Diets And Weight Loss Plans

A Daily Blog for Dieter's

Any weight loss or diet plan, including low-carb plans like the induction phase of the Atkins Diet will result in water loss during the first week or two. However, one of the real beauties of following a low carbohydrate eating plan is that most of the weight loss than extends beyond the initial induction phase of the diet is really from a drop in fat pounds.

How can this be? Well, when you follow a controlled carbohydrate eating plan like Atkins or the South Beach Diet, your body soon switches from burning carbohydrates (which the diet deprives the body of) to burning fat for energy. In other words, the majority of the weight loss that occurs beyond the initial induction phase is really loss of fat that has been stored in your body.

Contrary to what many skeptics and misinformed persons may report or say, even if your body sheds water during the first few days of a controlled carbohydrate diet plan like the South Beach Diet or Atkins, the body’s water balance soon returns to normal and the weight loss that follows is the depletion of fat pounds. This loss of fat reveals itself to one and all in the form declines in inches (your body measurements) and pounds – regardless which low-carb diet you follow.


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Diet Make The Difference

For the best diet results, you need a personalized diet that you can stick to.

People diet for lots of reasons, and with lots of aims in mind. No matter what your aims are, the most effective diet to achieve them is a personalized one. A personalized diet which suits you is what you need, whether you want to improve your health, or just lose weight.

Once you've decided to make a change for the better in your diet the next step is to seek advice from an expert. There are a myriad of fitness and diet plans to suit you available from your local gym or fitness center. There will usually be someone there you can talk to and discover what the best diet for you is. Alternatively you can take join up to one of the many fitness programs offered by the major fitness companies, there is one to suit every taste!

Everyones body is different and so different diets and fitness programs effect you diffently to the way they will effect others. Some people will lose weight and tone up more quickly on certain diets so its important to ensure the diet that you are on is just right for your body.

Most diet programs are designed for people with no specific health problems. If you find you are changing your prescribed diet to suit a health problem you have it is essential to contact your doctor first for advice. They can advise you on what is best to eat or avoid eating with your illness.

Of course your doctor knows as much as anyone about your health. They are in an excellent position to help you decide on the diet that will be most effective for you. They will also be able to spot any potential problems with a diet you are on, or are considering. For example if you are on medication to prevent blood clots then you shouldn't eat green vegetables (spinach in particular). Your doctor will spot issues like this and point them out to you.

The major problem with standard diets (including the fad diets we all here about) is that they are just that - standard. They are designed to suit everyone to some degree but they will probably have an average effect on you. These diets are not designed for you - for your body, build, fitness level, health, or potential health problems. A good diet is one you can make your own - a diet you can tailor and personalize to suit yourself.

Another problem is that depending on where you live, some diets might call for you to eat a particular food that is difficult or even impossible to find. They might also require you to eat foods that are out of season or more expensive to buy in your location than others. If this is the case, you should change your diet to include foods that are easier to come by, but that also work in your diet.

Of course there is little point in beginning your diet with great determination only to find a week later you dont have the ability to stick with it. It is important that you ease yourself into your diet when possible. Phase out your old diet while gradually adopting your new personalised diet.
That way you'll be able to stick with it and get the most out of your new diet.

Avoid a diet that requires you to abruptly change your eating habits, forcing you to stop eating your favourite foods for example. Changes like that will cause temptation and make you cheta on your diet. A diet like this will rarely last long enough to have any meaningful effect on your health or weight.

If your diet has an aim - like losing weight or lowering your blood pressure then you should consider making a progress chart. that way you can look at the chart and see how far you've come and how much closer to your goal you are. that kind of encouragement will give you a much needed boost in your confidence, and your resolve to work along the path of your new diet and achieve your goals.

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What You Should Know About How the Protein Diet Works

Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health. In its basic form protein consists of amino acid chains. Of the 22 amino acids that are capable of creating protein, 8 of these can only be obtained through a protein diet. Because these amino acids are utilized by the body a low protein diet can affect a host of very important functions. The building of our skin, hair, nails and internals organs all depend on amino acids and are maintained trough a protein diet.

Muscle tissue as well as new tissue growth need protein for their activities and can receive adequate levels with a protein diet. Protein intake from a high protein diet helps to transport nutrients and oxygen to our cells. The valuable protein diet aids and maintains antibody production.

The protein sources available to us for inclusion in a high protein diet include animal and plant based proteins. Animal proteins are found in meat, fish, cheese eggs and milk. Plant protein sources include soy, spirulina and organic whey protein diet products. While it is certainly important that we include a balanced intake of protein in our diet, many people eat too much animal based protein.

This type of high protein diet could have adverse health effects, which appear as disease and obesity. Many individuals who follow an excessively high animal based protein diet are overweight and often unhealthy. People on an animal based high protein diet often have elevated bad cholesterol levels.
Heart disease, strokes and osteoporosis are often the result of an excessive animal based high protein diet. It is therefore important that a well-balanced protein diet is maintained. By replacing part or all of our animal protein diet with plant proteins we can be assured that our body requirements are being met. A plant protein diet can help us to avoid the health problems associated with an excessive animal protein diet.

Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats when on a plant protein diet can improve health tremendously. This plant protein diet can also aid with weight control. A plant protein diet does away with the saturated fat accumulation thus limiting unwanted weight gain. Regular exercise combined with a high protein diet including plant proteins will be beneficial to individuals wanting a healthier lifestyle.
Plant proteins have many benefits of their own when included in the high protein diet. These protein diet improvements include the ability to raise good cholesterol levels while reducing bad cholesterol. This important protein diet function aids in preventing the arterial plaque build up, which could cause artery hardening and blockages.

Protein from plant sources like soy and spirulina, when included in a protein diet, are able to reduce the risk of strokes, heart attacks and heart disease. A vegetable high protein diet improves the ability to retain calcium in the body.

Because less calcium is excreted in the urine while on a plant protein diet, problems such as kidney stones are lessened. Therefore it is important to consider exactly which type of high protein diet you are currently following. Due to the high levels of saturated fats and additives found in red meat, a plant protein diet is superior to an animal protein diet and is the healthier alternative.

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What You Should Know About Fad Diets

High-Fat, Low-Carbohydrate Diets - Millions of Americans have joined the low-carb craze and started high-fat, low-carb diets such as the Atkins Diet, and the Zone Diet. They are made up of about 60% fat, 10% carbohydrate, and 30% protein. These diets say you can eat high amounts of fat and protein while getting very low amounts of carbohydrates in the form of vegetables. The main premise of the low-carb diet is that a diet low in carbohydrates leads to a reduction in bodyÕs production of insulin. The end result is that fat and protein stores will be used for energy. So you stuff yourself full of unlimited amounts of meat, cheese, and butter, and only eat a small portion of carbohydrates.

People who start the diet usually lose a great amount of weight, but itÕs not permanent weight loss. Instead of burning fat, the lose water and precious muscle tissue. Furthermore, these diets are low in several nutrients and contain excess amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats, substances that increase the risk of heart disease. Plus, regardless of what they claim, the enormous amounts of protein put a strain on your kidneys.

Moderate Fat Diets - Next, there are the moderate fat diets. Moderate fat diets include diets like Weight Watchers, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, and Jenny Craig. These diets are made up of about 25% fat, 60% carbohydrate, and 15% protein. They encourage the intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and essential fatty acids found in foods like olive oil and salmon. These diets are usually nutritionally balanced if the dieter eats a variety of foods from all categories. For example, Weight Watchers operates on a point system where foods get a number of points based on calorie, fiber, and fat content. Dieters get a specific amount of points they can use for the day. While itÕs not encouraged, they may choose to spend most of their points on carbohydrates instead of balancing it out. This could lead to deficiencies in nutrients such as calcium, iron, and zinc. However, if followed properly, these diets are probably the most successful for losing weight and keeping it off.

Low and Very Low-Fat Diets - Finally, you have your low-fat and very low-fat diets. Diets in this category include the Dr. Dean OrnishÕs Diet and the Pritkin Plan, among others. They are made up of about 13% fat, 70% carbohydrates, and 16% protein. These diets are mostly vegetarian diets and donÕt recommend eating a lot of meat. Like the low-carb diets, you can eat unlimited amounts of certain foods. Because you canÕt eat a lot of meat, these diets are deficient in zinc, vitamin B12, and essential fatty acids. Also, it is so restrictive that people find a hard time staying on it for life and end up gaining their weight back.

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Compare Betwen Atkins Diets and South Beach Diets

Low-carb diets have been in the market for quite some time now. Two of the most common these days are the Atkins and South Beach Diet.

Beginnings
Both were developed by medical doctors (cardiologists) who -- according to reports -- were trying to help Americans lose weight given their high carb diets.

Atkins Diet was the first to be developed and is thus, the more popular. It was developed by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins as early as the 1972 but became more widely popular -- despite the oppositions -- in the 1990s.

Dr. Arthur Agatston, also a cardiologist but from Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Miami Beach, Fla., is known as the father of the South Beach diet. His work came a lot later through his book: "The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss" published in 2003.

Similarities
Both popular diet plans advise dieters to avoid carbohydrates and follow stringent steps to ensure that the significant weight lost during the program does not come back.

Both start with the so-called induction phase where the body of the dieter is "trained" for the routine.

Both diet plans come with suggested food lists where dieters can mix and match foods to suit their tastes. Of course, like other diet plans, both plans advise dieters to stay away from food not included in the lists.

Among the "dont's" in Dr. Atkins' list are fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and some dairy products except cheese, cream, and butter.

Aside from fruit, bread, pasta and vegetables, South Beach dieters are also advised to stay away from potatoes, cereal, rice, and corn, especially for the first two weeks of the induction or introductory period. After this period, these can be slowly re-introduced into the body, albeit in smaller amounts.

Both diet plans have a lifetime "maintenance" phase where hopefully dieters will be so accustomed to either plan that they hardly recognize that they are dieting at all.

Differences
While both diet plans restrict carbohydrate intake, the South Beach diet is said to be more forgiving by not totally eliminating carbs. It distinguishes between "good" and "bad" carbs and even "good" and "bad" fats. South Beach encourages intake of "good" carbs and fats.

Low-sugar carbs with low glycemic index are "good" carbs under the South Beach plan. Food rich in fiber are also recommended.

Atkins's diet routine helps the body to burn fat instead of carb. The goal is to help the dieter achieve good health.
Atkins's diet plan involves four phases while the South Beach plan has three phases.

In both plans, the introductory stage aims to condition the body for some changes to prepare for the program.

In Atkins diet, the body is trained to burn fat instead of sugar to help curb the cravings for sugar and break addiction to some foods.

In South Beach diet, the initial phase involves cutting on high-carb foods, which can be gradually re-introduced in small amounts in the next phase. In this case, South Beach debunks myths that this approach prevents dieters from getting healthy mix from all food groups.

Atkins dieters go through the next following phases: ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance.
The last two phases of South Beach diet are called re-introduce the carb and diet for life.

What's key in the maintenance phase in Atkins is to keep portions of food at small amounts.

Atkins diet guarantees no hunger deprivation because its long-term goal is healthy diet.

South Beach's promise is a "change in the way of eating," with the dieter not recognizing at all that he is on a diet.
Summarizing the Diets

Atkins Diet
Developed by cardiologist Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1972, with his “Diet Revolution”, a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.

The program focuses on a low-carbohydrate diet.

The Program has 4 phases:
1. induction phase (train the body to burn fats instead of carb)
2. ongoing weight loss
3. pre-maintenance
4. lifetime maintenance

South Beach Diet
Developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston of Miami, Florida, who in 2003, published the book “The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss".

The program distinguishes between “good” and “bad” carbohydrates, and “good” and “bad” fats.
Take in “good” carbs and fats.

The program has 3 phases:
1. 2-week introductory or induction phase (strictly no carbs)
2. re-introduce the carbs
3. diet for life

Prescription Diet Pills

If you were to search ‘Prescription Diet Pills’ online you would come up with more than 3.5 million results, certainly a large number of results to sort through to find the best prescription diet pill.

The problem is that several diet pills go by many brand names. To take the confusion out of finding prescription diet pills online, http://www.diet-pill-review.com created the following diet pill naming guide.

DIET PILL - Adipex
BRAND NAMES - Adipex-P, Fastin, Ionamin, Obenix, Obephen, Oby-Cap, Oby-trim, Panshape M, Phentercot, Phentermine, Phenteride, Pro-Fast, Teramine, Zantryl.

DIET PILL - Bontril
BRAND NAMES - Bontril-SR, Adipost, Anorex, Appecon, Melfiat, Obezine, Phendimetrazine, Phendiet, Plegine, Prelu, Statobex.

DIET PILL - Didrex
BRAND NAMES - Benzphetamine

DIET PILL - Ionamin
BRAND NAMES - Adipex, Fastin, Obenix, Obephen, Oby-Cap, Oby-trim, Panshape M, Phentercot, Phentermine, Phenteride, Pro-Fast, Teramine, Zantryl

DIET PILL - Meridia
BRAND NAMES - Reductil, Sibutramine

DIET PILL - Phentermine
BRAND NAMES - Phentermine HCI, Phentermine HCL, Phentermine Hydrochloride, Adipex, Fastin, Ionamin, Obenix, Obephen, Oby-Cap, Oby-trim, Panshape M, Phentercot, Phenteride, Pro-Fast, Teramine, Zantryl.

DIET PILL - Tenuate
BRAND NAMES - Diethylpropion, Tenuate Dospan

DIET PILL - Xenical
BRAND NAMES - Orlistat

As you can see, many prescription diet pills take on the same brand name. Adipex, for example- Has several brand names (Adipex-P, Fastin, Ionamin, Obenix, Obephen, Oby-Cap, Oby-trim, Panshape M, Phentercot, Phentermine, Phenteride, Pro-Fast, Teramine, Zantryl), but Ionamin another prescription diet pill also goes by several of the same names (Adipex, Fastin, Obenix, Obephen, Oby-Cap, Oby-trim, Panshape M, Phentercot, Phentermine, Phenteride, Pro-Fast, Teramine, Zantryl) Feel free to use this diet pill guide to read and write reviews at Diet Pill Reviews.

Diet : Yes Or Not

Jennifer, a middle-aged single mother with one six-year-old daughter, has been skipping sweets for a few weeks now. She’s also become a stickler for portion control. She feels as if she’s eating less than ever, and she’s been diligently exercising for an hour at a time at least four days a week. Yet, she hasn’t lost a single pound. The question is, “Why?”

This is a dilemma which affects dieters the world over. They think they are taking the steps necessary to lose weight, but nothing seems to be happening. In essence, they are trapped in a dieting rut and they don’t know how to free themselves. As a result, they become frustrated and depressed and may then engage in binge eating.

One of the problems with diets is that they are often standardized. As a result, they don’t take into consideration your individual physiology and metabolism. They provide a cookie-cutter approach to weight loss—an approach which may not work in your individual case. As a result, an increasing number of people are turning to dieticians to formulate a person weight loss strategy for them. This process has been made easier through the Internet, where you can correspond with a dietician any time of the day or night via e-mail. The dietician can also act as your personal coach, helping you through your dieting dilemmas.

Another reason that you may be failing at your diet is because of a lack of support. You may have family members who can eat whatever they want and seemingly not gain a pound. As a result, they may fill your refrigerator with junk food, leading you into temptation. Also, you may feel as if you have no one to turn to in order to discuss your weight problems. In order to solve this problem, many individuals look to psychotherapists to help them with their food-related issues. This can be particularly important if an individual has turned to purging in an effort to combat their weight problems. Bulimia is a serious disease which must be treated in order to ensure the good health of the patient. Thankfully, there are a number of treatment programs throughout the U.S. specifically focusing on bulimia.

Yet another reason for diet failure is hidden calories. You may literally be consuming calories and not even realize it. For instance, the frappucinos that are so popular today are loaded with calories—as many as 600 in a single serving! You may also be indulging in sugary sodas—another source of extra calories. By taking a few simple steps, such as eliminating the exotic coffee drinks from your diet and substituting skim milk for whole milk, you may be able to eliminate the hidden calories that are denying you dieting success.

Lack of consistency can also be a diet-killer. You might go on a diet for a while, then quit before you’ve made any measurable progress. It’s only natural to want to see quick results. The problem is that healthy weight loss involves losing only a couple of pounds a week. That means you’ll have to stay on your diet for months before you see appreciable weight loss. Discouraging? It can be, but if you keep a positive attitude you can achieve your ideal weight.

You may also be more successful in your dieting if you consider it to be a lifestyle change. Therefore, your diet becomes a meal plan for life. This means that you must change the way you look at food. It is designed to be fuel for your body, and nothing more. As a result, you should not turn to food to make you feel better or to provide you with a sense of comfort. A lifestyle change implies commitment; it means that you are prepared to follow the plan for the long haul. If you feel as if you cannot be on your diet for any appreciable length of time, perhaps it’s time to consider a different diet. Your aim ultimately should be not simply to lose weight, but to become healthier. A fad diet will not allow you to reach that milestone. Therefore, you must choose your diet carefully.