It would not be surprising to hear your answer is "yes, I'm confused by all these so called diets." You may read from one expert that low carbohydrate (low carb) and high protein is
way to lose weight. Another will try to convince you that low fat, lots of carbs, fresh fruits and vegetables, is right way to go. Yet another will try to convince you that you need to count amount of sugar; or another that main culprit for your being overweight is white flour. So, if you are serious about losing weight, who should you listen to?The brief summaries below give a quick overview of pros and cons of each of popular types of diet plans.
1. Weight Loss Programmes
There are quite a few well known weight loss programmes, for example SlimFast, Jenny Craig, and NutriSystem. These and a number of other weight loss programmes rely heavily on pre-packaged 'diet' foods. However, they incorporate professional coaching into programme; plus, they also offer some sort of social structure and support to reinforce diet programme.
Advantages of Weight Loss Programmes
The professional coaching and nutritional benefits of such diet programmes are a big positive factor, as are reinforcement and support aspect of diets. Meals and supplements are prepackaged in right proportions, and if you stick to diets and exercise as directed you should lose weight.
Disadvantages of Weight Loss Programmes
You will normally have to pay weekly charges for this type of programme, plus cost of meals can be expensive. Furthermore, if you rely totally on packaged foods, you will miss out on your re-education as far as your eating habits go. That could be important to maintaining any weight loss in long term.
2. Low Carb & Hi Protein Diets
Diets like Atkins diet, South Beach diet, and Zone Diet all recommend restricted intake of carbohydrates, but allow liberal amounts of protein, including protein derived from animal sources. Generally, these diets limit overall amount of carbohydrates, and/or teach you to tell difference between "good" and "bad" carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates, which are forbidden, include white flour, white bread, and white sugar. 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 best diet for nutrition by established medical community. The popularity of diets makes it easy to find low-carb foods.
