Diets from A to Z
The Nutrisystem Diet
The Promise
Nutrisystem aims to simplify weight loss. You don't have to decide whether foods will fit your diet. You don't have to count calories or carbs. For the most part, you don't have to make sure you're eating proper portion sizes. But you also can't eat whatever you want to.
That's because you buy most of your food from Nutrisystem. The company ships it to your door. Each day, you eat a Nutrisystem breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. You also add side items like fresh fruits and veggies and snacks that you buy from the grocery store.
The downside: You're discouraged from eating out, and advised to mostly avoid alcohol.
The plan is not for pregnant women, people with chronic kidney disease, or anyone with certain allergies or diet needs. It's not for children under 14, though Nutrisystem offers programs for teens ages 14 to 17.
That's because you buy most of your food from Nutrisystem. The company ships it to your door. Each day, you eat a Nutrisystem breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. You also add side items like fresh fruits and veggies and snacks that you buy from the grocery store.
The downside: You're discouraged from eating out, and advised to mostly avoid alcohol.
The plan is not for pregnant women, people with chronic kidney disease, or anyone with certain allergies or diet needs. It's not for children under 14, though Nutrisystem offers programs for teens ages 14 to 17.
Does It Work?
Yes. If you can stick to the prepackaged meals and add only healthy
foods, you should lose weight. The meals you'll eat are good for you,
nutrition-wise. It can be harder to make the transition to eating "real
food" when you get closer to your weight-loss goal and don't rely on
meals already made for you.
What You Can Eat and What You Can't?
Go Paleo, and you'll eat a lot of fresh lean meats and fish, fruits, and vegetables, and healthier fats.
You can also eat:
Eggs
Nuts and seeds
Healthier oils, including olive oil and coconut oil
You can't eat any processed foods on this diet. And since our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, not farmers, say goodbye to wheat and dairy, along with other grains and legumes (such as peanuts and beans). Other foods to avoid:
Dairy
Refined sugar
Potatoes
Salt
Refined vegetable oils, such as canola
You can also eat:
Eggs
Nuts and seeds
Healthier oils, including olive oil and coconut oil
You can't eat any processed foods on this diet. And since our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, not farmers, say goodbye to wheat and dairy, along with other grains and legumes (such as peanuts and beans). Other foods to avoid:
Dairy
Refined sugar
Potatoes
Salt
Refined vegetable oils, such as canola
Level of Effort: Moderate
There's no calorie counting, and the fiber-rich fruits and vegetables will fill you up, as will the lean meat.
Limitations: The Paleo Diet allows for some cheating, especially at first. When you're just starting, you can eat what you want for 3 meals a week. Cordain calls those "open meals." Or you can challenge yourself to just one "open meal" per week.
Shopping and cooking: You'll need to stock up on the allowed foods and cook from scratch, so plan for kitchen time.
Packaged foods or meals? None. Processed foods are a no-no.
In-person meetings? None.
Exercise: Not required when you're losing weight. But Cordain strongly recommends it to maintain weight loss and for overall health.
Limitations: The Paleo Diet allows for some cheating, especially at first. When you're just starting, you can eat what you want for 3 meals a week. Cordain calls those "open meals." Or you can challenge yourself to just one "open meal" per week.
Shopping and cooking: You'll need to stock up on the allowed foods and cook from scratch, so plan for kitchen time.
Packaged foods or meals? None. Processed foods are a no-no.
In-person meetings? None.
Exercise: Not required when you're losing weight. But Cordain strongly recommends it to maintain weight loss and for overall health.
Does It Allow for Dietary Restrictions or Preferences?
Vegetarian or
vegan: This diet emphasizes meat and fish, and Cordain says it's
impossible to follow a Paleo Diet without eating meat, seafood, or eggs. Excellent vegetarian sources of protein, such as beans and other legumes, are not allowed.
Low-salt diet: The diet doesn't allow salt, so it may help you cut down on sodium. If you do eat any foods that come from a can or a box, you would still need to check the sodium on food labels.
Low-salt diet: The diet doesn't allow salt, so it may help you cut down on sodium. If you do eat any foods that come from a can or a box, you would still need to check the sodium on food labels.
What Else You Should Know?
Costs: Eating a lot of meat and fish can raise your grocery bill.
Support: You can do this diet on your own. If you want to connect to your fellow Paleos, there are Paleo Diet forums online.
Support: You can do this diet on your own. If you want to connect to your fellow Paleos, there are Paleo Diet forums online.
The Flat Belly Diet
The Promise
Eat fat and lose weight. That's the promise of the Flat Belly Diet.
Now for the fine print: The kind of fat matters. The plan focuses on monounsaturated fats, which you get from olive oil, nuts, and other plant foods.
Authors Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, claim that in 32 days, you can lose up to 15 pounds and drop belly fat by following their plan:
Eat 400 calories per meal, four times per day (daily total: 1,600).
Don't go longer than 4 hours without eating.
Eat monounsaturated fats at every meal.
Now for the fine print: The kind of fat matters. The plan focuses on monounsaturated fats, which you get from olive oil, nuts, and other plant foods.
Authors Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, claim that in 32 days, you can lose up to 15 pounds and drop belly fat by following their plan:
Eat 400 calories per meal, four times per day (daily total: 1,600).
Don't go longer than 4 hours without eating.
Eat monounsaturated fats at every meal.
Does It Work?
Any weight loss plan can help you whittle your waist. But no diet is proven to specifically target that area, and monounsaturated fats don't have any special effect on belly fat.
It's likely that if you do lose 15 pounds in 32 days, you're mostly losing water weight, which you may regain. Losing 1-2 pounds per week will take you longer to reach your goal, but you're losing actual fat.
It's likely that if you do lose 15 pounds in 32 days, you're mostly losing water weight, which you may regain. Losing 1-2 pounds per week will take you longer to reach your goal, but you're losing actual fat.
What You CanEat and What You Can't?
First, you target bloating for four days. During that time, you can't add salt to any food and you must avoid:
Processed foods
Foods that can make you gassy, like beans, broccoli, and onions
Carbs like pasta, bananas, and bagels
You must also drink 2 liters of water mixed with ginger root, cucumber, lemon, and mint leaves, which the book calls "sassy water."
After that, you eat a Mediterranean-style diet for 4 weeks with 1,600 calories per day. The menu includes items like Greek Lemon Chicken and Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake.
Processed foods
Foods that can make you gassy, like beans, broccoli, and onions
Carbs like pasta, bananas, and bagels
You must also drink 2 liters of water mixed with ginger root, cucumber, lemon, and mint leaves, which the book calls "sassy water."
After that, you eat a Mediterranean-style diet for 4 weeks with 1,600 calories per day. The menu includes items like Greek Lemon Chicken and Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake.
Level of Effort: Medium
The diet loosens up a little after 4 days. You'll still need to eat often and include monounsaturated fats, and hit the calorie mark precisely every day.
Limitations: The first 4 days are very restrictive. After that, you must eat 400 calories every 4 hours and include monounsaturated fats with every meal. A busy or unpredictable schedule can make this challenging.
Cooking and shopping: The diet includes recipes, ideas for snacks, and tips for ordering fast food.
Packaged foods or meals? Certain brands of food are recommended, but not required.
In-person meetings? No.
Exercise: It's not required. But the book includes a "flat belly workout" to support the diet.
Limitations: The first 4 days are very restrictive. After that, you must eat 400 calories every 4 hours and include monounsaturated fats with every meal. A busy or unpredictable schedule can make this challenging.
Cooking and shopping: The diet includes recipes, ideas for snacks, and tips for ordering fast food.
Packaged foods or meals? Certain brands of food are recommended, but not required.
In-person meetings? No.
Exercise: It's not required. But the book includes a "flat belly workout" to support the diet.
Does It Allow for Dietary Restrictions or Preferences?
Vegetarians and vegans: The plan suggests substitutions that work for these diets.
Low-salt diet: You're not supposed to add salt to anything you cook. You still need to check the label on other foods to see how much sodium they have.
Low-fat diet: This is not a low-fat diet, but the type of fat is heart-healthy. You eat monounsaturated fats at every meal, and you need to watch your portion sizes so you don't get too many calories.
Low-salt diet: You're not supposed to add salt to anything you cook. You still need to check the label on other foods to see how much sodium they have.
Low-fat diet: This is not a low-fat diet, but the type of fat is heart-healthy. You eat monounsaturated fats at every meal, and you need to watch your portion sizes so you don't get too many calories.
What Else You Should Know?
Cost: None except your groceries. Olive oil, nuts, and avocados may add to your bill. You could save by cutting back on other foods that the diet doesn't emphasize.
Support: You do this diet on your own.
Support: You do this diet on your own.
The Grapefruit Diet
The Promise
Get ready to hit the citrus section of your grocery store. You'll be there a lot if you're thinking about this diet.
The grapefruit diet has outlasted most fad diets. People were even trying it back in the 1930s.
Its fans claim that grapefruit contains certain enzymes that, when eaten before other foods, help burn off fat.
The diet, which has several variations, lasts 10-12 days and claims to help you lose as much as 10 pounds.
Before you head for the citrus aisle, you need to get the facts, especially about the diet's fat-burning claim.
The grapefruit diet has outlasted most fad diets. People were even trying it back in the 1930s.
Its fans claim that grapefruit contains certain enzymes that, when eaten before other foods, help burn off fat.
The diet, which has several variations, lasts 10-12 days and claims to help you lose as much as 10 pounds.
Before you head for the citrus aisle, you need to get the facts, especially about the diet's fat-burning claim.
Does It Work?
Sorry, but grapefruit doesn't burn fat.
There have been a few studies about grapefruit and weight loss. In
one, obese people who ate half a grapefruit before meals for 12 weeks
lost significantly more weight than those who didn't eat or drink any
grapefruit products.
It may be that the water in grapefruit helps you feel full, and then you eat less. But if you're hoping that grapefruit will melt fat, you're going to be disappointed.
Trying to lose 10 pounds in 10 days isn't healthy. Even if it worked, you'd be likely to gain it all back, as with any fad diet. For lasting results, it's much better to lose weight at a slower, steadier rate, focusing on a plan you can live with for life.
What You Can Eat and What You Can't?
You'd better like grapefruit - a lot. Most versions of this diet recommend eating it with every meal.
The classic version of the diet involves:
Cutting back on sugar and carbs (including rice, potatoes, and pasta)
Avoiding certain foods, such as celery and white onion
Eating more of foods that are high in protein, fat, and / or cholesterol (such as eggs, pork, and red meat)
Eating grapefruit or grapefruit juice before or with every meal
Most variations also cut calories, some to as low as 800 calories per day.
On the diet, you also drink 8 glasses of water and 1 cup of coffee daily
The classic version of the diet involves:
Cutting back on sugar and carbs (including rice, potatoes, and pasta)
Avoiding certain foods, such as celery and white onion
Eating more of foods that are high in protein, fat, and / or cholesterol (such as eggs, pork, and red meat)
Eating grapefruit or grapefruit juice before or with every meal
Most variations also cut calories, some to as low as 800 calories per day.
On the diet, you also drink 8 glasses of water and 1 cup of coffee daily
Level of Effort: Medium
Some versions of the grapefruit diet are really strict. Others are fairly flexible. Either way, you'll need to have a taste for the tart fruit.
Limitations: These depend on what version of the grapefruit diet you do.
Some versions curb carbs and bulk up on high-fat, high-cholesterol foods or cut calories drastically. Others just ask you to eat grapefruit at or before every meal, and you can pretty much eat whatever you want otherwise. The classic version involves combining foods (to get the alleged fat-burning effect), such as bacon and salad.
Cooking and shopping: You'll be putting a lot of grapefruit in your shopping cart, but there's not a lot of extra prep work.
Packaged foods and meals? No.
In-person meetings? No.
Exercise: Not required.
Limitations: These depend on what version of the grapefruit diet you do.
Some versions curb carbs and bulk up on high-fat, high-cholesterol foods or cut calories drastically. Others just ask you to eat grapefruit at or before every meal, and you can pretty much eat whatever you want otherwise. The classic version involves combining foods (to get the alleged fat-burning effect), such as bacon and salad.
Cooking and shopping: You'll be putting a lot of grapefruit in your shopping cart, but there's not a lot of extra prep work.
Packaged foods and meals? No.
In-person meetings? No.
Exercise: Not required.
Does It Allow for Dietary Restrictions or Preferences?
Vegetarians and vegans: The original version of the diet includes meat. Vegetarians and vegans would need to tweak the diet to make it work for them.
Gluten-free: Some versions of the diet cut back on carbs, including carbs that contain gluten. But the diet doesn't ban gluten. You'll need to check food labels if you're trying to avoid gluten completely.
Gluten-free: Some versions of the diet cut back on carbs, including carbs that contain gluten. But the diet doesn't ban gluten. You'll need to check food labels if you're trying to avoid gluten completely.
What Else You Should Know?
Cost: Grapefruit doesn't cost a lot, depending on the season and where you live.
Support: This is a diet you do on your own.
Support: This is a diet you do on your own.
How to lose weight
More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese. In
fact, the furor over obesity, which some have termed an "epidemic," has
reached such proportions that one big-city mayor has gone about banning
large-sized, sugary soft drinks and the First Lady has been on a
crusade to control the dietary offerings in public schools.
Even many adults who do not fit the clinic definition of obese are still overweight, and a large percentage are looking for the best ways to lose weight.
Even many adults who do not fit the clinic definition of obese are still overweight, and a large percentage are looking for the best ways to lose weight.
Shedding pounds largely comes down to the two-pronged factors of diet and exercise. Not modifying the first one enough, and not getting enough of the second one, ends up giving the individual a recipe for being overweight.Conditions related to obesity include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Counseling someone to eat less and exercise more might be the simplest advice possible, but it's also, partially, an oversimplification. When it comes to diet, no one needs to starve themselves in order to lose weight. It has more to do with the types of food you eat than how much you eat.
Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet. If you don't want to eliminate red meat altogether, choose cuts of meat with less fat content. Limit your intake of salt and starches. If you've got to have potato chips alongside your sandwich at lunch, opt for the baked potato chips that are less greasy and contain less fat than the deep-fried chips. You might find you're really not sacrificing that much in terms of taste.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, egg whites, skinless poultry, fish and nonfat dairy products will certainly aid in the mission of losing weight. Drink more water and less sugary drinks. If you have to have a soda, a diet soda is a better option, but seltzer is an even better choice than that.
In terms of exercise, it's important-if not always easy-to make sure you get at least some physical activity each and every day. Cardio and strength training burn lots of calories. If your feet or your stamina level won't allow for a regular jogging regimen, then make sure you take lots of walks. Next time you need to mail a letter, walk to the mailbox instead of driving. Try to work in a daily walk in your neighborhood. And if you intend on more rigorous, formal exercising at the gym or fitness center, be sure to pace yourself and don't build up to an overly ambitious workout agenda too quickly.
There are thousands of diet fads among us. However, sometimes the best advice is common sense. Work towards a healthy diet and integrate regular exercise. You would be surprised at the results small changes can make.
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