How does The Full Plate Diet plan work?

According to The Full Plate Diet, weight loss targets can be achieved and kept off long-term by eating a diet high in fiber.
Fiber contains very few calories but it makes you feel full. The Full Plate Diet believes that most diets fail because they ask you to eat smaller portions and weights of food instead of changing the kinds of foods you’re eating. By increasing dietary fiber, dieters will feel full and eat fewer high-calorie foods.

Consuming fewer calories than you burn will lead to weight loss. Instead of tiny portions, The Full Plate Diet believes that dieters would prefer to eat a full plate with more high fiber foods to avoid feeling hungry and achieve the goal of eating fewer calories.

A typical American diet probably consumes 10 grams of fiber per day. The Full Plate Diet recommends 40 or more grams per day. Increasing your fiber intake is accomplished through their three stages and making more informed choices.

Sustainable weight loss can be achieved by simply buying healthy foods from the grocery store, ordering the right foods on the menu and only eating if you are hungry.

What food can I eat?

Fiber includes not only non-soluble fiber, “roughage”, like bran, but also soluble fiber. Both types of fiber are found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts.

No foods are forbidden. For instance, meat and dairy products which contain no fiber are still included. But The Full Plate Diet aims to teach you how to make healthier choices and pay attention to eating more fiber.

Is it a Healthy Diet?

The Full Plate Diet is extremely healthy. And increasing your intake of dietary fiber is supported by the Institute of Medicine, the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association.

Medical research supports high-fiber diets. It has positive long-term benefits in terms of heart health, cancer, diabetes, sex and longevity. Consuming plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and whole grains) significantly lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 40%. Fruit and vegetables have positive effects for cancers of the stomach, esophagus, lung, oral cavity and pharynx, endometrium, pancreas and colon. The vitamins D, B-12, C, A and selenium, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables also protect against cancer. Fiber reduces the risk of diabetes, aids digestion, reduces heartburn, boosts energy, and more.

Top Marks

• Medical research scientifically proves the benefits of high-fiber diets.
• High-fiber foods are cheap and readily available from grocery stores.
• Not a deprivation diet.
• Plenty of advice on high-fiber foods, making higher fiber choices and recipes.
• Advice on eating out.
• Online resources and support is available.

Potential Problems

• Not all concepts are fully explained. For instance, exercise is encouraged but advice is limited to a paragraph in the book. Further reading and support may be necessary.

Will I lose weight?

General weight loss claims from fiber are supported by studies from Harvard School of Public Health, Cornell and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

According to results from their clinical practice “weight loss of 5 to 10 pounds in the first month and 50 to 75 pounds after one year are not uncommon”. Individual results will vary and depend on activity level and adherence to The Full Plate Diet principles.

Our Rating:

How to Get Started

Begin following The Full Plate Diet with these resources:

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

No calorie counting. No forbidden foods. No weighing food. Sensible eating and learning how to “smartsize” your portions are the key to finding the right balance for healthy eating.

How does the Portion Teller diet plan work?

Dr. Young points to an example of nutritionists not being able to accurately guess the calorie or fat content of several restaurant meals. Given the difficulty in accurately counting, her portion teller approach uses visual guides designed to teach dieters how to understand the correct portion size of foods.

Depending on a dieter’s portion personality – the mindless muncher, the breakfast hater, the volume eater, the special occasion victim – Young has devised formulas for each type to help dieters find the right balance of their daily food servings. Dieters will be able to eat out, eat in and even cheat, without overeating.

Learning a simple system of visuals – a deck of cards, a baseball, your own hand – helps dieters gauge portion size. Initially a food diary is used until dieters learn how to size up their favourite foods with the visuals. Dieters can track and chart their diet course by employing line drawings, charts, The Portion Teller Plan pyramid, and portion diaries.

Her understanding of the underlying reasons for bad eating habits has also lead her to develop a cheat’s guide, a survival guide for eating out and daily meal plans.

Successful weight loss using this plan comes from applying Dr Young’s real-life principles. She believes deprivation, calorie counting or eliminating foods doesn’t work.

What food can I eat?

Instead of giving up your favourite foods, nutritionist, Lisa Young, believes the answer to losing weight is portion size.

How people eat depends on their portion personality. For instance, a Special Occasion Victim finds it hard to resist a cake at an office party and a Volume Eater needs their plate to be full. Her nutrition counselling experience has led her to develop techniques to help each type successfully overcome their food weakness.

Is it a Healthy Diet?

Dr. Lisa Young is a nutritionist and known by millions as the portion control expert in the film Super Size Me. The principles in the Portion Teller diet follow healthy eating guidelines and will help dieters make healthy choices and overcome potential sources of bad eating habits.

Top Marks

• Simple visuals are easy to learn and employ in different situations.
• Focuses on making healthy choices and limiting food intake to the correct daily amounts.
• Recommended daily intake is based on activity level.

Potential Problems

• Can be overly simplistic.
• Not all concepts are fully explained. For instance, what activity level would be considered “extremely active”?

Will I lose weight?

Dieters will likely need to eat less than their current portion size. Provided you follow the principles of eating the correct portions according to the recommended amount for your activity level then you should be able to lose weight on this diet plan.

Our Rating:

How to Get Started

Begin following the Portion Teller Diet with these resources:

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

The original interactive fitness game, Wii Fit, found millions of followers. Wii Fit Plus aims to build on the success of its predecessor by offering all the same features and workouts along with enhancements to help players “reinvigorate their workouts, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep them fun.”

One of the appeals of the Wii Fit Plus comes from the ability to track your daily progress and monitor your weight, BMI (body mass index), MET value (metabolic equivalent or calories burnt), FitCash (time logged), centre of gravity and Wii Fit Age.

Wii’s successful use of a balance board peripheral helps players throughout the exercises and games, and measures your progress. The balance board accurately tracks your actions and tells you whether your technique needs improving. It is remarkably sensitive and provides instant bio-feedback during the activity.

What Types of Training and Workout Exercises are Available?

Players can now customize their workout routines.

A major problem of the original Wii Fit game was only performing one exercise at a time and not being able to create a seamless workout with a series of exercises. The Wii Fit Plus not only allows you to choose from specialized workout routines that focus on a fitness goal, targets certain areas or lasts 20-, 30- or 40-minutes but it easily allows players to set their own customized workouts.

The main features are:

• Training categories – aerobic exercises, muscle conditioning, Yoga, balance games and training plus
• Training routines – create customized training routines from all the original Wii Fit activities or new strength training, yoga activities or balance games. Alternatively, ask Wii Fit Plus to prepare them for you.
• Activities & balance games – all the original games such as ski slalom are included along with new training plus games such as skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu.
• Track & monitor your progress – recording a daily weight and fitness level allows players to check their progress.
• MET (Metabolic Equivalent) value – helps calculate the calories burnt. It is defined as “the ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate.”
• Weigh your pets – more of a gimmick than a feature if you ask me.
• Multiplayer mode – up to 8 people can play

The aim of the Wii Fit Plus is to have fun. The range and variety of games and customizations will keep people entertained and hopefully encourage players to play more often.

Top Marks

• Can create own exercises
• Can set the length of time
• Balance board is a great peripheral
• Instant bio-feedback from balance board
• Exercises will help your balance and strength
• Can be more interactive and entertaining than other forms of exercise
• Could have health benefits according to a study published in the British Medical Journal in February 2008
• Variety of fun balance board games
• Track your weight, body mass index (BMI), MET and time spent exercising providing a clearer picture of how your health is progressing over time
• All the equipment is quite intuitive so most people will quickly be able to navigate the system

Potential Problems

• Not a total fitness solution – focuses more on improving muscle tone and balance than cardio and weight loss
• Potential to hurt yourself
• Board is sensitive but players can still find ways to cheat
• Some games lack depth to keep players entertained after the initial novelty wears off
• Doesn’t replace real exercises (as heart rate generally not raised high enough for long enough but still better than sedentary activities)
• Health and fitness assessments not full explained
• Health and fitness assessment may not always be accurate, for instance, someone with a high muscle mass may be classified as overweight

Will the Wii Fit Plus Help Improve Your Fitness?

Nintendo is marketing the Wii Fit Plus as a mixture of fitness and fun, and certainly with the added improvements it works. It’s a decent alternative for those bored with the repetitiveness of going to a gym or too self-conscious to join a yoga or aerobics class.

Shortly after the release of the Wii Fit in 2008, it began earning a second life as a useful tool in helping victims of debilitating diseases and accidents on their way to recovery. Many medical professionals and physiotherapists incorporate the Wii into their patients’ therapy programs. They cite its ability to allow patients to work on weight bearing exercises, increase coordination, increase strength and stability, and increase fine and gross motor skills as some of the key benefits of the Wii.

Do you need a Wii to perform exercises? The simple answer is no you don’t. But the Wii can help you improve your technique, create a fun experience and provide a range of stats, personal targets and graphs. And an added bonus of not leaving your house is that you can fit exercising into spare moments throughout the day. All this may help to keep your enthusiasm and motivation high increasing your desire to improve your fitness and ultimately achieve your fitness goals.

Remember just like Wii Sports is not going to make you a tennis pro and Nintendo’s Brain Games will not make you a genius. Wii Fit Plus will not make you more fit unless you have the motivation to use it as a part of your fitness regime.

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Hardware & Software Requirements

Along with the Wii Fit Plus game and Wii Balance Board, you will need the Nintendo Wii console.

At the core of the Wii Fit Plus experience is the balance board. The board is stylish and surprisingly sturdy. It has four rubber feet to prevent slipping on smooth surfaces, interacts wirelessly with the Wii, weighs 8.8 lbs (4kg) and requires four AA batteries. The maximum weight allowance is 330 lbs (150kg).

More accessories are available but the one we would recommend is a silicon sleeve to help prevent slipping when sweat drops on the board and to protect it from scratches.

How to Get Started

Wii Fit Plus comes packaged with the Wii Balance Board. For people who already own the balance board, the Wii Fit Plus game is available for purchase separately.

	Product Description	Site Link
	Wii Fit Plus – game only or with board from Amazon USA
	Wii Fit Plus – game only or with board from Amazon UK
	Wii Fit Plus – game only or with board from Argos UK

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Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

How does the eDiet program work?

eDiets claims to help you find the perfect personalized diet plan. They offer a range of diet plans, food options and support services to help you achieve your goals. You begin the program with an online assessment which helps you select from suitable diet plans, support service options and fitness exercises.

It is an online service so you can access help and support 24/7, 365 days a week.

eDiets has been in business a long time. Numerous personal and professional testimonials testify to their success, expertise and knowledge. They spend a lot of time and money on ensuring you get the latest proven techniques to help you achieve your goals.

What diets are covered?

eDiets offer a choice of over 22 fully supported diet plans including:

• eDiets Weight Loss Diet
• eDiets Meal Delivery Plan specifically for use with alli®
• Seasonal Diet
• Glycemic Diet™
• Mediterranean Diet™
• Bill Phillips’ Eating for Life™
• Slim Fast Optima™ Diet
• Wheat-free Meal Plan
• Low-Fat Plan
• Living with Diabetes Plan
• Heart Smart Plan
• Cholesterol Lowering Plan
• High-Fiber Plan
• Hypoglycemic/Low-Sugar Plan
• Healthy Soy Plan
• Vegetarian Plan
• Lactose-Free Plan

The free online profile questionnaire will help you narrow your selection to the top (or up to 3 top) plans based on your lifestyle and diet preferences. It will also calculate your BMI and daily calorie guide.

(Note: Zip/postal codes outside Canada and U.S. are not accepted in the profile questionnaire – at the time of this review.)

What food options are available?

Foods depend entirely on your preferences and which diet plan you decide to follow.

An option available to members is have freshly prepared meals delivered to your door. Each meal is prepared by chefs and made-to-order in the right portions for you. Epicurious.com, the premier award-winning food website, rated eDiet’s meal delivery service as #1 for Best Taste & Nutrition. Judged on flavor, nutrition, portion size, convenience, variety, and customer service & support tools, it earned 3 out of 4 stars.

Top Marks

• A free profile questionnaire. I would recommend taking the quiz even if you’re not thinking about using eDiets.
• Choice of how to get your food with personalized menus and print-and-go shopping lists through the “Recipes Club” for those who like to cook or “eDiet Fresh Prepared Meals Delivery” for those without the time or inclination to cook.
• All diet plans include a free fitness plan based on your fitness level and goals. And video demonstrations of the fitness exercises assigned to you are available online.
• Support is available through email, live chat or individual phone consultations with an expert, in addition to online support boards with peer support. Support is offered for nutrition with dieticians, new members and motivation.
• Professional high quality articles, content and recipes updated regularly by paid health and nutrition professionals. There are a lot of options for how you like to receive information about your diet including emails or podcasts.
• Men’s section.
• Numerous testimonials and awards for their services including Forbes voting it as best of the web in the nutrition and diet category.

Potential Problems

• While you do get a lot for your money, eDiets costs $4.49 per week, which is taken as a monthly payment. The price is the same no matter what diet you choose. It includes all their services (except the Fresh Prepared Meals Delivery) and now includes the fitness plan which used to be extra.
• A local gym would generally freely offer a lot of the same diet and exercise consultations along with access to their equipment and facilities in their membership fees.

Will I lose weight?

Weight loss plans appear to fall within the healthy guidelines of losing 1-2 lbs/week.

I was encouraged when I entered wanting to lose 50+lbs and my “perfect plan” claimed I could lose 10 lbs within the next 5 weeks. Of course, how much weight loss you can achieve depends entirely upon how closely you follow your diet and exercise program.

How to Get Started

Begin using eDiets by clicking this link:

Use Promo Code SAVE25 to Save 25% at eDiets!

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

Along with providing general information about calorie shifting diets, we will primarily focus on Fat Loss 4 Idiots since it is one of the most popular online diets of this type.

How does the Fat Loss 4 Idiots diet plan work?

Calorie shifting is a simple concept that works on the premise that your body adjusts its fat burning depending on your calorie intake.

By establishing a baseline calorie level and varying the levels of calories everyday then you can confuse your metabolism and force your body to burn extra fat tissue. Some days you will consume less than your baseline calorie level and other days you will consume more.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots believes that their combination of the right food at the right intervals will produce this effect. And your body will release fat burning hormones rather than fat storage hormones.

What food can I eat?

Fat Loss 4 Idiots produces a meal plan based on your food list choices. So it will vary depending on your choices. Although during the 11 day cycle, 3 days are cheat days where anything can be eaten.

Is it a Healthy Diet?

These types of diets were originally intended for short term use pre and post surgery. They would be prescribed to an obese patient so they could lose weight quickly before a surgery to limit the risk of life-threatening side-effects.

Some calorie shifting diets lack fruit and vegetables, calcium and fat. All critical to maintaining a healthy body. Therefore, we cannot recommend or promote this diet as healthy. If you decide to proceed with this diet consider nutritional supplements, consult a doctor and regard it as a short-term diet to achieve your goals.

Top Marks

• The caloric shifting aspect of this diet seems like a gimmick but dieters who are able to follow the menu may lose a significant amount of weight in a short period.
• Dieters may feel better mentally by having some “cheat” days. Knowing you can eat more on some days, may make it easier to eat less on other days. And while you can eat all those foods you enjoy on your cheat days, you cannot go overboard.
• It is difficult to eat exactly the same number of calories everyday for any length of time. So many dieters may naturally be following this type of diet to some degree.

Potential Problems

• Quick weight loss can lead to quick weight gain. The recommended amount of weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week.
• Dieters are required to commit to following a menu and not deviate.
• Dieters are not required to exercise as part of the plan.
• Often calorie shifting diets lack essential vitamins and minerals.
• As your body adapts to consistent patterns, you may need to reassessing your baseline calorie intake to make the diet more efficient.
• Whether dieters maintain the weight loss in the long-term is more likely due to what they eat after reverting to normal eating patterns.
• No conclusive scientific evidence yet exists to support the overall success of this type of diet.

Will I lose weight?

Some dieters on Fat Loss 4 Idiots claim that, by following the plan, they can lose 9 pounds in 11 days. And while strict adherence to the diet will produce some weight loss, the claimed amount of weight loss does not seem possible and will not be typical.

Our Rating:

How to Get Started

Begin following the Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet with these resources:

	Product Description	Site Link
	Fat Loss 4 Idiots

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

How does the Detox diet plan work?

Many detox diets exist but we will focus on Dr Elson Haas’ of the Preventive Medical Center in California. She recommends following her cleansing diet for 5- to 7-days several times a year for optimal health.

According to Dr. Haas, people who detox can prevent, treat or dramatically improve health due to congestive problems. Examples of congestive problems include colds, flu, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, allergies, and acute and chronic diseases, which clog tissues and cells.

People suffering from fatigue, coldness, hair loss or dry skin – all symptoms of nutritional deficiencies -will benefit from a wholesome, nourishing diet and detox to aid healing. And banning harmful substances will help rejuvenate the body. Harmful substances include caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, refined sugar and food chemicals.

What food can I eat?

Her program increases fruit and vegetables, reduces animal fats and animal-based proteins, and bans damaging substances. It consists of three meals a day; with vegetable water and water with lemon juice in place of snacks.

Eating more fruits and vegetables; drinking more water; limiting animal fats and proteins; and eliminating caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and refined sugars are found in many detox diets and produce beneficial effects in and of themselves.

Is it a Healthy Diet?

No scientific evidence exists yet to prove medical problems can be prevented or improved by cleansing and detoxification. Most experts view it as harmless and not necessary as the body can maintain itself. But nutrient deficiencies may result if followed for longer than a few days.

Top Marks

• Dietary changes, such as eating more fruit and vegetables, drinking more water and eliminating caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and refined sugars, will help you lose weight and feel better.
• Suggestions such as relaxing before and after meals, taking your time to eat and thoroughly chewing your food can aid digestion and the ability to realize if you are full.

Potential Problems

• It is difficult to maintain and can promote nutrient deficiencies if followed longer than a few days.
• During the first few days, side-effects can include irritability, fatigue, flu-like feelings, headaches, and mild sinus congestion but Dr Haas believes by day 3 or 4 you’ll feel better, if not before.
• It may be necessary to include a small portion of protein in the mid-afternoon if you feel weak or hungry.

Will I lose weight?

The very low levels of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates will help you lose weight. But, given the short timeframe weight loss may not occur, be significant or produce long-lasting results.

Our Rating:

How to Get Started

Begin following the Detox Diet with these resources:

	Product Description	Site Link
	Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness
	Master Cleanse Secrets 10 Day Diet
	Definitive Detox Diet – Insider Secrets To Radiant Health
	Detox Diet Secrets
	Super Cleanse: Detox Your Body for Long-Lasting Health and Beauty

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

How does the Slimming World diet plan work?

The foundation of the program is “Food Optimising”. Foods are divided into three groups: free foods, healthy extras and “sins”. Free foods can be consumed in unlimited amounts. Healthy extras are portion controlled foods based on a daily allowance. Sins are the least healthy foods, such as chocolate, crisps and alcohol. This group is allowed but limited depending on weight, weight-loss goals and activity levels.

Food Optimising works by limiting calorie intake based on making healthier choices.

Promoted as a flexible and easy-to-follow weight loss system owing to few restrictions and without the hassles of counting or weighing food. Dieters receive on-going motivation and advice by attending weekly group support.

What food can I eat?

An unlimited amount of free foods can be consumed on the diet. Free foods are healthy everyday foods and dieters are encouraged to fill-up on these healthier food choices.

While the three food groupings remain the same, some foods may appear in different groups depending on which plan you follow.

In the “original plan”, free foods include most fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meat, poultry and eggs. Healthy extras include bread, cereals, cheese, milk and carbohydrates.

Is it a Healthy Diet?

A flexible programme aimed to provide easy-to-follow healthy dietary advice. It also includes information on increasing your activity level.

Top Marks

• Dieters can eat to satisfy their hunger using free foods.
• No need to weight, calculate, estimate or count free foods.
• Exercise is encouraged and not limited to visits to the gym.
• Unique program for 11 to 15 year olds, called Free2Go, encouraging healthier options and fun activities. The program is free but children must be accompanied by a paying parent or guardian.
• A pregnancy programme, created in conjunction with the Royal College of Midwives, allows for a healthy weight to be managed during pregnancy and breast feeding.

Potential Problems

• Can be viewed as expensive.
• Some weekly meeting consultants may not be as inspiring to you as others.
• While encouraged, it is a personal choice to exercise or not.
• While highly unlikely, some people may choose to fill up on only a couple foods despite recommendations and the wide variety of food selection. A balanced diet depends on choosing a wide range of free foods.

Will I lose weight?

A healthy weight loss of 1 – 2 lbs per week is achievable when following this diet.

Our Rating:

How to Get Started

Begin following the Detox Diet with these resources:

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

How does the GI diet plan work?

The glycamic index (GI) ranks foods on a scale from 0 to 100 according to how fast they release sugar (glucose) into the bloodstream. High GI foods are rapidly digested and absorbed, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. The body responds with insulin, which turns on fat storage. Low GI foods release glucose slowly over several hours resulting in gradual rises in blood sugar levels and less insulin.

Low GI diets benefit people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2), cardiovascular disease and certain digestive disorders. It also assists with weight control as it helps control appetite and delays hunger. The theory is that if you feel full longer, then you’re less likely to snack and by eating fewer calories you can reduce your weight.

What food can I eat?

A food’s GI value is affected by a number of factors including the type of carbohydrate, how it was processed and amount of fat and dietary fibre. All of these factors influence the blood sugar response. Food values may vary slightly, depending on the author, but they should be the same.

In general, the GI values follow common sense with whole wheat bread (49) having a lower value than white bread (71). Although some anomalies exist, such as chocolate, which has a low GI value, but is high in fat and has a low nutritional value. So when choosing your meal plan, you should consider other aspects such as vitamin and mineral content, fibre and protein.

Foods are generally divided into low, medium/moderate and high GI food lists. Low GI foods tend to have a GI of less than 55. Medium GI foods generally range from 56 to 69. High GI foods have a GI over 70.

Meal plans encourage you to make low GI choices and avoid high GI foods. Mixing high and low foods together will create a different value for your meal, thus making it less restrictive than other diets.

Is it a Healthy Diet?

Most nutritionists and dieticians believe the GI diet falls within current guidelines on healthy eating.

Top Marks

• A flexible diet plan due to the ability to combine high and low GI foods to arrive at the GI value for the meal.
• Some research exists to support claims that a diet based on low-GI carbohydrate foods and whole-grain cereals can potentially protect against the risk of heart disease and developing Type 2 diabetes.
• A good diet for vegetarians since it is easier to select recommended foods.
• Concerned with not only weight loss but also maintaining your weight.

Potential Problems

• A low GI diet can be high in fat and contain nutritional deficiencies. Most plans advise you to limit your fat intake and recommend avoiding certain foods with a low GI but high fat content.
• Carrying around food lists and counting points all day may be an issue.

Will I lose weight?

Dieters tend to lose 1 – 2lbs a week but results will vary depending on your activity level and food choices.

Our Rating:

How to Get Started

Begin following the GI Diet with these resources:

	Product Description	Site Link
	Low GI Diet Breakthrough

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

How does the Zone diet plan work?

The Zone diet is all about balancing what you eat and the body’s response. The right combination, also known as the Zone 1-2-3 Method (or the ratio 40:30:30) defines a diet consisting of three grams of carbohydrates, two grams of proteins and one gram of fats. Getting the right combination allows you to control the three major hormones – insulin, glucagon and eiconsanoids. Dr Sears believes a high intake of carbohydrates leads to hyperinsulinism and obesity, and a high intake of protein leads to high glucagon and ketosis.

The diet is designed to limit a genetic predisposition in 75 percent of people to over-produce insulin. A simple test to find out which group you belong is to: have pasta for lunch at noon and then check how you feel at 3 pm. If you are tired and hungry, then you tend to over-produce insulin.

What food can I eat?

Zone meals are designed to get the right dietary intake at every meal which is scheduled at regular intervals throughout the day – roughly four and a half hours apart. Most people on this diet will eat three meals a day with two substantial snacks.

For simplicity, the diet suggests dividing your plate into three equal sections. One third should consist of low-fat protein no bigger or thicker than the palm of your hand. The remaining two-thirds comprise “favourable” carbohydrates – lots of vegetables, some fruits and a small amount of grains and starches. A small dash of “good fats” can also be added to your plate.

Protein choices include skinless chicken, turkey, fish, very lean cuts of meat, egg whites, low-fat dairy products, tofu and soy meat substitutes.

Favorable carbohydrates include most vegetables, most fruit and selected grains. Some of the excluded items are corn, bananas, raisins, pasta, bread, bagels, cereals and potatoes.

Good fats are olive oil, almonds, avocados and fish oils.

Is it a Healthy Diet?

Currently no scientific evidence substantiates the claim that the Zone’s combination of combating insulin resistance and altering eiconsonoid levels produce the health effects described. However, the ratios are the same as what the Joslin Diabetes Research Center at Harvard Medical School recommends for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Top Marks

• Ability to choose your own meals within the guidelines.
• Concerned with not only weight loss but also maintaining your weight.

Potential Problems

• The Zone can be complicated to implement accurately.
• Depending on your selection of proteins, it can be high in saturated fat.
• A high protein intake has been linked to potential health problems such as bone loss.
• Consuming low-glycaemic-index carbohydrates may produce the same results as limiting refined foods in terms of avoiding overstimulation of insulin secretion.

Will I lose weight?

Given that your activity level and current percentage of body fat are factored into choosing which meal plan is best suited for you, then following the prescribed regimen should lead to weight loss.

Our Rating:

How to Get Started

Begin following the Zone Diet with these resources:

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.

How does the South Beach diet plan work?

Dr Arthur Agatston, a prominent Miami cardiologist, developed the South Beach diet plan to improve the health of his patients. He believes other low-carbohydrate diets overlook the healthy aspects of carbohydrates and promote saturated fats and proteins. In contrast, his diet encourages good carbohydrates and limits the bad.

The South Beach diet is divided into 3 phases.

South Beach Phase 1, lasts for two weeks and completely eliminates carbohydrates including fruits and alcohol. The reasoning is “to eliminate cravings for sugar and refined starches – and to jump-start your weight loss”.

During the South Beach Phase 2, the long-term weight loss phase, some foods are gradually reintroduced. It encourages eating permitted foods until huger is satisfied. The theory being that maintaining satiety prevents you from snacking on bad carbohydrates.

South Beach Phase 3 is the maintenance phase, when your ideal weight has been achieved. Almost all foods are now included and occasional indulges in forbidden foods are permitted.

Eating three regular meals along with two snacks diminishes hunger pangs and cravings for unhealthy foods.

What food can I eat?

Each phase has different forbidden and permitted foods. Phase 1 is the most restrictive. It excludes all carbohydrates including fruits, sweets and alcohol.

Phase two reintroduces foods such as fruit and wine along with one forbidden food. Staples, during this phase, include lean meats, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and eggs.

Phase three includes almost every kind of food.

During all phases, it encourages an abundance of vegetables and places limits on fats and proteins.

Is it a Healthy Diet?

A very healthy diet reasonably restricting fats while encouraging unlimited intake of vegetables.

Top Marks

• Claimed to be an easy diet to follow.
• Flexible diet that understands you may gain weight during a holiday and recommends reverting to the initial phase when you return home.
• Practical and helpful suggestions for ordering food at a restaurant.
• Concerned with not only weight loss but also maintaining your weight.

Potential Problems

• Can you follow a recipe? Basic cookery skills seem to be a requirement to following this diet.
• The absence of fruit in phase one is questionable.
• It will be difficult for some people to completely give up carbohydrates in phase one.
• No scientific evidence provided other than what Dr Agatston witnessed.

Will I lose weight?

The South Beach diet appears to be a safe, effective plan that can help you lose weight. It provides logical and helpful advice to people trying to lose weight. However, one overlooked factor is exercise which is an essential component in weight control.

Our Rating:

How to Get Started

Begin following the South Beach Diet with these resources:

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.