exercise

One of the most unique things about this diet is that not only is exercise not mentioned, it is not even encouraged. Perhaps the fact that dieters are on such an extremely low amount of calories per day puts them in a state of such low energy that it may even be dangerous to partake in any sort of fitness routine.

Costs

Dieters will have to pay for their HCG injections, which can cost approximately $140 per month. For those who pay others to administer the injections, the cost is even higher.

Pros

Anyone who participates in this diet program and sticks with the rules and guidelines will surely lose weight very rapidly, which can be a huge incentive for those looking to drop a few pounds.

Cons

This diet is far too low in calories. There is most likely some amount of nutritional and mineral deficiency considering how little calories are being consumed. There can be a few side effects from a drastically low number of calories consumed, such as headaches and dizziness. In addition, HCG may not actually be as helpful at weight loss. Perhaps it is all due to the calorie restriction.

The Bottom Line

This is a diet plan that should be proceeded with caution given the low calories allowed, and the questionable HCG injections. Be sure to consult with a doctor before attempting this or any other type of diet.

The premise of this diet plan is to consume low amounts of carbohydrates, and high amounts of lean proteins. This diet is similar to the Atkins diet plan that also severely limits carbohydrates. As a result of consuming a low number of carbs and calories, dieters can lose as much as 1 to 2 pounds per week, which helps to instill some motivation to continue on with this diet until the goal weight has been reached.

Nutrition

The Dukan Diet plan consists of 4 phases:

Phase 1 – The “Attack” Phase – This initial phase is simple in concept, as it requires the dieter to consume any type of lean protein they want (with the exception of pork and lamb which are high in fat). This phase also allows the dieter to eat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oat bran for their carb intake, as well as a liter and a half of water. Dairy is also permitted during this phase; however, vegetables and fruit are not allowed until the subsequent phases.

Rapid weight loss is promised during this initial phase. Dieters can expect to lose as much as 7 pounds in a 5 day period. This phase lasts for about 10 days.

Phase 2 – The “Cruise” Phase – In this phase of the diet, participants are allowed to consume unlimited amounts of certain non-starchy vegetables every other day, such as green leafy vegetables, peppers and celery. Lean proteins are also permitted in unlimited amounts, as well as 2 tablespoons of oat bran.

Depending on how much weight you are looking to lose, this phase can last for months. During this phase, you can lose about 2 pounds per week until you reach your goal weight.

Phase 3 – The “Consolidation” Phase – The third phase of this plan involves the same unlimited proteins and vegetables every day, as well as the following:

• 1 piece of fruit
• 2 slices of whole grain bread
• 1 slice of hard cheese
• 1-2 servings of vegetables
• 1-2 treat snacks per week

It is during this third phase that the dieter learns how to eat a core diet of lean proteins and non-starchy vegetables.

Phase 4 – The “Stabilization” Phase – This final phase involves the maintenance sector, where the dieter has lost all the weight they needed to, and now attempts to maintain that goal weight. By following a few rules, such as eating all protein once a week, 3 tablespoons of oat bran every day, and walking 20 minutes per day, the dieter should be able to maintain the weight, with minimal chance of gaining it back.

Dieters are encouraged to take a multi-vitamin every day. They are also permitted to have sugar-free gum, sweeteners, and spices to flavour foods.

Pros

This diet can help you lose weight quite rapidly in the first couple of weeks with the severe restriction of carbohydrates. Such a quick weight loss can be very encouraging for dieters.

Cons

This could be considered a fad diet since it really doesn’t teach the dieter how to make a complete lifestyle change in order to maintain weight and good health.

The Bottom Line

This diet can be interesting to try if you are looking to lose a few pounds in a short amount of time. If you are looking to lose a lot of weight, it is recommended to move onto a more well-rounded diet once you have lost a quick few pounds during the first phase of this diet.

Salad Dressings

There are some salad dressings out there that are fine to include in your diet, but there are others that you should stay away from. Dressings that are creamy, such as ranch or caesar, should be avoided. You may think that having a salad is a healthy and low calorie option for your meal, but when you add that ranch dressing, you are adding a super high number of calories and fat content to your meal. Simply adding 4 tablespoons of ranch dressing to your salad adds 300 extra calories! In addition, those 4 tablespoons also contain about 32 grams of fat. Your best bet is to stick to a small amount of olive oil and red wine vinegar to flavour your salad. Doing so will keep the calorie and fat content low.

Mayonnaise

This is yet another example of a creamy condiment that will only pack on the calories and fat to your meal. One tablespoon alone has as much as 100 calories and is loaded in fat. Regardless of what you are adding your mayonnaise to – whether it’s a sandwich or your lean chicken breast – even the most healthy food can be turned into a high calorie, high fat meal with the simple addition of mayonnaise. It’s best to eliminate this fatty condiment altogether while trying to lose weight.

Ketchup

This condiment is not as fatty as the first two on this list, but it does contain a high amount of sugar per serving. Limiting refined sugars is one of the most basic and important rules to a diet in order to effectively lose weight. It’s best to stay away from ketchup, and find a healthy alternative, such as small amounts of mustard or olive oil.

Peanut Butter

Although peanut butter is high in protein, it is also extremely high in fat. One tablespoon of peanut butter contains 90 calories, and 7 grams of fat. Most peanut butter sandwiches have a lot more than 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, so you can imagine how fatty and high in calories that sandwich probably is.

Choosing the types of foods is one part of the battle while on a diet. The way the food is prepared, cooked and seasoned is equally as important. Be aware of what you are flavouring your foods with, and find healthier, lower calorie alternatives to the above mentioned condiments that can sabotage your weight loss efforts.

Nutrition

Many dieters looking to lose weight are attracted to the possibility of losing so much weight in such a short period of time. Many dieters are able to lose 21 pounds in 21 days because of the major restrictions in foods and calories on this detox diet plan. This diet plan is made up mostly of liquids and pureed foods, such as vegetable juices, berry drinks, green beverages herbal teas and pureed vegetable soup.

The following foods are encouraged on this diet, which should be pureed or liquefied prior to consumption:

• Kale
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Beans
• Beets
• Sweet potatoes
• Green vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Squash

This is a very restrictive diet. Basically anything else not included on the above list should be avoided during this 21 day diet, including caffeine, alcohol and simple carbohydrates. Approximately 1000 calories per day is consumed on this diet plan.

Dieters are encouraged to take a multi-vitamin and digestive enzymes while on this detox plan in order to ensure proper nutrition and health while cleansing the body on this plan.

Once the 21 day cleanse is completed, dieters must slowly integrate and incorporate other foods previously restricted back into their diets. It is crucial that they don’t jump right into their previous eating habits all at once, or they risk gaining all the weight back almost immediately. Dieters are encouraged to start with protein powders, milk, yogurt and healthy fish before adding any other types of foods.

Exercise

In order to help maintain muscle tissue during this cleanse, it is recommended to do a little bit of exercise, such as walking about a mile per day.

Pros

This cleanse can help give dieters a jump start to their weight loss goals, as it can dramatically shave off a few pounds right away. Losing so much weight so quickly can also provide some sort of incentive for dieters. A detox diet such as the Martha’s Vineyard Detox Diet can also help dieters break their unhealthy eating habits.

Cons

A lot of the weight lost on this detox diet is not necessarily fat – there will be some amount of water and lean muscle tissue lost as well. There are many essential nutrients and vitamins that are not included on this diet, which can have some impact on the overall well being of the dieter. Consuming all liquids can be quite taxing and boring for most people, and can make social dining almost impossible.

The Bottom Line

This diet is meant to be done for a short period of time. It is not recommended to continue a cleanse like this for more than 3 or 4 weeks. It can be a great way to rid the body of toxins, and get a jump start on weight loss. However, it may not be a diet that would be easy to follow for many.

This program was developed by studying the various factors involved in many successful dieters’ weight loss programs. They combined all the factors that seem to work well, and thus came up with the You on a Diet plan. Rather than focusing on the numbers on a scale, the idea is to make subtle, attainable changes that you can maintain for a long period of time. For example, those who cut only 100 calories per day are more likely to succeed in their weight loss goals than those who try to cut 500 calories per day from their diet.

Nutrition

The You on a Diet plan focuses on living a healthy lifestyle rather than counting every calorie. Dieters are taught what foods to put in their bodies, and what foods to avoid. Participants are shown how certain types of food affect the body’s biology and functions. Learning how the body works, and how foods affect the body, will help individuals make better food choices.

Dieters on this plan are encouraged to limit simple carbs, like refined sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, enriched flour and bleached flour. Saturated and trans fats are also to be avoided. Rather, dieters are encouraged to consume whole grains, lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and low fat dairy products.

The diet consists of 3 meals per day, along with healthy snacks. Breakfast is very important, and should never be skipped. Breakfast and lunch are generally the same meal, with slight differences. At dinner, more options are given. The last meal of the day should not be closer than 3 hours before bed.

Instead of counting calories, dieters should focus on portion control, and stop eating before they feel full. Dessert is allowed every other day.

Exercise

A fitness routine is important on this plan. Exercise should be performed every day for at least 30 minutes per session.

Pros

The advantages to the You on a Diet plan include the following:

Developed by respected doctors Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen Helps dieters understand their body’s biology and how food affects it Easy to follow diet plan Helps dieters lead a healthy lifestyle following weight loss

Cons

The only downsides to this diet plan are the possibility of getting bored of the same meals for breakfast and lunch, and the rather slow weight loss rate.

The Bottom Line

This is a very reasonable and medically sound diet plan. Results are inevitable if you stick with the program. There are no fads here, and all rules of the diet plan are safe for just about every person. The You on a Diet plan involves common sense, which should be a part of every diet. Teaching people how their bodies work and how foods affect their body’s functioning is a great way to keep dieters away from certain foods.