The Low-Down On Diet Comparison.

Low carbs and high protein is the way to lose weight, or so you'll hear from one diet guru, and he has the testimonials to back it up. Low fat, lots of carbs and fresh fruits and veggies, says another - and he's got the back up from satisfied users, too. A third swears that you need to count the amount of sugar; another tells you the enemy is white flour - if you want to lose real weight and keep it off, who do you listen to?
 
Take a look at the brief summaries below for a quick overview of the pros and cons of each of the popular types of diet plans.
 
Low Carb-Hi Protein Diets
 
Diets like the Atkins, the South Beach and the Zone Diet all recommend restricted carbohydrates and allow liberal amounts of protein, including protein derived from animal sources. Generally, they limit the overall amount of carbohydrates, or teach you to differentiate between "good" and "bad" carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates, which are forbidden, include white flour, white bread, and white sugar.
 
Pros: The diets all encourage learning healthy eating as part of losing weight. Deriving most of your daily calories from high fiber sources of carbs like leafy green vegetables and grains is generally considered the best diet for nutrition by the established medical community. The popularity of the diets makes it easy to find low-carb foods.
 
Cons: The allowance of eating all the protein and fats you like flies in the face of conventional medical wisdom. A diet high in saturated fats could lead to heart disease, diabetes, gout and other chronic health conditions. Following the diets' cautions and advice to keep portions reasonable should mitigate that concern, though.
 
Weight Loss "Programs"

Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Weight Watchers, SlimFast and a number of other weight loss programs rely heavily on pre-packaged 'diet' foods. They incorporate professional coaching, social structure and reinforcement.
 
Pros: The professional coaching and nutritional benefits are a big plus, as are the reinforcement and support aspect of the diets. Meals and supplements are prepackaged in the right proportions, and if you stick to the diets and exercise as directed you will lose weight.
 
Cons: The weekly fees and cost of meals can be expensive. In addition, if you rely completely on the packaged foods, you miss out on the re-education of your eating habits, which is important to maintaining any weight lost.
 
The Real Mayo Clinic Diet

This is not the diet that has circulated for the past thirty or more years and purported to have originated at the Mayo Clinic! The true Mayo Clinic's nutrition and diet center recommends a healthy eating weight loss plan based on limiting fats, proteins and carbohydrates, counting calories and deriving most of the daily nutrition from vegetables, grains and fruit.
 
Pros: There's no 'diet'. Instead, you're encouraged to take control of your eating. Portion control and sensible balance of nutrients are the cornerstones of a weight loss plan that takes weight off gradually, and helps you keep it off permanently.
 
Cons: It may be difficult to stay on the diet. Counting calories and portions can be difficult if you're eating out or on the run.
 
There are many diets that promise to take weight off quickly and painlessly, without exercise or changing your eating habits. The three major variations of diets above all will result in 1-2 pounds of loss per week, which most doctors believe is the optimum way to lose weight for long lasting results.

Start Losing Weight Today!

I'll start my diet on Monday. How many times have you told yourself that? Right after New Years', I swear. Tomorrow. Are you tired of hearing yourself say the same old excuses day after day, month after month, year after year? If so, listen up! Here are five things you can do to start losing weight today!
 
Activate.
 
The most important ingredient in your weight loss plan is exercise. If you think that's a dirty word, it's time to clean it up. Exercise is just what you do every time you move. Starting today, resolve to activate your life. Leave the car keys behind and walk to the corner store. Race yourself to get your housework done in ten minutes less time (because the more vigorous your movement, the more calories you burn). Get off the elevator one floor early and walk up the stairs. Every extra active thing you do will burn calories - and the more calories you burn, the more weight you'll lose.
 
When you're ready to really activate, get a physical workout designed with your interests in mind. Join a gym, take up a sport, or walk 10,000 steps a day. But don't wait until you think you can do it all. Just take a few extra steps today.
 
Motivate.
 
Grab a pen and notebook and start writing down all the reasons you should lose weight. Don't stop till you get to ten, at the very least. Here are some suggestions:
 
1. I’ll be healthier - losing as little as 10 pounds can decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes and a host of other weight-related illnesses.
 
2. I’ll save money. Super-size costs more - whether it's an extra $2 for the nightgown you want or having to travel first class for the seat space.
 
3. I’ll be able to keep up with my kids. It takes energy to keep up with kids, and extra weight saps your energy. Lose ten pounds and see how much better you feel.
 
4. I’ll get back into my favorite jeans.
 
5. I’ll find souvenir t-shirts that fit anywhere I go.
 
Cogitate.
 
Got your ten reasons? Don't stop writing. Keep that pen and notebook with you all day and write down every single thing you put into your mouth. Just for one day. You'll be surprised at all the 'unexpected' calories you catch yourself eating. The last two French fries on your son's plate. The two bites of chicken you tasted to make sure of the seasoning. The 'just one bite' of your husband's ice cream cone. The handful of potato chips you snagged from the bowl on your way by. Write down every single bite for one day to make yourself aware of all the food that you didn't even realize you were eating. Once you find it, you can start cutting it out.
 
Educate.
 
Take a trip to the Internet and visit these educational sites:
 
The American Heart Association
The USDA Food Pyramid
iVillage Diet and Nutrition section
The Diet Channel
The South Beach Diet web site
The Atkins Diet web site
The Mayo Clinic web site's Diet and Nutrition pages
 
Educate yourself about healthy diets and weight loss, and find a diet that you believe you can live with for the rest of your life. It's the only way that you'll lose weight and keep it off permanently.

Salivate.
 
If you think that diet food is boring, find a good low-fat cookbook and start re-educating your taste-buds. Healthy, low-fat, low-carb cooking is delicious - prove it to yourself with a recipe for dinner. While you're at it, pick one for tomorrow night, too. You can start your diet AGAIN
tomorrow!

What’s 100 Calories A Day?

According to the American Dietetic Association, the difference between weight loss and weight gain can be as little as 100 calories a day. Most Americans suffer from 'weight creep' - those nagging pounds that creep on over the years - at an average of about 2 pounds per year. That's 20 pounds in ten years. 40 pounds in 20. Can you afford to weigh 40 pounds more than you do now in twenty years?
 
The difference could be as simple as cutting out 100 calories a day from your daily diet - or adding 100 calories a day to your daily routine - or a combination of both. How hard is it to cut 100 calories a day out of your diet? Take a look.
 
Are you a coffee lover? If you drink your coffee with whole milk, you can save 100 calories a day by drinking two cups with skim milk instead.
 
Do you drink non-diet soft drinks? One 16 ounce Pepsi is 250 calories. Skip one Pepsi a day and you'll be cutting out two and a half times the suggested calorie reduction.
 
Substitute a plain donut for a jelly donut. You'll cut out 120 calories. Think you're doing better by choosing the lighter croissant? Think again. A croissant has as many calories as a jelly donut - 289.
 
If you eat out at Mickey D's, skip the dressing on your salad, or you might as well have a burger. One packet of French dressing has 160 calories.
 
If you go out with the guys, drink one less beer. Each 12 oz beer, even a light brand, averages 100 calories.
 
Want to burn it up instead of avoiding it? Here's how much time you need to spend at various activities to burn 100 calories.
 
Swimming energetically for just 15 minutes will burn 100 calories.
 
You can burn 100 calories for every hour that you do housework.
 
Only have ten minutes? Jump rope. At 700 calories per hour, you can burn up 100 calories in just 10 minutes!
 
Knit for an hour and fifteen minutes. At 85 calories an hour, it's not a major calorie burner, but if you combine that with the potato chips you can't munch while you're knitting you could be saving some substantial calories.
 
Stay late at the office for an extra forty - unless of course, you're missing your workout at the gym. An hour of office work burns about 140 calories.
 
Hop on the trampoline for fifteen minutes. Moderate aerobics exercise burns 400 calories an hour. Put on some music and dance on the tramp through four songs and you'll be doing great.
 
Go for a 10 minute walk - but aim for a brisk pace. Power walking burns 600 calories an hour. You can burn 100 in ten minutes.
 
Play a round of golf at the club. Half an hour of golfing - without a golf cart - burns 120 calories.
 
The beauty of it all is that you can build any of the suggestions above into your daily routine, and create a healthy habit that will keep off extra pounds and take off those that you want to lose now.

The Diet Experts Agree More Than They Admit!

Lately, I've been hearing a lot about how wrong for our bodies the current recommendations from our most respected medical institutions are. Well-known diet gurus and nutritional researchers have stepped up to the plate to declare that the high carbohydrate, low fat diet regimens recommended by such institutions as the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the United States Department of Agriculture are misinformed, and frankly unhealthy.
 
Instead, they charge, our diets should include lots of high quality protein, fat should not concern us, and carbohydrates are the enemy. This has set the stage for battles between the weight loss industry and the health industry - with the only agreement between them seeming to be the need to lose weight.
 
The problem is - they're both wrong. And they're both right. The most regularly leveled criticisms of each seem legitimate - until you examine the recommended diets in depth. Sit down and look at the recommended menus. Take them to the calorie calculators and compare ingredients and nutrients. I did, and what I found was a revelation.
 
In the most practical sense, they're all talking about the same diet.
 
Oh, there are minor variations that have been grossly blown out of proportion by the advertising hype. There are misinterpretations that have been stated as fact. The bottom line of each and every one of the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the American Diabetes Association diet, and the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Diet -- all of them - is to derive the greatest portion of your caloric intake for the day from low carbohydrate vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage - leafy green. Carrots, summer squash, deep rich orange vegetables. Fruits with high calorie and antioxidant counts. Whole grains - and this is where the controversy seems to arise.
 
Almost without exception, proponents of the low carb diets for weight loss and maintenance have condemned the recommended diets for suggesting that adults should derive the greater portion of their diets from carbohydrates. What they fail to note is that also without exception, each of those 'healthy' diets strongly suggest avoiding white breads, starchy, processed foods, sweet snacks high in sugar and preservatives, and white rice.
 
On the other hand, the medical community has roundly condemned the low carb diets for encouraging the consumption of a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol. But there is also a strong suggestion in each of those diets along the lines of "eat only until you are no longer hungry". .. and a minimum consumption of vegetables. Dinner's minimum suggested amount of vegetables is 2 1/2 cups. How hungry will you be after consuming two and a half cups of vegetable?
 
In the end, the bottom line of every weight loss program advertised is the same:
* Eat a well-balanced diet where most of the calories are derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
* Eat fewer calories than you expend.
* Exercise moderately every day.
* Learn to eat that way as a lifestyle and you will lose weight—and keep it off!

Diet Food Doesn’t Have To Be Boring!

Not too long ago, my mother and I were talking about food and diets. "Your grandmother used to feed you pasta five nights a week," my mother insisted.
 
"She did not!" I exclaimed, stung. After all, I remembered my grandmother as a wonderfully varied cook who could make anything taste wonderful. She served all sorts of meals, not just pasta! There was spaghetti, of course - she was Italian, after all. But she also made Ziti with vegetables. And Linguine. And tuna casserole with. ..elbow macaroni. By the time I'd finished naming off a typical week's worth of menus, I had to concede my mother's point - but I made mine as well. "But... it didn't FEEL like we were eating pasta every night!"
 
There's a point to this story, I promise, and here it comes:
 
One of the biggest reasons that people slip off their diets and eating plans is BOREDOM.
 
It's very easy to look at the foods allowed on your diet and see it as restrictive and boring. Chicken four nights a week. Fish three times a week. Green leafy vegetables till they're coming out of your ears. Who wouldn't get bored?
 
The answer is - anyone with a good set of cookbooks and a healthy imagination. Perk up your cabinet with spices and fill your refrigerator with fresh fruits and vegetables, then look for novel ways to combine them.
 
Here are a handful of tips for non-boring, healthy, low-cal eating:
 
1. Spice it up!

Spices are one of the quickest ways out of the diet doldrums. Rosemary and fennel with chicken, mint rubbed into pork, pepper and lemon mint on fresh fish - the 'blander' the food, the higher the effect of the spices.
 
2. Dress it up.

Fruit vinaigrette dressings make wonderful marinades for meats and dressings for warm or cold vegetables. Try broccoli drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette or cabbage spiced up with apple vinegar and pepper.
 
2. Herb-infused olive oils - tarragon, ginger, fennel and more.

My brother the chef gave me a set of three oils for Christmas one year and it completely changed the way I’ll cook forever!
 
4. Low sodium soy sauce is a great way to flavor up just about anything.
 
5. Fruit

The bitterness of dark leafy greens like spinach were practically designed to be eaten with mandarin oranges, raspberries or chunks of pineapple.
 
Still need some help? Here is a list of the absolute best cookbooks on the market to help you fight those diet boredom blues!
 
The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook
This cookbook features polenta, couscous and more!
 
Laurie’s Low-Carb Cookbook
This everyday chef shares recipes that are so easy to do!
 
Low Carb Meals In Minutes
Use this book and get six weeks worth of complete menus that include shopping lists.
 
Dr. Atkins New Diet Cookbook
This one’s from the creator of the Atkins Diet.
 
The South Beach Diet Cookbook
This book is packed with more than 200 recipes for delicious low-fat foods.
 
Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites
If meat isn’t your thing, this cookbook shares recipes from one of the most famous vegetarian restaurants in America.
 
American Heart Association Low-Fat Low-Cholesterol Cookbook
Are you trying to lower your cholesterol or take care of your heart? This book has great tasting recipes that are good for you—and your heart!
 
American Heart Association Meals in Minutes
If you’re constantly eating fast foods because you simply don’t have the time to create great tasting healthy meals, check out this book!
 
Joslin Diabetes Center's Vegetarian Diabetic Cookbook
Meatless and vegan recipes that are low fat, high fiber, and delicious!
 
The Guilt-Free Gourmet
Famous cruise ship chef Sam Miles put together this wonderful cookbook from his six years traveling on ships as a cook.

So, now you’ve got some ideas and some resources—there should be no reason that you have to live with boring foods—even if you are on a diet!

Don’t Fall For These Weight Loss Gimmicks!

Have you heard about the new weight loss patch? You wear it behind your ear, and it speeds up your metabolism and helps you control your appetite. It sounds pretty reasonable, doesn't it? After all, if someone had told you five years ago that you could quit smoking by sticking a circle of fabric on your skin would you have believed them?
 
Unfortunately, this one isn't true. According to Dr. Michael Myers, who maintains the popular web site weight.com, it's just another of the hoaxes that clever promoters are using to bilk you out of your money. Weight loss is a gold mine, and unscrupulous operators will use any gimmick to convince you that their product is the magic cure that will melt away your pounds without any effort on your part.
 
Here are a few of the current weight loss gimmicks and the truth about them.
 
The Diet Patch

Transdermal delivery of medication is a reality, and there are certain medications that are absorbed readily through the skin. However, the most common active ingredient used in diet patches on the market is 'fucus vesiculosus', a seaweed that is a major source of iodine. Iodine was once a recommended treatment for obesity, because it helps promote healthy thyroid function. It was abandoned because of side effects and the untoward effects when treatment with iodine ceases. In other words, it's an outdated medication being revived for delivery in a new way.
 
Wash your fat away with slimming soap!

The claim is that this is an ancient Chinese soap that contains a unique blend of ingredients derived from seaweed which will 'emulsify' the fat. Further, it comes in several different versions, including one that is specifically meant to give you 'beautiful thighs'. In all truth, the ingredients sound like they'd do a lovely job of softening and toning your skin, but there's not an ounce of research quoted anywhere that can be checked for the results. Until I see the proof, I'll just figure that any weight loss resulted from vigorous scrubbing - not the ingredients!
 
Magnetic Weight Loss... earrings

Yes, earrings. According to the press, it's another ancient Chinese Secret that has to do with balancing the magnetism in the body. By wearing a magnet near the ear, you can suppress hunger, increase metabolism, speed up the healing process and reduce pain.  Again, though there's mention of 'studies', none are cited, and I couldn't find any in any medical journals. It won't kill you, at least, and the earrings are pretty, but I wouldn't put much stock in their weight loss properties.
 
All of these new weight loss discoveries should be filed in the “Yeah right” file, right next to sauna wraps, copper bracelets, and electro-slimming belts. If it sounds too good to be true, remember, it probably is. The only gimmick to weight loss is to eat less and move more!

Are You Considering One Of These Dangerous Weight Loss Methods?

We're all looking for the magic bullet. You know - the one that we can take and lose weight without really trying! What would you give up to be skinny? How about your health? Some of these methods of weight loss just may cost you exactly that. Before you decide that the way to lose weight is to follow one of the below regimens, take a second look. Do your research and be sure that you understand the risks.
 
Prescription diet pills

Amphetamines are available only by prescription, and most doctors are leery of handing them out these days. While they do suppress appetite, you learn nothing about healthy eating, don't change your eating habits and are likely to gain the weight back the moment you stop taking them. In addition, they can be habit forming. The side effects include high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, sleeplessness, hallucinations and delusions
 
Ephedra

This all natural Asian herb is found in many herbal remedies and weight loss powders. It has a powerful appetite suppressant effect, but has been implicated in over 70 deaths.
 
Phentermine Fenfluramine-phentermine (fen-phen)

Fen-phen was a popular weight loss supplement in the 90s until it was implicated in deaths due to heart-valve damage. Phentermine alone is still sold in many weight loss aids. The side effects include headaches, dizziness, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure and insomnia
 
Laxatives

One of those popular home remedies, used for purging. Regular use and abuse of laxatives can result in low potassium’s, arrhythmia and pancreatic damage
 
Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame, the most commonly used artificial sweetener, has been implicated in multiple lawsuits alleging damages that include blindness, seizures and brain damage
 
Smoking

Afraid you'll gain weight if you quit smoking? The National Institute of Diabetes says that you'd have to gain 100-150 pounds to match the health risks you invoke by smoking. Instead, set up healthy strategies to help you deal with food cravings and put down the cigarettes.
 
Purging

Like laxatives, purging by forcing oneself to vomit or taking emetics can have very damaging effects on health. Depletion of nutrients like potassium and vitamins, damage to the esophagus from stomach acids, and esophageal rupture are all possible side effects
 
Diuretics

Taking diuretics encourages your body to rid itself of fluids - including vital electrolytes. The depletion can lead to dehydration, and cause your body to start retaining water, starting a vicious cycle. Repeated or prolonged use of diuretics can lead to kidney damage and serious electrolyte imbalances, which may result in kidney or heart failure.
 
Herbal Remedies

We have a tendency to equate 'herbal' with 'harmless', but say nutritionists, this isn't always the case. Remember that many medications are derived from herbs, and because of the lack of regulation, dosages of active ingredients can vary widely from one manufacturer to another. Below is a list of some of the most common ingredients found in herbal weight loss powders, along with cautions about their effects in certain conditions.

Ephedra (ma huang, ephedrine, ephedra extract, epitonin, ephdra sinica and sida cordifolia) should not be taken by people with heart, thyroid or kidney disease, or with hypertension
 
Cascara and Senna should not be taken by people taking diuretics (both are often found in herbal weight loss teas)
 
Selenium and Capsaicin should not be taken by people with bowel or digestive disorders
 
Kava should be avoided by people with mood disorders who are taking mood altering medication, and people with Parkinson's disease.
 
Gingko biloba, licorice root, and dong quay should not be taken by people who are taking blood thinners or anti-coagulants.
 
 While weight loss is a worthwhile goal, guarding your health is an even more important one. Be sure that whatever weight loss method you choose won’t lead to other serious medical conditions. 

Health & Fitness Is Not A 12 Week Program

Not long ago, one of the members of my health club poked
her head in my office for some advice. Linda was a 46 year
old mother of two, and she had been a member for over a
year. She had been working out sporadically, with (not
surprisingly) sporadic results. On that particular day, she
seemed to have enthusiasm and a twinkle in her eye that I
hadn't seen before.

"I want to enter a before and after fitness contest called
the "12 week body transformation challenge." I could win
money and prizes and even get my picture in a magazine."

"I want to lose THIS", she continued, as she grabbed the
body fat on her stomach. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

Linda was not "obese," she just had the typical "moderate
roll" of abdominal fat and a little bit of thigh/hip fat
that many forty-something females struggle with.

"I think it's a great idea" I reassured her. "Competitions
are great for motivation. When you have a deadline and you
dangle a "carrot" like that prize money in front of you, it
can keep you focused and more motivated than ever."

Linda was eager and rarin' to go. "Will you help me? I have
this enrollment kit and I need my body fat measured."

"No problem," I said as I pulled out my Skyndex fat
caliper, which is used to measure body fat percentage with
a "pinch an inch" test.

When I finished, I read the results from the caliper
display: "Twenty-seven percent. Room for improvement, but
not bad; it's about average for your age group."

She wasn't overjoyed at being 'average'. "Yeah, but it's
not good either. Look at THIS," she complained as again she
grabbed a handful of stomach fat. "I want to get my body
fat down to 19%, I heard that was a good level."

I agreed that 19% was a great goal, but it would take a lot
of work because average fat loss is usually about a half a
percent a week, or six percent in twelve weeks. Her goal,
to lose eight percent in twelve weeks was ambitious.

She smiled and insisted, "I'm a hard worker. I can do it"

Well, indeed she was and indeed she did. She was a machine!
Not only did she never miss a day in the gym, she trained
HARD. Whenever I left my office and took a stroll through
the gym, she was up there pumping away with everything she
had. She told me her diet was the strictest it had ever
been in her life and she didn't cheat at all. I believed
her. And it started to show, quickly.

Each week she popped into my office to have her body fat
measured again, and each week it went down, down, down.
Consistently she lost three quarters of a percent per week
- well above the average rate of fat loss - and on two
separate occasions, I recall her losing a full one percent
body fat in just seven days.

Someone conservative might have said she was overtraining,
but when we weighed her and calculated her lean body mass,
we saw that she hadn't lost ANY muscle - only fat. Her
results were simply exceptional!

She was ecstatic, and needless to say, her success bred
more success and she kept after it like a hungry tiger for
the full twelve weeks.

On week twelve, day seven, she showed up in my office for
her final weigh-in and body fat measurement. She was
wearing a pair of formerly tight blue jeans and they were
FALLING OFF HER! "Look, look, look," she repeated giddily
as she tugged at her waistband, which was now several
inches too large.

As I took her body fat, I have to say, I was impressed. She
hadn't just lost a little fat, she was "RIPPED!"

During week twelve she dropped from 18% to 17% body fat,
for a grand total of 10% body fat lost. She surpassed her
goal of 19% by two percent. I was now even more impressed,
because I had only seen a handful of people lose that much
body fat in three months.

You should have seen her! She started hopping up and down
for joy like she was on a pogo stick! She was beaming.
grinning from ear to ear! She practically knocked me over
as she jumped up and gave me a hug - "Thank you, thank you,
thank you!"

"Don't thank me," I said, "You did it, I just measured your
body fat."

She thanked me again anyway and then said she had to go
have her "after" pictures taken. Then something very, very
strange happened. She stopped coming to the gym. Her
"disappearance" was so abrupt, I was worried and I called
her. She never picked up, so I just left messages.

No return phone call.

It was about four months later when I finally saw Linda
again. The giddy smile was gone, replaced with a sullen
face, a droopy posture and a big sigh when I said hello and
asked where she'd been.

"I stopped working out after the contest... and I didn't
even win."

"You looked like a winner to me, no matter what place you
came in" I insisted, "but why did you stop, you were doing
so well!"

"I don't know, I blew my diet and then just completely lost
my motivation. Now look at me, my weight is right back
where I started and I don't even want to know my body fat."

"Well, I'm glad to see you back in here again. Write down
some new goals for yourself and remember to think long term
too. Fitness isn't a just 12 week program you know, it's a
lifestyle - you have to do it every day - like... forever."

She nodded her head and finished her workout, still with
that defeated look on her face. Unfortunately, she never
again come anywhere near the condition she achieved for
that competition, and for the rest of the time she was a
member at our club, she slipped right back into the
sporadic workout pattern.

Linda was not an isolated case. I've seen the same thing
happen with countless men and women of all ages and fitness
levels from beginners to competitive bodybuilders. In fact,
it happens to millions of people who "go on" diets, lose a
lot of weight, then "go off" the diet and gain the weight
right back.

What causes people to burn so brightly with enthusiasm and
motivation and then burn out just as quickly? Why do so
many people succeed brilliantly in the short term but fail
95 out of 100 times in the long term? Why do so many people
reach their fitness goals but struggle to maintain them?

The answer is simple: Health and fitness is for life, not
for "12 weeks."

You can avoid the on and off, yo-yo cycle of fitness ups
and downs. You can get in great shape and stay in great
shape. You can even get in shape and keep getting in better
and better shape year after year, but it's going to take a
very different philosophy than most people subscribe to.
The seven tips below will guide you.

These guidelines are quite contrary to the quick fix
philosophies prevailing in the weight loss and fitness
world today. Applying them will take patience, discipline
and dedication. But remember, the only thing worse than
getting no results is getting great results and losing
them.

1) Don't "go on" diets.

When you "go on" a diet, the underlying assumption is that
at some point you have to "go off" it. This isn't just
semantics, it's the primary reason most diets fail. By
definition, a "diet" is a temporary and often drastic
change in your eating behaviors and/or a severe restriction
of calories or food, which is ultimately, not maintainable.
If you reach your goal, the diet is officially "over" and
then you "go off" (returning to the way you used to eat).
Health and fitness is not temporary; it's not a "diet."
It's something you do every day of your life. Unless you
approach nutrition from a "habits" and "lifestyle"
perspective, you're doomed from the start.

2) Eat the same foods all year round.

Permanent fat loss is best achieved by eating mostly the
same types of foods all year round. Naturally, you should
include a wide variety of healthy foods so you get the full
spectrum of nutrients you need, but there should be
consistency, month in, month out. When you want to lose
fat, there's no dramatic change necessary - you don't need
to eat totally different foods - it's a simple matter of
eating less of those same healthy foods and exercising more.

3) Have a plan for easing into maintenance.

Let's face it - sometimes a nutrition program needs to be
more strict than usual. For example, peaking for a
bodybuilding or fitness contest requires an extremely
strict regimen that's different than the rest of the year.
As a rule, the stricter your nutrition program, the more
time you must allow for a slow, disciplined transition into
maintenance. Failure to plan for a gradual transition will
almost always result in bingeing and a very rapid, hard
fall "off the wagon."

4) Focus on changing daily behaviors and habits one or two
at a time.

Rather than making huge, multiple changes all at once,
focus on changing one or two habits/behaviors at a time.
Most psychologists agree that it takes about 21 days of
consistent effort to replace an old bad habit with a new
positive one. As you master each habit, and it becomes as
ingrained into your daily life as brushing your teeth, then
you simply move on to the next one. That would be at least
17 new habits per year. Can you imagine the impact that
would have on your health and your life? This approach
requires a lot of patience, but the results are a lot more
permanent than if you try to change everything in one fell
swoop. This is also the least intimidating way for a
beginner to start making some health-improving lifestyle
changes.

5) Make goal setting a lifelong habit.

Goal setting is not a one-time event, it's a process that
never ends. For example, if you have a 12 week goal to lose
6% bodyfat, what are you going to do after you achieve it?
Lose even more fat? Gain muscle? Maintain? What's next? On
week 13, day 1, if you have no direction and nothing to
keep you going, you'll have nothing to keep you from
slipping back into old patterns. Every time you achieve a
goal, you must set another one. Having daily and weekly
short term goals means that you are literally setting goals
continuously and never stopping.

6) Allow a reasonable time frame to reach your goal.

It's important to set deadlines for your fitness and weight
loss goals. It's also important to set ambitious goals, but
you must allow a reasonable time frame for achieving them.
Time pressure is often the motivating force that helps
people get in the best shape of their lives. But when the
deadline is unrealistic for a particular goal (like 30
pounds in 30 days), then crash dieting or other extreme
measures are often taken to get there before the bell. The
more rapidly you lose weight, the more likely you are to
lose muscle and the faster the weight will come right back
on afterwards. Start sooner. Don't wait until mid-May to
think about looking good for summer.

7) Extend your time perspective.

Successful people in every field always share one common
character trait: Long term time perspective. Some of the
most successful Japanese technology and manufacturing
companies have 100 year and even 250-year business plans.
If you want to be successful in maintaining high levels of
fitness, you must set long term goals: One year, Ten years,
Even fifty years! You also must consider the long term
consequences of using any "radical" diet, training method
or ergogenic aid. The people who had it but lost it are
usually the ones who failed to think long term or
acknowledge future consequences. It's easy for a 21 year
old to live only for today, and it may even seem ridiculous
to set 25 year goals, but consider this: I've never met a
40 or 50 year old who didn't care about his or her health
and appearance, but I have met 40 or 50 year olds who
regretted not caring 25 years ago.


About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural
bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book,
"Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.

You can get info on Tom's e-book at:
http://hop.clickbank.net/hop.cgi?spidermail/burnthefat

To get Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit http://www.fitren.com

Copyright 2005 Tom Venuto

Weight Loss Tips From Real Women.

Everyone has their favorite weight loss tips. Here's a handful of diet suggestions from real women who claim they really work.
 
I drink a full 12 ounce glass of water before I sit down to eat. It fills me up and I don't eat as much at meals. - Monica, 22
 
My secret weapon is sugarless gum. Whenever I have the urge for a snack or something sweet, I pop it into my mouth and start chewing. Works like a charm every time. -Maddi, 43
 
Knitting works wonders. I used to snack like a pig while I watched T.V. at night. Since I started knitting, I've lost almost ten pounds, and I know it's because my hands are too busy to pop stuff in my mouth. -Liz, 25
 
It tastes horrible, but it really works. My grandmother told me to take one teaspoon of cider vinegar before every meal to eat up the fats. - Diane, 21
 
Peer support! There's nothing like feeling guilty for letting your friends down to make you get out and go exercise. I make dates to play tennis or go for a walk - no backing out when someone else is counting on me. -Cara, 22
 
All right, this is going to sound really silly but - when I have to lose weight, I only eat foods that I can eat with chopsticks. I'm not very good with them so -- I don't eat a lot. -Lisa, 32
 
When I'm sitting in traffic or at my desk, I do tummy tightening exercises. Just pull in your tummy, hold for a count of 20, and release. Do that about twenty times and you can really feel it. - Sheila, 52
 
Water. I drink lots and lots of water when I'm on a diet. It helps flush out the system and keeps me feeling fresh. It also helps with the bad breath I get when I'm on a high protein diet. - Dena, 34
 
I'm always rushing out the door and forgetting breakfast, and then I end up snacking at my desk halfway through the morning. Now I keep a box of Carnation Instant Breakfast in the break room, and fix myself one as soon as I get to work. No more craving goodies at 11 am. -Deb, 45
 
When I'm dieting, I keep fresh fruits and veggies all cut up and ready to go in little snack containers. If I went to all the work of making them, I'll eat them instead of grabbing a bag of chips on the go. -Amy, 16
 
I strip down naked and look at myself in the mirror at least once a week. It's easy to see the progress I made, and how much I still need to go. Vinnie, 34
 
I buy myself something really slinky and hang it where I can see it every day. The trick is that it can only be about one size too small - if it's any smaller than that, I just give up. But if the goal is just “that” close, it's a real motivator. -Shanae, 24
 
Got a favorite diet tip? Make your own list, or ask your friends to fill in a few. The more strategies you have to help you stay on your diet, the more likely you are to be successful.

The Real Mayo Clinic Diet.

For over thirty years, the Mayo Clinic has been combating the rumor that they recommend a version of a quick weight loss diet that touts the consumption of grapefruit, vegetables, fruits and unlimited portions of meat and fat. The clinic has repeatedly issued statements that the so-called 'Mayo Clinic Diet' did not originate at the Mayo Clinic and is not endorsed by them. In fact, they have gone so far as to state that it may be unhealthy for some people.
 
A visit to the Mayo Clinic web site will take you to the REAL Mayo Clinic diet, and their recommendations and guidance for weight loss that is healthy and permanent.
 
Summary:

Weight loss results from expending more calories than you consume. The only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you use in your daily activities. The only way to achieve permanent weight loss is by adopting a balanced, healthy diet with portions that fit your lifestyle, and engage in regular physical activity.
 
The healthiest, most beneficial diet for you is one that takes your individuality into account. There is no 'one perfect eating plan' - not even one that will work for you 'for the rest of your life'. Your body needs different things at different stages. Illnesses and allergies, high stress periods - all result in changing nutritional needs for your body.
 
Basic Recommendations: The Seven Basic Rules

1. Eat more fruit and vegetables.
2. Reduce intake of saturated fats and cholesterol
3. Cut back on sweets and salt
4. Drink alcohol in moderation, if you must drink at all
5. Learn to eat moderate portions of food
6. Control the number of calories you consume
7. Include physical activity in your daily activities
 
Specifics by Food Group

Carbohydrates

Carbs are the body's main energy source. Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, legumes and dried beans and grains are a staple of the Mediterranean diet, where heart disease, diabetes and obesity are extremely low.

Recommendation: 45 to 65% of your daily calories should be from carbohydrates. Focus on the complex carbohydrates, milk and fruit, and keep your intake of sugar, white flour and candy low.
 
Cholesterol

Your body uses cholesterol to build and help cells function properly. Typically, our bodies make all the cholesterol needed, and additional cholesterol is deposited on the sides of arteries and organs. Cholesterol is found in meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and seafood.

Recommendations:

Limit intake of cholesterol to no more than 300 milligrams daily
 
Fat

One of the most concentrated sources of energy—fat—has more calories than protein or carbohydrates. Your body needs it to absorb some vitamins and build healthy cells and neural pathways. The kind of fat is important, though. Trans and saturated fats (from red meats, among other things), can raise your cholesterol level and heighten your risk of heart attacks.

Recommendation:

Aim for 20 to 35% of daily calories from fat. Focus on vegetable oils, nuts and fish oils rather than most animal sources.
 
Fiber

Fiber is the bulky part of vegetables. There are two types of fiber - soluble and insoluble. Your body needs both. Fiber is derived from bran, oats, wheat, green vegetables, apples and other fruits.

Recommendations:

For women: 21 - 25 grams fiber daily
For men: 30 - 38 grams fiber daily

As you can see, the real Mayo Clinic diet emphasizes a balanced diet derived largely from complex carbohydrates, fresh vegetables, little meat, and careful choice of fat. They advocate slow, steady weight loss rather than quick, take-it-off-now methods, and strongly suggest that the best eating plans are those that can become the basis for a lifelong change in eating habits. Along with those general recommendations, the clinic's Nutrition Center makes specific recommendations for each food group. Specifically:
 
Protein:

Protein is an essential nutrient for nearly every system in the body. It's contained in your skin, bones, muscles, blood, organs, hormones and enzymes. The major sources of dietary protein are meat, seafood, poultry, legumes, seeds and nuts.
Recommendations:

Between 10 and 35% of your daily caloric intake should be from protein-rich sources.
 
An Interesting Exercise

One of the contentions of the Mayo Clinic is that one-size fits all diets won't work for everyone. One of the most helpful parts of their Nutrition Center is their Daily Calorie Calculator. A link on the home page will take you to a Healthy Diet Calculator that will help you calculate a personalized eating plan to help you lose weight.

Here’s an example of what your personalized plan could look like:
 
Subject: Female, 225 lbs, 5 ft 6"
Recommendations:

Daily calorie goal for weight loss: 1200 calories
Sweets and extras: up to 75 calories daily
Fats: 3 servings
Protein/Dairy: 3 servings
Carbohydrates: 4 servings
Fruits: 3 or more servings
Vegetables: 4 or more servings
 
Further links offer a sample menu at that calorie level, and specific recommendations that will help you lose weight. Those tips include:
 
Increase the ratio of fruits and vegetables in meals
Experiment with new foods and combinations.
Start with a soup or salad.
Learn healthy cooking techniques.
Consider energy density of food.
 
Energy density?

The Mayo Clinic defines energy density as the number of calories in food vs. the amount of food. A sugary dessert may have extremely high energy density – in other words, a small serving provides a lot of calories. Consequently, it takes far more of that food to make your body feel full. Foods like broccoli have a much less energy density - 15 calories in a regular portion. You eat far less of it and feel full more quickly.
 
The basic recommendations made by the Mayo Clinic aren't ground-breaking. They advocate sensible eating, low calories and increasing your physical activity. The suggestion to aim for 1-2 pounds lost per week is echoed by nearly every other medically noteworthy institute in the country. It's a real diet - the real Mayo Clinic Diet.

Use The Mayo Clinic Diet For A Quick Fix!

My mother was a chronic dieter. I grew up in a house that was always in the midst of one diet or another as she struggled to get back down to the size 3 that she'd worn before my birth. She was always chasing after the latest quick-fix diet to take off quick pounds, and inevitably putting them back on within weeks of losing the weight.
 
There was always a diet plan tacked to our refrigerator door. It may have been the cabbage soup diet, the Mayo Clinic diet, the Scarsdale diet, the Banana diet -- she was an equal opportunity dieter. Over the years, though, she did build up an arsenal of quick-I-need-to-fit-into-that-black-dress-next-weekend diets. This is one that invariably worked, and that she found fairly easy to follow. Over the years, it has been referred to as the 'Mayo Clinic Diet'. The Mayo Clinic states that this diet did not originate there, and is not recommended by them for weight loss.
 
Remember: the key is in following the diet EXACTLY. It should not be used for more than 12 days at a time, and if you intend to follow it for any length of time, consult your physician to make sure that it contains all the nutrients that you need.
 
Daily Menu:

BREAKFAST:
1/2 grapefruit or 8oz unsweetened juice.
2 Eggs
2 Strips of bacon
Black coffee or tea, no sugar
 
LUNCH:

1/2 grapefruit
Salad and or raw veggies (any dressing, {not low fat or fat free})
Meat (any kind, cooked any way)
 
DINNER:

1/2 grapefruit
Meat (as above)
Green or Red Vegetables
Black coffee or tea, no sugar
 
BEDTIME:

8oz Tomato juice or skim milk
 
Eat as much as you want of the allowed foods at each meal, but you MUST eat the grapefruit with each meal. If you like, you can substitute an 8 oz glass of grapefruit juice for the 1/2 grapefruit
 
Do Not Eat:

White onions, potatoes, celery, peas, cereal, carrots, corn, starchy vegetables, bread, noodles, rice, potato chips, pretzels or fruit or diet dressing.
 
Eat All You Want at Meals of:

Red onions, bell peppers, radishes, broccoli, cucumbers, green onions, leaf spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, chili (no beans) mayonnaise, any cheese, hot dogs, cole slaw, regular salad dressing, green vegetables, 1 tsp. nuts, dill or bread and butter pickles.
 
You Can Drink:

8- 8 ounce glasses of water daily. Limit caffeinated beverages to one per meal. If you drink soda, drink only diet soda.
 
While this diet is not recommended for long term use, it has shown dramatic results in people who need to lose weight quickly for any reason. If you intend to lose more than 8-10 pounds, it's suggested that instead, you speak to your physician or a nutritionist to help you establish a healthy, life-long eating plan that can be adjusted as you lose weight. Do not use this diet if you are under the care of a physician for any chronic illness unless you consult the doctor first.

Need To Lose Weight Fast For A Special Occasion?

If you have just a little weight to lose, and want to take it off fast (say, so you can fit into those great pants for your cousin's wedding), there are a number of diets that you can use. Most of these wouldn't be recommended for long-term weight loss, as they substantially restrict your intake of some essential nutrients, so using them habitually may not be healthy. But if you're normal diet is healthy, and you just want a quick boost to drop 8-10 pounds quickly, or to kick off a new diet with a bang, the Cabbage Soup Diet actually works.
 
The cabbage soup diet has been around for nearly 30 years. It's based on the notion that your body actually uses more calories to digest cabbage than the amount that it derives from cabbage. It's a so-called 'negative calorie diet', and includes many foods that, like cabbage, are high in fiber and very low in calories.
 
The base of the cabbage soup diet is - what else? Cabbage soup. There are several recipes for cabbage soup available. Essentially, the soup is made with onions, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, celery and spices to taste. You'll be eating the soup every day - as much of it as you want.
 
In addition, there is a seven day routine of foods to supplement the cabbage soup.
 
Day One: All the fruit you want (except bananas) along with all the soup that you want. No caffeinated beverages or sodas. Drink only water, tea and cranberry juice.
 
Day Two: Eat all the vegetables that you want, but avoid dried beans, peas and corn. Eat veggies raw, fresh or cooked. No fats, no sauces, no butter. At dinner, you may have one baked potato with butter - and of course, all the cabbage soup that you want!
 
Day Three: Eat all the fruits and veggies that you want from day two and day three - but NO baked potato.
 
Day Four: Bananas and skim milk - yes, all the skim milk you want, plus up to eight bananas, along with -- you guessed it, all the cabbage soup you want.
 
Day Five: Eat ten to twenty ounces of beef (or skinless chicken, or broiled fish). Drink at least 10 glasses of water, and eat up to six fresh tomatoes. (if you substitute for the beef today, you may not tomorrow)
 
Day Six: Eat all the beef, vegetables and cabbage soup that you want. No baked potato. Lots of leafy green vegetables.
 
Day Seven: You can have all the unsweetened fruit juices, brown rice, and vegetables that you want - and at least one bowl of soup.
 
That's it. Remember - this diet is NOT recommended for long term weight loss, or long term use. It doesn't contain enough complex carbohydrates to be healthy for longer than a few days. But if you just need a jump-start or a quick fix, it's a good way to pick up the pace for a week.

What Is The Mediterranean Diet?

In 1993, the Harvard Medical School released the results of research that studied the diets of those countries bordering on the Mediterranean. Their findings suggested that fat and carbohydrates were NOT the main culprit in obesity and heart disease, but rather that the RIGHT fats and carbohydrates should be the base for a healthy diet. The study pointed to low rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease throughout the region as proof of their contention.
 
Exactly what is the Mediterranean diet and can it help you lose weight? There actually is no 'Mediterranean' diet - it's a compilation of the way that people in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea eat. Despite the differences in actual specifics, all of those studied based their diets on the same proportions of food groups and calories, and all included olive oil as their main source of fat. In fact, their diets contained far more than the recommendations made by the USDA - 40% rather than the 30% recommended for most healthy Americans. Still, the evidence was irrefutable. Therefore, it must have been the KIND of carbohydrates and fats that make the difference.
 
The Mediterranean diet consists of the following guidelines:
 
60% Of Total Carbohydrates From Grains, Fruits And Vegetables

Those include whole rice, fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain breads and cereals, polenta, pasta (made with whole grain, not refined white flour)
 
Sparing Use of Red Meat, Fish And Poultry

The typical adult Mediterranean consumes about 15 ounces of red meat and poultry per week. Another 5-15 ounces of fish per week account for the bulk of their meat protein intake. Compare that to the typical American diet which might include a 1 pound steak for dinner one night, a 1/2 pound chicken breast the next, and on and on.
 
Olive Oil

Olive oil is not a miracle oil. It is, however, mono-unsaturated - a good fat. Mono-unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol rather than raising it, and are healthy ways to add fats to your diet (and yes, even though we think of fat as a dirty word, your body does need some, or it can't use many of the vitamins you feed it!)
 
The other important component of the Mediterranean lifestyle was activity. The typical Mediterranean day includes walking rather than driving, physical activity in the fields or the home and recreation. Physical activity is vital in helping the body to lose weight, and to maintain your new weight once you reach it.
 
The secret to losing weight with the Mediterranean diet is to base your meals on healthy carbohydrates - leafy green vegetables, brightly colored vegetables, whole grains and meals. Use meat sparingly - no more than 3-6 ounces per day. Derive dietary fat from vegetable sources - or from fish oil. Exercise regularly to rev up your metabolism. The Mediterranean diet isn't a weight loss regimen. It's a new way of eating that will help you reach your goal weight and stay there when you get there.

The Big Three In The Diet World - How Do They Stack Up?

If you've been struggling with weight and losing weight for any length of time, if you go to the supermarket, if you watch television, listen to the radio, read on the internet or do just about anything else that brings you into contact with the world, you already know that weight loss is a national obsession. This obsession is characterized - and has been for decades - by the periodic acclimation of 'the only diet you'll ever need!"
 
Fad diets have come and gone over the years. Some linger, most are forgotten by all but those who might have lost weight, gained weight or been damaged by them. Some of the diets were so unhealthy that they garnered the warnings of medical America, or were loudly decried as dangerous and unhealthy. As early as the seventies, there were diets that recommended cutting out ALL carbohydrates and consuming only meat and proteins - or the reverse, eliminating all proteins entirely.
 
The current "fad diets" include some of the most famous diet names in the recent history of weight loss: the Atkins Diet, the South Beach diet, and the Zone diet. All three have come under fire for their contention that one can eat a healthy diet and lose weight without restricting the intake of protein and fat-rich foods like meats and cheese. This flies in the face of conventional medical advice to restrict fatty foods in the diet.
 
So what about these three diets? Do they work? Are they safe? Can each of them, as claimed, form the basis for a lifetime of healthy eating? The answers are - surprisingly enough to all three - very likely. On the surface, each of them makes the claim that carbohydrates are bad, proteins are good, and you can eat all the protein you want and still lose weight.
 
How does that reconcile with the contention that a healthy diet is low in proteins and saturated fats, derives 50-60% of its calories from carbohydrates, and emphasizes whole grains and fresh vegetables as the main source of nutrition? Take a closer look at a typical menu recommended on each of the above diets and see.
 

Typical Meal Using USDA Recommendations
 
3 oz lean fish (brushed with olive oil and garlic and broiled)
2 cups of spinach salad with grapefruit
1 tablespoon olive oil vinaigrette dressing
1 oz slice whole grain/whole wheat bread
 
Contains approx: 350 calories
                 20 g. carbs
                 15 g. protein
            14 g. fat
 

South Beach Diet Dinner Menu:

Poached salmon with Greek salad.
Sugar-free jelly with low-fat topping
 
Contains approx: 300 calories
                  17 g. protein
                  3 g. carbs
                  14 g. fat (olive oil in Greek dressing)
 

Atkins Diet Dinner Menu:

Spring Salad
Green Goddess Dressing
Maple-Mustard Glazed Baked Ham
Baked Artichoke-Parsley Cheese Squares
Roasted Asparagus
Atkins Coconut Layer Cake
 
Contains approx: 400 calories
                 18 g. protein
                  17 g. carbs
                   8 g. fat
 

The Zone Dinner Menu:

Baked salmon with Fruit salsa (kiwi, blackberries, apple)

Contains approx: 435 calories
                  17 g. protein
                  10 g. carbs
                   5 g. fat
 
Notice anything? No matter how the ingredients are counted - calories, carbs, exchanges, and food blocks - the bottom line is the same. A healthy diet that will lead to lasting weight loss includes a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fats with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates and lean meats.
 
So pick the diet that seems to make the most sense to you - and use it as the start of a new healthy eating style for a healthier, slimmer you!

What Is The South Beach Diet?

The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston to help his patients lose weight and maintain a healthy diet for a lifetime. It is designed in phases, like the Atkins Diet, with different eating recommendations in each phase. All phases have the same underlying philosophy, though. Weight loss and maintenance depends on establishing a balanced diet that avoids 'bad' fats and carbohydrates.
 
The proponents of the South Beach diet claim that you can lose weight and maintain the weight loss without counting calories, weighing portions or depriving yourself of good-tasting, satisfying foods. This is accomplished by cutting out empty, high-carbohydrate foods like sugars, potatoes, rice and white bread. Each phase is specially designed to accomplish a particular goal.
 
Phase I: Adjusting your Metabolism

In Phase I, you eat three meals and two snacks daily, eating until you are no longer hungry. The phase lasts two weeks, during which time your body will shed 8-13 pounds.
 
These items are not allowed during Phase I: bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, sugar or alcohol
 
Phase II: Weight Loss

The aim during Phase II is to lose weight, with loss averaging 1-2 pounds per week. During this phase, you will gradually add the restricted foods from Phase I back into your diet, but you will eat less of them. The daily diet on Phase II should consist of:
 
All the protein you want
Minimum of 4 1/2 cups of vegetables
Up to 3 servings of fruit
Up to 3 portions of starch
1 1/2 cups of milk/dairy (including yogurt)
3 tbs. fat
 
In real terms, a typical menu for a meal on the South Beach Diet might include something like this:
 
½ grapefruit
2 scrambled eggs mixed with Monterey Jack cheese and salsa
1 slice of whole grain toast
Decaffeinated coffee or tea, fat-free milk and sugar substitute if desired
 
The eating plan recommended by the South Beach Diet emphasizes low carbohydrate foods, restriction of sweets, processed starches, white sugar and 'unhealthy fats', and all the protein you want. It specifies minimum amounts of low carb vegetables to be eaten daily that are remarkably close to the recommendations made by the USDA and the American Diabetes Association.
 
A key concept in the South Beach diet is the Glycemic Index. Foods are ranked on a scale of 1-100 according to their Glycemic index - the amount by which they raise blood sugar levels after meals. The focus of your diet should be on foods low on the GI level, such as yogurt, cucumbers and broccoli and whole grain cereal, while avoiding those high on the GI scale such as white bread, potatoes and pretzels.
 
In addition to the above, the South Beach Diet offers the following guidelines:

* Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water and other decaffeinated beverages per day (excluding fruit juices).
* Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day.
* Take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily.
* Take between 500 and 1,000 mg of calcium daily.
 
Phase III:

The lifetime maintenance plan is nearly identical to the weight loss phase, with more portions of foods allowed.
 
Dr. Agatston cautions that patients being treated for diabetes, impaired kidney function, pregnancy or other chronic illness should consult their physician before embarking on any weight loss regimen.

What Is The Atkins Diet?

The Atkins weight loss diet is based on one simple principle: Your body burns both carbohydrates and fat for calories. If you reduce the amounts of carbohydrates available, it will burn more fat and you will lose weight.
 
According to Atkins, calories are unimportant. The key to losing weight is to restrict the carbohydrates that you eat and force the body to turn to its stored fat as an energy source. As proof of this, proponents of the Atkins Diet point to the following facts derived from research:
 
* When the body doesn't have enough carbohydrate, it will use ketenes derived from fat as energy.
* You can eat more food and lose more weight on a low carbohydrate diet than you can on a low fat diet.
* You crave less food when you eat fewer carbohydrates.
* By eating fewer carbohydrates, people tend to eat fewer calories without counting them.
* The greater the difference between fat and carbohydrate, the greater the weight loss.
 
In short, if you restrict your intake of carbohydrates, you will most likely also restrict your intake of calories. By lowering your carbohydrate intake, you will encourage your body to turn to fat for energy.
 
The Atkins diet has provoked storms of controversy since it was first published. The recommendation to eat a high-protein, low-carbohydrate flew in the face of all the dietary recommendations by established medical institutions. The diet was denounced as unsafe, particularly if used as a life-long weight maintenance plan. Over the past five to ten years, there have been numerous studies that come down on both sides of the equation, and Atkins last version of the diet included the admission that calories do matter, and the advice to 'eat only enough to satisfy hunger'.
 
A typical menu for a meal on the Atkins Diet might include:
 
Portobello and Ricotta Crostini
Chicken Milanese over Spring Salad
Lemon Vinaigrette dressing
Warm Lentils and Celery
Raspberry Cheesecake in a Cup
 
The eating plan recommended by the Atkins diet contains very low portions of carbohydrates, deriving the majority of carbohydrates from vegetables high in fiber and low in carbs, and unrestricted portions of proteins, including high fat proteins like beef, pork and cheese.
 
Follow up research on people who have used the Atkins Diet to lose weight show a fast initial weight loss that eventually levels off. The Atkins Diet has four phases to account for it:

1. The Induction Phase, which restricts carbohydrates severely.

2. The OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss) Phase, in which you add in limited carbs and tailor the eating plan to your tastes.
 
3. Pre-maintenance, with ten pounds or less to the target goal, deliberately slows weight loss to begin adjusting the body to after-weight-loss diet.
 
4. Lifetime Maintenance, a long-term eating plan that emphasizes low carbohydrates and healthy, long-term eating.
 
Who should use the Atkins Diet?

While the Atkins Diet seems on the surface to be directly counter to what is recommended by most medical institutions, many of the principles are actually the same. Unless you are under the care of a physician for a chronic medical condition like diabetes, high blood pressure or coronary problems, you can use the Atkins Diet. Do pay attention to the portions recommended in the menus and plans at www.atkins.com, despite the reassurances that you can 'eat all you want and still lose weight.'

What is The Zone Diet?

The Zone Diet is one of the five most discussed diets currently being endorsed. Developed by Barry Sears, a former researcher at MIT, it is based on maintaining insulin levels by striking a balance between carbohydrates and proteins at each meal.
 
Sears suggests that the major cause of obesity is an imbalance of insulin in the body. He maintains that the diet currently recommended by most medical institutions is high in carbohydrates and low in fats - a combination which he contends contributes to the production of too much insulin, and results in obesity.
 
The Zone Diet is based on the concept of achieving a physiological state in which insulin and eicosanoids, two hormones, are maintained in zones that are carefully balanced. By controlling the balance of insulin and eicosanoids, you increase the loss of fat, and decrease the likelihood of heart disease and diabetes, decrease inflammation and increase blood flow, and increase your physical and mental stamina.
 
The Zone Diet
 
The diet program of The Zone is designed to balance your intake of protein and carbohydrate at 1 part protein to 4 parts carbohydrate. It advises a moderate intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fat in order to control insulin. It prescribes a maximum amount of low-fat protein at one meal at 3-4 ounces, which is nearly exactly the recommendation of the USDA and the FDA. The majority of carbohydrates on the Zone diet come from vegetables and fruits, with limited amounts of bread, rice, potatoes and grains. Most fat intake should be from monounsaturated fats like olive oil, safflower oil and other 'heart healthy' oils.
 
While this sounds a good deal like the Atkins diet (restricting carbohydrates), the differences are very clear. Atkins recommends a diet high in protein without regard to fat, with the intent of provoking ketosis, a potentially unhealthy condition. High carbohydrate diets recommend increasing carbohydrate levels and inducing the production of insulin which, maintains Sears, increases weight gain. Instead, the Zone Diet recommends achieving an optimal balance of nutrients with moderate amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fat all playing a part.
 
The other component of the Zone diet worthy of note is the supplementation of diet with fish oil. Fish oil, particularly pharmaceutical grade fish oil, provides omega 3 fatty acids which are an important component in healthy cells. Study after study in the past five years has confirmed the importance of fish and omega 3 fatty acids in the diet.
 
A sample meal on The Zone's eating plan might include:

1 3 oz portion of broiled salmon
Spinach salad with apples and walnuts dressed with walnut oil and lemon juice
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 glass fruit or vegetable juice
 
The eating plan recommended by The Zone diet combines small portions of low fat proteins, fats and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. It also suggests eating some protein with each meal or snack, and at least 3 meals and 2 snacks daily.
 
Who should use the Zone Diet?

As always, if you're under the care of a physician for any chronic medical condition, you should consult them before embarking on any diet plan that substantially changes your eating habits. There are significant differences between the Zone Diet and that recommended for diabetics and heart patients, for instance. Overall, the recommended portions of foods and the balance between them is consistent with a healthy diet, and is maintainable for a lifetime.

The Ten Best Diet Foods in Existence.

What you eat and what you eat will have a big effect on how quickly you take off pounds, and more importantly, how long you keep those pounds off. There are certain foods that you really should be eating on a regular basis, for lots of good, healthy reasons. They come from all food categories, but every one of them has one thing in common: they pack a lot of nutritional punch into their calories. Here's a list of five diet foods that will help you stay healthy and lose weight.

1. Whole grain breads

If you've been paying attention, you know that evil carbs are the current diet buster. If you just stay away from all carbs, some of the diets proclaim, you'll lose weight no matter what else you eat. That's not only wrong, it's downright dangerous for both your health and your diet. There's a reason that the Bible refers to bread as 'the staff of life'.

Instead of cutting out carbs, you should be aiming to reduce them to a healthy portion of your diet - which most doctors agree is about 50-60% of your caloric intake. That means that if you're on a 1500 calorie a day diet, you should be striving to get about 900 calories a day from grains, fruits and vegetables. Whole grain breads pack a lot of nutritional value. Replace your two slices of white toast with 1/2 a cup of oatmeal or whole grain cereal, and for about the same number of calories, you'll be getting three times the vitamins, amino acids and roughage that your body needs to function. You'll feel full far longer, too - because you've given your body something to work on that will take a while to digest.

2. Fish

Eat at least three servings of fish per week, say many major medical associations. Fish is low in fat, as high in protein as red meat, and provides something that most other proteins don't - omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 is one of the main building blocks in your cells. If your body doesn't get enough Omega 3, it will try to build cells from other fatty acids. The problem is that those cells are not as flexible, and not quite the right shape. Among the cells that aren't quite right are the ones in your brain that help control impulses and tell your body what it needs. By providing enough Omega 3 for your body to use, you'll be healing the damage done through years of poor diet. And since fish, as a general rule, has fewer calories than most meats, you'll be saving calories, too. Just remember that you're REPLACING portions of meat with fish, not adding them to what you already eat.

3. Spinach

At 13 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrate in 2 cups of chopped raw spinach, this is one of the lowest cost sources of nutrition you can give your body. Every serving gives you folic acid, manganese, beta-carotene, protein, lutein (a potent anti-oxidant), magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin K. You can eat it raw in salads, steamed as a side dish, or sautéed in a tiny bit of oil for a different taste, and still get all the nutritional benefits.

4. Olive Oil

Your body does need a little fat to process vitamins and use them properly. Olive oil is a mono-unsaturated fat that is the primary source of fat in the so-called Mediterranean diet. It contains antioxidants, flavonoids, beta-carotene and vitamin E, among other things. One tablespoon has a whopping 125 calories, but drizzled on a 13 calorie spinach salad with a little lemon juice and some garlic, you still have a meal with less than 150 calories - and a whole lot of healthy fuel for your body.

5. Pink Grapefruit

With only 40 calories in half a grapefruit, you're getting 45 mg of vitamin C, lycopene, pectin, beta-carotene and potassium. It's versatile and tasty. Eat it as is for breakfast, or toss it into a salad with spinach for an extra punch to perk up the nutritional quality of your diet.

Most importantly, don't base your diet around any single ONE ingredient. The best way to lose weight is to eat a healthy variety of foods to make sure that you get all the essential nutrients that you need each day.

What Kind Of Dieter Are You?

Everyday it seems, we hear stories about people who joined a weight loss program, lost weight and look great! Before and after photographs provide dramatic proof that yes, these programs do work. But how do you decide which weight loss program is best for you, and make it work?

First, you have to remember that the aim of a weight loss program is to take weight off and KEEP IT OFF. Yo-yo dieting puts stress on your body that can make losing weight harder and harder and packing it back on far too easy. It's important to choose a diet plan that will help you make changes to your eating habits that will last a lifetime.

If you're a yo-yo dieter, you probably have a history of swinging between very restrictive diets and then returning to 'normal' eating once you've lost the weight that you need to lose. You've proved that you have willpower – now what you need is re-education. Instead of choosing a strict regimen that you'll abandon when the diet is done, commit to following the recommendations for healthy eating from the USDA, and add half an hour of exercise to your daily routing five times a week. You'll establish healthy habits that will take off the pounds - and help you keep them off forever.

Secondly, decide just how much help you need. What motivates you? Are you a private person by nature, or do you do best with a lot of social support? Are you a strong-willed person who can decide to do something and 'just do it', or will you need help overcoming temptation?

If you thrive on social motivation, joining a weight loss program like Weight Watchers or TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) might be the best option for you. You'll have social support, motivational rewards and weekly check-ins to help you stay on track and give you goals to aim for.

Next, do you do best with regimented, strict instructions that tell you exactly what you should do step by step, or are you happiest and more comfortable with a little flexibility?

If you do best when you have strict guidelines to follow and like routines, then look for a diet that gives you daily menus with precise measurements and foods to eat. While that may feel restrictive to many people, the trick is to do what works for you. In fact, once you reach your target weight, you can subscribe to a healthy eating or living magazine that has daily menus.

If restrictive diets and inflexible menus aren't for you, then try a diet that gives you the option of mixing and matching your meals within certain parameters. Whether you count carbs, calories or exchanges, a diet like the Atkins, Weight Watchers or the Zone diet gives you some flexibility within the prescribed 'allowed foods'.

Finally, how much weight do you have to lose? How long have you been trying to lose it? Will quick results keep you motivated, or is slow-and-steady progress all you really need?

Try a Quick-start with the Atkins diet to strip off the early weight - a lot of it water weight - quickly so that you will see results immediately. When your results from such restrictive eating are slow, pick up the activity by adding a little more exercise and vary your diet a little - but count your calories and carbs. Aim for a steady 1-2 pounds per week, but if you need an extra boost, drop back to a more restrictive pattern to give your metabolism a little kick. The trick is to never stay with an extremely low calorie diet long enough to slow your metabolism. Just drop down and pick up the activity level long enough to wake yourself up again.

10,000 Steps to a Trimmer You.

Want to lose 35 pounds a year without changing a thing about your diet? All it takes is 10,000 steps. No, that's not a typo. Just 10,000 steps a day can burn enough calories to take off 35 pounds in a year.

I first heard about the 10,000 steps when I took a vacation with my mother last summer. As we left the house that morning for a day of sight-seeing with my two boys, she clipped a pedometer to her belt. Periodically throughout the day, she checked it, and as I settled to relax on a park bench toward the end of the day she remarked, "I'm just going to walk around the park twice. I only have 500 more steps to go."

The secret is walking. By walking 10,000 steps a day, you can burn as many calories as you do when you do any of the following:

- Swim for 90 minutes
- Ride a bike for 70 minutes
- Play 10 holes of golf (without the cart)
- Walk 50 blocks
- Play soccer for 90 minutes
- Work for two hours in your garden

How do you fit in 10,000 steps? You can count every step you take during the day - my mother clips on her pedometer first thing in the morning and takes it off last thing at night. Add in extra steps to your day with any of the following suggestions:

- Park at the far end of the lot at the mall and walk to the stores.

- Leave your car at home and walk to work. Or park three blocks further away in the morning and walk the rest of the way.

- Walk the dog! He'll love you for it.

- Walk up and down the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

- Get up and get it yourself. Instead of asking one of your kids to fetch something for you, take a little walk. You'll be surprised how much those little trips add up.

- Go sightseeing. You'll surprise yourself by freshening up your perspective on your home town at the same time.

- Walk to the store. If you're just running out to pick up milk, leave the car at home and take a walk.

- Stuck on the phone? Walk and talk at the same time. You can easily do 2000 steps during a 15 minute phone call.

Don't worry about your speed - the idea is to get moving. In fact, doctors say, if you're puffing too hard to say hi to a friend, you're walking too hard. Slow down a little. At the ideal pace you should be able to carry on a conversation, but not belt out a song.

10,000 steps may seem a little daunting at first, but just keep in mind that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Lace up those walking shoes, and let's go!

Shopping and Lifestyle Tips for Healthy Weight Loss.

Don't you wish there was an easy-to-follow practical primer to tell you all the things you should and shouldn't do to help you lose weight? I'm not talking about food choices here - there are dozens of eating plans available. I'm referring to a simple list of do's and don'ts that you can follow in your everyday life to make it easier to stick to your diet. Here are ten tips that I've found work wonders to help avoid temptation and keep me on track.

Shopping Tips

1. Shop the outside aisles.

Supermarkets are designed with the four basic food groups around the perimeter. If you stick to the outside aisles, you'll find produce, bakery, dairy and meat - exactly what you should be buying. Avoid going up and down the aisles where processed 'convenience' foods lurk to tempt you from your good intentions.

2. Don't shop hungry.

It's an old tip, but it works. When you're hungry, everything looks good - especially quick, empty calories. Make it a point to shop on a full stomach and you'll find yourself saving both money and calories.

3. Buy fresh, whole and organic whenever you can.

Processing depletes nutrients and adds calories. If you have a choice, buy fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grain products. Skip the highly processed snack foods and 'convenience' dinners.

Setting Goals

1. Set reasonable, attainable goals for yourself. Remember that a healthy, sustainable weight loss is about 1-2 pounds per week. Setting the goal to lose 30 pounds by next month is setting yourself up for failure.

2. Break your goals down if you have to. The thought of losing 100 pounds can be daunting. Instead, make it your goal to lose 10 pounds this month, or to get through the week without cheating on your diet.

3. Reward yourself! There's nothing more motivating than promising yourself a special treat when you reach a goal - but don't keep rewards just for big milestones. Make a list of positive reinforcers that you can dip into whenever you avoid temptation or need a little boost.

Measuring and Weighing

1. Measure your progress by dress size instead of pounds. Why? One of the by-products of eating healthy and exercising daily is converting fat to muscle. Muscle is denser, and weighs more than fat - but you're still getting smaller, and your clothing will tell you the truth.

2. Measure your food for the first month. Our concept of portion size has been greatly distorted by restaurants, magazine ads and our own eating habits. Invest a month in learning what a real portion looks like - weigh or measure everything.

3. Measure your day in steps - steps walked, that is. Counting the steps you walk each day and aiming to increase them to 10,000 steps daily is a great way to add exercise to your diet. (Hint: Invest in a pedometer!)

Attitude

1. Treat yourself well! Losing weight is something you're doing because you love yourself. Remember to reinforce yourself regularly for your hard work.

2. Focus on your health, not your weight. Eat healthy, exercise sensibly, and put in some 'me time' every day.

3. If you slip, forgive yourself and start again. Every day is a new day, and every day brings you closer to the new you.

Are You Getting All Of The Nutritional Supplements You Need?

Are you certain that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs? while you're dieting? Chances are that if you're following any restrictive diet plan, you may be missing some important vitamins or minerals. Any diet that heavily emphasizes one food group while completely restricting others is, by nature, lacking in some essential nutrients.

Isn't that part of the idea, though? The popular conception of dieting is that when we feed our bodies less calories than it needs, it will begin to take nutrition from the fat that it has stored. While that's true, there's a basic fallacy in thinking that your body can derive all the fuel it needs that way. Part of the problem with that assumption is that there are many nutrients that your body can't store. It simply uses what it needs and excretes the rest. Those nutrients must be consumed daily in one way or another, and if your diet doesn't allow for that, your body will show the effects.

If you're on a diet that severely restricts your intake of any particular food or food group, you may benefit from adding a nutritional supplement to your daily regimen. In fact, many doctors recommend that dieters take, at the very least, a complete, high-quality multivitamin to make up for any deficiencies caused by the restrictions. Other supplementation might be recommended depending on the diet you're following.

Below are some specific suggestions based on particular diets. The suggestions should not be taken as medical advice, nor is there any dosage recommendation. Instead, take it as a suggestion to discuss your diet with a nutritionist or dietician and ask for their advice on appropriateness or dosage.

On ANY Diet:

A full-spectrum multivitamin should be part of your daily routine no matter what you're eating or not eating. It will help even out the ups and downs of your diet, and supply some valuable nutrients that are difficult to get.

Sunshine. It may not come in pill form, but sunshine is one of the more important 'nutritional supplements'. It assists the body in making vitamin D, which is not derived from any food source. While doctors say that as little as 20 minutes of full sun a day can supply your daily requirement of vitamin D, they also caution that it's dependent on climate. If you live north of Philadelphia, you should take a vitamin D supplement to be sure that you get enough.

On a Low-Carb/High Protein Diet:

Antioxidant vitamins that are found in vegetables are a must. Scientists are learning more and more how important it is that our diets contain a full spectrum of vitamins, proteins, minerals and acids. If your diet cuts out most grains and vegetables, you should be replacing the nutrients you miss out on with supplementary vitamin A, C, B (all the B's), E and K. You should also supplement your intake of folic acid, and if you're not getting a significant amount of your protein from fish products, you'll need omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil, shellfish and flaxseed oil.

Keep in mind that the best diet is one that gives you a balance of nutrients, and that supplements should be exactly that - a supplement to your daily intake of nutrition.

No Excuses Exercises.

It's old news that exercising is the single best way to spark up your weight loss efforts. The activity perks up your metabolism, and eats up more calories. In addition, the more you exercise, the better the effect. Exercising builds muscle mass, which is denser and more compact than fat. That means your body has to expend more effort to pump blood through it, and it requires more nutrients to keep it healthy. The end result? Even at rest, your body naturally burns more calories.

Unfortunately, the prospect of exercising tends to elicit groans from most people. There's all the logistics to work out - the time, equipment, expense and the sheer, utter boringness of it all. Negative thinking about exercise can sabotage all your good intentions. Here's a list of answers for some of the most commonly used excuses not to exercise.

I don't have time to exercise!

Exercise could be one of the most important things you'll do for your health today. MAKE time to exercise. If you're doing traditional workouts - move those weights and mats right out into the family room and make use of your television time. Instead of flopping down in a chair while you watch the news or your favorite show, be active. Run in place, do leg lifts or heft weights. Use time in your car to tighten and tone muscles with isometric tummy tighteners. Walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator. Exercise doesn't have to be a solid hour at t