8 Popular Diets - Which Ones Work?

From the reviews I read on this diet, it appears to be a good diet choice - for someone who loves to cook. The Sonoma diet centers around Mediterranean eating, and is based on the love of good foods. Unlike other diets, there is no counting points or carbs. Serving size is based on plate size instead. It even allows you to have a glass of wine after the first 10 days of dieting. It teaches you to eat slowly and savor your food, which will make you feel fuller quicker. Overall, this appears to be a great diet!

The Macrobiotic diet dates back to 1920's from Japan. It promotes healthy, organic eating, with large portions of fresh veggies. While it is a good diet that does work, it can be too restrictive for most Americans who have enjoyed many traditional eating choices. The Macrobiotic diet only allows you to eat fish and seafood. You need serious dedication and lots of money to afford all the organic foods. But if you're up for the challenge, go for it!

Jenny has her commercials all over television with promises of great weight loss and wonderful food. So is this true? Or just a sales gimmick? Let's find out!

I found a whole entire site full of reviews from people that have tried Jenny Craig. Some said that they had done the diet 15 and 20 years ago, and it had worked, and the counselors were a great help. But they recently rejoined, and it's totally different now, in a bad way. Almost all the reviewers gave negative feedback, that Jenny Craig is all about the money, that the food is far too expensive, and if you try to use the Jenny Craig recipes, but shop at your local grocery store rather than buy from her, you'll get the boot and loose your membership at your own cost. Over all, I would recommend you stay away from this diet.

"I'm Marie Osmond, and I lost 50 pounds on Nutrisystem" You've heard her, right? Is she telling the truth? Is Nutrisystem really that good? Yes! While Jenny Craig charges you to join AND for your food, there is no cost to join Nutrisystem and the food is cheaper. This is definitely a choice for those of you who are on the go a lot, because it's basically fast food for a diet. Many reviewers gave this diet 4-5 stars out of 5! If you stick to it, results are guaranteed, and there is a money back guarantee! (Jenny Craig doesn't offer that either!) The only con with this is that once you have lost the weight and are back to eating on your own, you have to be able to eat right, and not to just fall back to your old routine.

While the South Beach diet does offer some good advice on dieting, you may risk falling into a "fad diet" unless you have a lot of willpower. This diet restricts saturated fats which are known to be bad for your heart, and instead, promotes eating fruits, veggies, lean proteins and heart-healthy fats. It is backed by the medical science community, and has many satisfied users. However, it may not be good for diabetics because of issues with blood sugar, and it isn't very vegetarian friendly, since you need proteins from meats. Basically, if you're not a vegetarian or a diabetic, and you have a strong willpower, this diet will work for you.

Detox diets like Master Cleanse, the Hallelujah Diet, and The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox are not good. Scientists say that there is no evidence that backs cleansing the body having a purpose. They say that your body is made to get rid of toxins on it's own, and that it doesn't need your help via detox diets. You are simple risking confusing your body, therefore making weight loss harder.

Weight Watcher has been helping Men and Women change their lives for years now. The point system allows you to eat whatever you like so long as you stay within your given daily points. You can earn more points by working out, so that's always fun. Weight watchers plan is what worked for me personally, though I didn't go to the meetings or anything. I simply used their plan and went online and found a free WW point calculator. On a basic rule of thumb, if you're between 170 and 200, and the average woman, you can have 23 points a day, and if you're below that, you eat 22 points a day. Another good thing about this diet is that you can do it while breastfeeding, and just get extra points, since breastfeeding burns calories. This is my overall diet choice and recommendation.

Single Food diets like the cabbage soup diet, grapefruit diet, strict vegan diets, raw food diets, etc. are not good. Yes, you will lose weight by eating nothing but cabbage soup all day, but the end result is that eventually, you will tire of it, and your body's cravings will overtake you and you will end up over-eating in a bad way! Say away!

In today's society, you're not considered beautiful and "sexy" if you aren't super skinny. Hollywood has burdened us down with "the look" that we should all have, when in fact, we will never look like that. Don't allow the pressures of Hollywood force you to fall into the many fad diets that will never work. Stay away from diets that promise quick results, or "too-good-to-be-true" diets. They're scams. And whatever you do, don't starve yourself thin. Your body needs a certain amount of calories a day, and when it doesn't get them, it goes into "starvation mode", storing every little thing you eat. You'll be quick to gain anything you lost this way. Stay well rounded in your choice of diets, and remember that we're all made differently, and are beautiful just the way we are.

What diet has worked best for you?

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