Top 25 Diet & Fitness Programs
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
Maintaining your health is critically important to a strong and long life. There are many programs to help you lose weight, improve your athletic perfomance and maintain a good, high energy diet. This list may help you evaluate which programs are the best fit to get started based on your your needs and lifestyle.
By Gohar Khan, exclusively for www.mcchad.com.
Cautionary note: This article is for reference purposes only. People consult a physician before undertaking any fitness of weightloss programs.
1. Jenny Craig
Characteristics
The diet came into being in 1985 and its main feature is the extensive user support it provides. 24/7 telephone line, discussion groups and Jenny Craig program centres; all aim at providing moral, technical and informative support. Another striking feature of the program is the availability of prepared frozen meals. The breakdown of almost all meals is 50% Carbohydrates, 25% protein and 25% fat. The program teaches the follower how to increase energy levels through exercise, how to eat in frequent small portions and how to sustain the lost weight.
Advantages
o A lot of counselling and support is there in the program.
o Hassle-free as the meals as frozen meals are available.
Disadvantages
o It’s hard to get back to conventional eating; packaged food is a drawback in the long run.
Verdict
The program can be beneficial for someone who is always on the go. Someone who can not spare time to cook his own meals or put thought into what he/she is eating. The programme is also suited for people who have hard time sticking to a diet plan. For such people, a lot of moral support is available as Jenny Craig aims at changing the way you think.
2. Atkins
Characteristics
Developed by Robert Atkins, after he tackled his own weight problem in the 1970s,Atkin’s diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, high-protein diet that relies on a process called Ketosis. When the human body is in a state of Ketosis, it starts converting body fat into energy. The diet plan’s four phases include the induction phase which is the most hard to stick to, as it strictly controls the intake of Carbohydrates. This initial phase is followed by OWL (on-going weight loss) where the Carbohydrates come back in the picture. Next comes the Pre-maintenance phase where you find your ideal daily Carbohydrate intake in order to maintain your weight loss. This consolidates the efforts you’ve put in so far. Following the Pre-maintenance phase is the Lifetime Maintenance phase where you make permanent (not harsh) changes with your eating lifestyle where you say no to junk and processed food.
Advantages
o The diet plan completely revolutionizes the way you eat.
o Weight loss is permanent (as seen in most people following this program).
o You can enjoy majority of fatty foods and there are a lot of options from which you can choose.
Disadvantages
o Restrictive intake of almost all fruits and vegetables causes a deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body. A multi-vitamin supplement is recommended.
o Limited fibre intake can cause digestion problems including constipation.
Verdict
Although being highly controversial, the diet has proven to be a major success for many people so the credibility of the diet can not be questioned. The initial phase is a strict one and it takes a lot of courage to continue past it. This diet is not suitable for vegetarians.
3. P90x
Characteristics
P90X is one of the most strenuous workout regimes (supported by a diet plan) of nowadays. Created by Tony Horton and supported by Beachbody.com, the simple aim is to force the fat off your body through strenuous workout. There are a variety of exercises that have been labelled as to ‘promote muscle confusion.’ The workout plan and the diet plan is very meticulous and there is a lot of supporting material, charts, excel files, calculators etc. Diet plan also includes a promotion of supplements created to complement the physical exertion. The diet plan recommends different amount of Calories to be consumed during each phase of the plan; 1800 in the first (high protein, low carbohydrates), 2400 in the second phase and 2700 in the third and final phase with increasing carbohydrate percentage.
Advantages
o If you can follow the workout programs and stick to the diet, you’ll shed pounds quickly.
o There are a variety of exercises ranging from weight training to yoga.
o There aren’t many exclusions in the diet.
Disadvantages
o The workouts are by no means for any average Joe. The workouts are for people already in very good physical shape.
o Includes supplements that are not welcomed by the health community.
o One of the hardest programs to follow.
Verdict
The program is only meant for people who are already in very good shape. Not everyone can do 100 minutes of gruelling Yoga, pull-ups and push-ups. If anyone has the guts to follow the program and not give up, he/she is bound to get results.
4. The biggest loser diet
Characteristics
The diet creates a caloric deficit in the diet by cutting down and modifying the Carbohydrate intake. This diet has a 4-3-2-1 principle to it. It has 4 portions of fresh vegies and fruits, 3 portions of protein, 2 portions whole grain while 1 extra portion is reserved. In a way, the quality of the calories you take is adjusted, although the Calories are cut significantly but since the type is changed, you can eat more while maintaining a lesser Caloric intake. Breakdown is: 30% Protein, 45% Carbohydrates and 25% Fats. Caloric intake can be chosen from 1200, 1500 and 1800 Calorie diets.
Advantages
o Cheat meals are included in the form of ‘1 extra portion’ daily.
o No hunger pangs as you eat plenty of unprocessed food.
o Works on a simple principle of eat less, burn more which is clinically proven.
Disadvantages
o Might not be suitable for people who do strenuous physical activity due to restricted Carbohydrate intake.
Verdict
This diet plan has been proven successful by the show ‘The biggest loser’ so the question of ‘Will it work?’ is beside the point. The diet is a great jumpstart for someone who wants to shed off pounds quickly. Ideally for a person who is a long way from his ideal weight.
5. Nutrisystem
Characteristics
Nutrisystem is a diet plan that gives you a lot of convenience. All the meals are packaged and shipped to your door. You can order a month’s worth of food at a time. Each meal has to be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. The diet breakdown is typically 50 – 60% Carbohydrate, 25% Protein and 25% Fat. Main aim is to eat good carbohydrates, low fat and healthy proteins. Women are given a total of 1200 calories per day while men are allowed 1500 calories daily. Foods with glycemic advantage are encouraged. These food help reduce cravings.
Advantages
o No calorie counting, no meal preparation, highly convenient.
o No cravings.
Disadvantages
o Since the meals are delivered, you are never on your own. Sustaining the weight becomes a problem.
o You never learn the trick, although you perform it everyday.
Verdict
This is an advantageous diet plan for people who are bent on time and always on the go. They can just order their meals and forget about counting calories and preparing meals. The downside to this is that you miss the most important aspect of maintaining a healthy nutrition, shopping and preparing your food. As a result of this, you are never actually on your own.
6. The step diet
Characteristics
The step diet works on a very fundamental and easy to understand principle: Eat less, do more. The principles of the diet are the simplest by all means. Walk 10, 000 steps
daily and cut your eating portions by 25%. The diet focuses on creating n equilibrium in energy consumed and energy gained. There aren’t many exclusions but natural food is given priority over processed food and junk food. Having said that, you can even have a cheat meal once in a while but to offset its effects, you have to walk a greater number of steps. Simple, yet effective!
Advantages
o It is one of the easiest diets to follow.
o The program can be followed for a small mount of time or for a lifetime. There are no phases or levels you have to stick to.
o The diet is suitable for al types of audience. Helps reduce and maintain your weight.
Disadvantages
o Extremely overweight people might not be able to make it to 10,000 steps initially.
Verdict
It is a simple and effective diet plan backed by the medical community. No calorie counting, the only thing you have to count is your steps. You can do 10,000 in one go or break them up; as long as you are doing them daily, there will be gradual results. The book has a lot of useful advice that can be beneficial for a reader aiming to reach his/her ideal weight.
7. Southbeach Diet
Characteristics
The south beach diet is similar to the Atkin’s diet in many ways. This diet restricts the intake of carbohydrates and discourages foods like pasta, potatoes, carrots, rice and bread. These foods remain discouraged throughout the course of this diet. Where the Atkin’s diet makes no distinction between the types of carbohydrate, the Southbeach diet classifies the carbohydrates into 2 broad categories: Carbohydrates with high glycemic index and those with low glycemic index. The carbohydrates with high GI are off the table (they cause blood sugar levels to elevate and drop rapidly). The diet has an induction phase followed by a consolidation phase where the carbohydrates are brought back into the system.
Advantages
o Diet not only promotes weight loss, it also promotes a permanent healthy lifestyle.
o No major food groups are left out in the diet.
Disadvantages
o Initial weight loss is due to water loss. This weight is sometimes gained back during the course of diet which can be a discouraging factor for most dieters.
o Due to restrictive induction phase and water loss, many electrolytes are washed from the body.
Verdict
The diet is suitable for someone willing to make permanent, healthy lifestyle changes. The initial 14-day initial induction phase can be daunting for people who are hooked on a high carbohydrate diet.
8. The Mediterranean Diet
Characteristics
The Mediterranean diet in a nutshell is quite virtually an adoption of the lifestyle of people living along the Mediterranean. This includes their eating patterns, physical activity and general lifestyle. This has proven to reduce problems such as heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The diet recommends natural plant foods and restricts processed foods. Almost all naturally occurring foods are permitted with small portions of fat.
Advantages
o This diet is highly acclaimed by most nutritionists.
o It is a proven diet that is followed by many along the Mediterranean and the results are profoundly in favour of the diet.
o There aren’t many restrictions. The principle is simple as well: Do whatever they do!
Disadvantages
o You’ll have to alter your entire lifestyle to match someone else’s.
Verdict
The best part of this diet is that the results are not only shared by a few hundred test subjects but we have entire generations of population to correlate to. This dietary approach can not only help you with weight loss but also help you with problems such as hypertension, stress, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In short, it is highly recommended.
9. The diet solution program
Characteristics
The diet solution program takes a more holistic approach to dieting and taking into account the mind and the body. It also divides all individuals into different metabolic types; some of us process fat better while some of us process carbohydrates better. As a result the diet is somewhat personalized for each metabolic type. The meal plan is extended over 6 weeks and encourages 3 meals a day with an Omega 3 complex supplement. No calorie counting or exercising is encouraged in the diet plan.
Advantages
o Organic foods are encouraged in the diet. The diet is termed as a natural weight loss regiment.
Disadvantages
o Most claims (especially holistic) made by the diet are mere assumptions. There’s no scientific explanation to it.
o The diet is very rigid and deficient in Calcium.
Verdict
Although this diet has helped many people lose weight and keep it off, there are many critics of the diet. There are many basic inaccuracies found in the book and to make
matters worse, the creator of the diet is not a licensed nutritionist. There might be some useful advice to pick from this diet but to follow it blindly is not recommended at all.
10. Diet-to-go
Characteristics
This diet program addresses the needs of a busy common man looking to lose weight without doing much of a work. The diet includes frozen meal packages that are delivered to the doorstep of the dieter for convenience. The diet is low fat but other alternatives, like vegetarian diet, are also available.
Advantages
o No need to count calories or cook meals. It’s an easy approach to weight loss.
Disadvantages
o Since the meals are delivered, you are never on your own. Sustaining the weight becomes a problem.
o It is a costly alternative.
Verdict
This is an advantageous diet plan for people who are bent on time and always on the go. They can just order their meals and forget about counting calories and preparing meals. The downside to this is that you miss the most important aspect of maintaining a healthy nutrition, shopping and preparing your food. The diet has been criticized as an excuse to sell ready-made meals.
11. Naturally thin diet
Characteristics
The naturally thin diet is primarily made for women and it focuses on principles such as eat whatever you want but offset it with physical exercise. The diet has no calorie counting or no exclusions but the dieter needs to down size his/her portions and follow other simple advice Frankel has to offer. Organic foods are recommended to curb occasional hunger pangs while Frankel has a mostly vegetarian stance on the diet. Exercise is also recommended.
Advantages
o There are many useful tricks and tips that can be easily followed to reduce what you eat (Example: Using smaller plates.)
o There are no exclusions, just mind your portions.
Disadvantages
o Majority of the meals have low protein content and a high level of alcohol which isn’t recommended by most medical experts.
o One of the advices contained in the book is to skip a meal which is again contradictory to the beliefs of most nutritionists.
Verdict
This one could work but why would anyone want to follow a partially flawed diet plan. The small chunks of advice and tips given in the book are quite effective but some of the assumptions are flawed. The diet can be a good platform to extract some useful information that one can incorporate in their eating style but following the whole package is not recommended.
12. The New Beverly Hill’s Diet
Characteristics
Judy Mazel, the founder of the new beverly hill’s diet has very persuasive and encouraging writing style. The main concept of this diet is that the weight problem starts when we mix too many types of foods together which results in improper digestion. The program circulates around this basic assumption. In this diet, an individual is expected to start the day by eating fruits alone, followed by a carbohydrate meal only followed by meals that contain protein only. The program has a strict initial phase of 42 days. The program doesn’t mention any exercise to go with the diet plan.
Advantages
o Diet is rich in nutrients and minerals since a lot of fruit is eaten.
Disadvantages
o Very restrictive and rigid diet and hence it is difficult to sustain it.
o Most theories represented by the program are scientifically flawed.
Verdict
Most nutritionist argue that the weight loss accompanied by this plan is not due to the fact that meals are eaten exclusively but the weight loss is a result of simple healthy eating. There are many exclusions and it is very challenging to follow the diet plan as it is. For people who already have a hard time sticking to a programme, this is definitely not the one to go for.
13. Hallelujah Diet
Characteristics
Hallelujah diet, ‘The God’s way of feeding us’, is based on the assumption that we should be eating raw and living food only. Breakdown of the diet is 15% cooked food while 85% of the food is raw organic food. The program is a low-caloric vegetarian diet. Another characteristic of the plan is to extract juices from vegetables and fruits and consume them in order to extract maximum amount of nutrients from the vegetable or fruit. Heavy supplementation is another feature of this diet. This program also supports daily exercise which should last at least 30 minutes.
Advantages
o There is a lot of supplementation, vegetables and fruits on the diet; so the dieter gets all the essential minerals and vitamins.
Disadvantages
o The diet is very restrictive and hence it can leave you nutritionally deficient.
o It is only meant for vegetarians.
o The diet is protein deficient.
Verdict
Weight loss plans don’t have to be so harsh. To neutralize an off-balance in your life, it is not necessary that you create another off-balance. The true approach is to follow a well-rounded balanced diet. The weight loss in this diet is due to severely restricted calorie intake since the dieter is not consuming and meat or fat. This program cal also lead to muscle breakdown since the body is not getting enough protein through vegetables. Due to all these considerations, this diet plan is not recommended.
14. Oprah’s Weight loss plan
Characteristics
Following the publicly acclaimed weight loss of Oprah, she has quite a bit of advice to offer to her fans and many people are turning to her diet, looking for a solution for their obesity. The diet aims at zero alcohol, eating lean proteins and vegetables, not eating anything white (white bread, refined sugar etc) and keeping of all grains for an initial time of a month. Daily exercise such as aerobics is also recommended by her trader Bob Greener.
Advantages
o Inclusion of exercise speeds up the weight loss.
o The plan is based on simple principle of exercise more than what you eat.
Disadvantages
o The program is plagued by companies trying to sell their supplements and products.
o The plan can be an over-simplification of what Oprah did for her weight loss.
Verdict
It is very enticing to try a diet plan that works on a celebrity, as seen by the whole world but one should always keep the commercial aspect in mind. There can be a lot of things that are not communicated to the general masses so the basic recommendation on this diet plan would be to be cautious and do your complete research if you are bent on following it.
15. Glycemic Index Diet
Characteristics
Also known as the GI diet, the glycemic index diet relies on a carbohydrate ranking based on the effect it has on an individual’s blood sugar level. As every carbohydrate is converted into sugar, each carbohydrate has its own characteristic time which it takes to be converted to sugar. Moreover, each carbohydrate causes a certain spike in a person’s blood sugar level. Greater the spike, more quickly the carbohydrate is converted to sugar and higher the glycemic value of the food. The GI diet promotes low GI foods such as whole grains, raw fruits and fresh vegetables.
Advantages
o Can be beneficial for Diabetics or people with a family history of Diabetes.
Disadvantages
o The diet focuses on GI of a food while ignoring many other aspects that need attention.
o GI is not a scientifically proven tool or measure for weight loss. It is only beneficial for diabetics.
Verdict
Critics argue that the weight loss by this program is not due to the fact that you are eating low GI food, but it is because you’re eating healthy. There is a serious debate in the medical community over the issue of relevance of GI to weight loss and there’s no concrete evidence that there is any correlation between the two.
16. Anne Fletcher’s Thin for Life
Characteristics
Anne Fletcher advocates high flavour, low-risk eating foods in this diet. Some examples of such foods are skimmed milk, bananas, lean rye bread, low-fat yogurt and spinach. The program insists on eating low-fat food while cutting calories and exercise regiments such as Yoga and tai chi are also recommended. The book is an expansion of inspiring stories taken from masters of weight loss and the true essence of Anne Fletcher’s book is its 10 keys to success contained in the book.
Advantages
o Many inspiring stories will help you keep motivated.
o The diet is very methodical with no drastic changes that are hard to adopt.
Disadvantages
o Immediate results are uncertain since the program doesn’t exclude many problematic foods.
Verdict
The book is a great resource of success stories, inspiration and advice shared by many experts and common people who have shed weight in the past. The method is quite simple and there is no hardcore calculations, maths or exercising so it is something that can be adopted with ease.
17. Sugar Busters
Characteristics
Much of the focus of this programme is on sugars. Sugar Busters restricts all types of processed and synthetic sugar foods. Also, some natural foods such as honey, white rice and other processed grain foods are prohibited. The diet focuses on a high-protein intake. Sugar Buster’s main aim is to keep insulin levels low so that the chance of converting glycogen (extracted from eaten food) into fat is kept to a minimum.
Advantages
o The diet can lower chances of diabetes.
o The diet can improve cholesterol levels.
Disadvantages
o The program is a mere 1200-calorie diet, so be prepared to be hungry!
o Sugar Busters is a high-protein diet which can result in Calcium excretion from the body and resulting side effects can include kidney and liver problems.
Verdict
The diet is great for anyone who can’t stop themselves from having that choco-fudge cake. It can also be a good diet for anyone who can survive a high protein diet for a long period of time. The diet has also been critiqued for its claims that “our body can make distinction between natural and processed sugars” and a few other statements but there’s nothing majorly wrong with the diet. The calorie count is somewhat low (1200 calories) and the food exclusions are on a higher side.
18. Dr Phil’s Ultimate weight solution
Characteristics
While a lot has been said about emotion and feelings in this diet (quite understandably), the diet focuses on high yielding foods that are unprocessed and closest to their natural form. Fats and oils have been restricted while on-the-go foods are discouraged as well. Planning the meal has been emphasized by Dr Phil while he addresses the problem of people’s basic attitude and behaviour towards food. Other Don’ts include impulse eating and medical issues that lead to over-eating and obesity.
Advantages
o Dr Phil takes a very wide and well-rounded approach to tackle other important issues related to obesity.
o Not only a diet plan, but also a self-help book.
Disadvantages
o There are no short term promises to keep you motivated.
Verdict
The weight solution is a great tool if you want to make permanent behaviour changes to your lifestyle. It’s not only about what you eat? Dr Phil also answers questions like why we eat. A good advice for anyone seeking permanent changes but is willing to close his/her eyes for the short term
19. Zone Diet
Characteristics
The Zone diet is a Metabolism boosting diet. This major focus of this diet plan is to re-configure your body’s metabolism. Macronutrient breakdown of this diet is 30% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 30% fat. You don’t have to eat fewer Calories, according to the founder Barry Sears; you just have to re-adjust the type of calories you take. Each meal is accompanied by a portion of protein and carbohydrates (The broad category of ‘Carbs’ has been broken down into ‘Favorable Carbohydrates’ and ‘Unfavorable Carbohydrates’). Trans-fats are kept to a minimum and whole-wheat foods are recommended.
Advantages
o The diet is easy to follow.
o Eating proportions are easy to measure and incorporate.
o A broad range of foods are allowed.
Disadvantages
o Over simplified diet plan that theorizes on controlling energy and blood glucose only while disregarding other important factors.
Verdict
The diet is great for someone who has a hard time sticking to a diet plan. There are a few ‘surprising’ foods available in the plan, for example, ice cream. Although there’s no solid scientific evidence to support the theory on which this diet is based, but it has helped many people. Most Nutritionists have an ‘OK’ stance to this diet.
20. The Duke Diet
Characteristics
The Duke Diet came into being in 1969 and since then it has been operating many centres and online support to people. The plan is characterised by special attention to issues like daily exercise, eating behaviour and medical conditions. Fat foods are to be eaten in moderation while the focus of the diet is towards fresh fruits and vegetables. There’s a newer low-carb diet available as well. There are many recipes available as well as all the meals are to be prepared yourself.
Advantages
o In-expensive with many options to choose from (e-book, online subscription, joining a centre etc)
o Exercise is recommended and basic behavioural approach of each individual is also addressed.
o Oldest and longest running weight loss centre with reliable results.
Disadvantages
o As with all the programs, a lot of self motivation is required to actually cook the food and follow daily exercise regiment.
Verdict
If relying on a diet plan is your problem then this diet can be for you. The program has a long history of satisfied clients who have lost weight and sustained it. There’s a lot of support available as well. Online subscription is quite cheap and a good way to keep a check on yourself. If that doesn’t work out, one can always subscribe to their centres.
21. Denise Austin diet
Characteristics
This is more of a fitness program rather than a diet plan. It includes an exercise plan with 12 strength training and toning exercises. The program revolves around these exercises mainly and the diet part is just an add-on. There are many online tools to help you along the way while tracking your progress.
Advantages
o Has a proper exercise plan which has to be followed.
o There’s a lot of online support.
Disadvantages
o The diet part isn’t the focus.
o Aims at a smaller demographic; people (women specifically) who can move about and perform strenuous exercises.
Verdict
The program is suited for women who want to lose weight by exercising. The diet isn’t anything out of the extra-ordinary. It just tells you to eat organic and refrain from processed foods.
22. Medifast Diet
Characteristics
Medifast diet is a hardcore diet that has less of a method to it. It is a low-calorie, high-protein and low carb diet which has no associated calorie counting. Only a limited 800 – 1000 calories are allowed. The idea is to put the body in a state where it rapidly loses fat but its muscle content is preserved. Meal replacement products are also available through Medifast website and support. Selection in vegetables is also limited as high carbohydrate vegetables are not allowed while sugar is strictly off the chart. Carbohydrate and calories are added once the body moves closer to its ideal weight. Along with the diet, exercise is also recommended.
Advantages
o Initial weight loss is rapid.
o You still get to eat roasted, grilled meat.
o No calorie counting, portion-sizing; hence, it is hassle-free.
Disadvantages
o You may feel energy less in the initial period of the diet due to the caloric deficit.
o Many vegetables and fruits are excluded; as a result your body is deprived of many essential minerals and vitamins.
Verdict
Medifast diet is ideal for someone who likes eating lean proteins in most of the meals. Initial phase is hard to pass but you get the results quick-enough to feel a sense of achievement. There’s no calorie counting, no portion sizing so there is less of a hassle associated with this diet.
23. Baby Food diet
Characteristics
As strange as it may seem, this diet advocates the replacement of some or all meals of the day with baby food. Tiny portions of baby food are recommended to be consumed throughout the day while keeping a check on the calories. The theory behind this is that unhealthy snacking and meals can altogether be replaced by baby food. The diet is getting a lot of attention from celebrities and is one of the trendiest diets these days.
Advantages
o Baby food has a lot of healthy nutrients and minerals and the tiny portions of the food might help someone curb his/her appetite.
Disadvantages
o The diet can’t be followed for a long period of time.
o Baby food lacks fibre.
o It is quite easy to over-eat pureed food if things are not kept in check.
Verdict
This is another fad diet which is bound to lose its trendiness quite soon. Its impracticality is the most important issue. For how long can you eat baby food? After all it is meant for babies. The second problem is that there are no strict guidelines. Should we replace a carrot with a small jar of baby food or should we replace an ice cream with 3 jars of baby food? This diet isn’t worth trying and should be replaced by some other diet by a well-renowned nutritionist.
24. Ornish Diet
Characteristics
Created by Dean Ornish, this diet is characterized by a very low percentage of Fat (less than 10 %) and the permitted foods are dominated by vegetables and fruits. Other permitted foods include high fibre and whole-grain foods. Unlike majority of the diets, this one urges you to engage in some sort of physical exercise for at least 30 minutes daily. Recommended exercise is one that is prolonged and slow in tempo in order to trigger fat burn and to support a healthier metabolism. Almost all kind of meat is to be avoided while sticking to Ornish’s plan. Bigger meals are broken down into many smaller meals so the body doesn’t go into starvation mode.
Advantages
o Includes mandatory exercise which triggers the fat burning process and as a result you lose weight faster.
Disadvantages
o The plan is very rigid and as a result it is hard to follow.
o Ornish doesn’t make any distinction between good fat and bad fats. All kind of Fats are prohibited in the plan.
Verdict
The diet is ideal for vegetarians or someone looking forward to be one. Restricted intake of meat is not very welcoming for people who like to eat a lot of lean proteins. With restricted Fats, foods like Nuts and dairy products are also to be carefully watched. Regardless of its rigidness, the diet plan is well-appreciated by the medical community.
25. Weight Watchers
Characteristics
This diet plan is all about keeping a point score for all the foods you eat. All possible foods are assigned points based on their Caloric value, Nutritional value and fullness factor. Each weight watcher avails his/her points based on this overall chart. The program works on creating a Caloric Deficit where you lose more than what you eat.
Advantages
o Many supporting tools (Calculators, mobile apps etc) are available to keep you interested.
o Mathematical aspect of point counting simplifies questions like how much should I eat and what I should eat.
o You can choose anything to eat as long as you are in the frame of allotted points.
Disadvantages
o The point counting methodology is hard to follow for some people.
Verdict
The program was revamped in 2010 and many important changes were made to the program. Recent research and scientific advancements have been incorporated in the new format of the program. This diet program is on many dieticians’ favourites’ list.
About the Author
Gohar Khan is a fitness enthusiaist and a nutrition consultant. He has helped many (Including himself!) with weight loss and fitness issues. He can be contacted at gohrkhan@gmail.com.
