Weight loss diets

After many of us have determined to lose weight or get in shape - magazines, newspapers, television and radio bombard us with diet and weight-loss options. Diets are promoted through books and over the Internet.

Be skeptical. Some are more hype than substance. Some are downright dangerous.

Fad diets can usually be recognized by promises made by promoters. As you review the information about a particular diet plan or weight loss product, ask yourself, "Is it too good to be true?"

Unfortunately, many diets are empty promises. Beware of diet plans or weight loss products if:

• Miraculous, fast results are promised.
• No time or effort is said to be required
• Claims are made that calories don't count.
• Eating a variety of foods is not stressed.
• Claims are made that diets either high or low in certain nutrients have special weight-reducing powers.
• Certain foods have special powers to cause selective weight loss (for example, hips and thighs).

There is no dietary shortcut to weight control and long-term health. The magic pill, cream, skin patch, wrap or dietary supplement for weight loss does not exist. You have to be active enough to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of body fat. Fast weight loss (more than one to two pounds per week) reflects water - not fat - loss. Your plan should be to eat well and enjoy some type of physical activity daily.

The USDA's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans," released in 2005, recommends consuming a variety of nutrient-rich foods and beverages from the basic foods groups and meeting calorie needs by balancing food intake with activity.

Fad diets that ignore the principles of the Dietary Guidelines - available at www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines - might result in short-term weight loss, but might do so at the risk of your health.

How you go about managing your weight has a lot to do with your long-term success. Gradual weight loss should be your goal, unless your physician says your health is seriously at risk due to complications from being overweight or obese.

Permanent, safe weight loss involves permanent lifestyle changes in which you consume fewer calories and become more active. It also is very important that before beginning any weight-loss program, you talk with your doctor.

 What is diet?
Diet is called specially selected by a quantity, the composition of energy value and the method of preparation food ration, and also the weight loss diet program. There are diets medical and weight loss diet. Medical diets a little, they are known for a long time, necessary, checked up, effective for treatment of some illnesses and rehabilitation. To weight reduction they attitudes have no.
Weight loss diets the huge quantity, and every day appear all new and new. Among them it is possible to allocate following versions -

Separate meal.

Supporters of the theory of separate meal consider what to eat all is possible and in any reasonable quantities, impossible to use products incompatible with each other simultaneously only. However the majority of doctors do not recommend a separate meal. In their opinion, application of this technique - artificial infringement of normal digestion.

Monodiets.

Provide the use only one foodstuff . They too rigid and dangerous to body. Besides if to enter application of a monodiet into system or to not adhere to the moderate use of food after its termination, the former weight will quickly be restored.

Albuminous diets

A maximum of fiber (meat and a fish), a minimum of all rest. As a rule, it is rather "rigid" diets.

Fatty diet.

To lose weight, it is necessary to use mainly fat food, mainly meat and bacon. Animal protein and fats are easily acquired and give a maximum of energy.

Vegetarian diet

A good, healthy diet, however difficult. But it in itself does not give strongly pronounced effect of weight loss.

The most known and popular diets:

South Beach diet, Atkins diet, Lemonade and Grapefruit diet

Apply diets correctly

 

Consult with the doctor-dietitian, it will help to pick up the most effective for you diet.

if suffer any chronic disease, necessarily consult with the doctor - some diets can be categorically counter-indicative to you.

Try to pick up a diet including food which you love

Be not overzealous. At all do not use a diet, longer and more often, than it is recommended. Do not reduce caloric content too (women should consume not less than 1000-1200 calories in day, men - 1700-2000).

If at application of any diet for loss of weight at you the state of health has noticeably worsened, have appeared (aggravation) of any diseases, immediately stop application of this diet.

To loss weight it is easier, than to keep the reached result. After end of a diet do not eat all successively, and smoothly, gradually pass to the normal balanced mode.

A liquid diet(Juice Fast) incorporates either partial meal replacement. Most liquid diets may not be suitable for long-term or excessive weight loss (generally only fluid is lost – not fat).

A liquid diet consists of juices replacing every meal. Nutritionally this will provide virtually no protein or fat, and few calories. Vegetable and fruit juices will be rich in vitamins and minerals.

A Juice Fast should not be used as a weight loss technique. It is better to eat the fruit and vegetables. It may be beneficial to include vegetable and fruit juices in your diet – but not as a complete replacement of solid food. Many people use a tonic or juice supplement in their diet to provide essential vitamins and minerals.

Meal Replacement Products are a general term describing products that have a full range of nutrients in them. Most of these are in powder form and when mixed with water or milk provide a liquid-based meal.

Most physicians do not recommend a liquid diet unless an individual is to undergo certain procedures: colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. A clear liquid diet serves many functions: It can flush the bowels while decreasing strain on the digestive system.

Coffee, tea, juices, sports drinks are allowed. Before beginning this type of liquid diet, a physician will provide a detailed fact sheet on how to proceed and for how long. Individuals who undergo may be required to follow a fluid-only diet for up to ten days following the procedure.

In some cases, extreme obesity is treated with an all-liquid diet. This can be successful initially, but must be monitored by a physician for any negative side-effects.

A liquid diet may not provide the needed nutrients to maintain adequate energy levels in most individuals and short-term weight loss can be achieved, but when liquids such as protein shakes are eventually eliminated from the diet, pounds tend to be regained. Those who embark on a juice fast may find it less than satisfactory.
The replacement of food with fluids, simply will not be practical in the long term for those who need to lose only a minimal amount of weight.
Some individuals believe that fluids will cleanse the system of impurities, including those that have built up in the liver. These beliefs are generally refuted, with the caveat that the elimination of most processed foods is always beneficial. Nutrition and resistance to disease will suffer in the effort to achieve a more defined physique. Incorporating a liquid meal replacement can be an acceptable way to reduce a limited amount of weight, but should be used in conjunction with regular meals.

Medifast is a portion-controlled, low-calorie weight loss program that helps you lose weight faster using meal replacements and real food – in the region of 2-5 pounds per week. That diet is more effectively than traditional diets. Medifast 5 & 1 Plan helps your body burn fat and lose weight quickly.

Medifast 5 and 1 is for both men and women. The difference is that for men, the meals have a higher level of protein than for women. Medifast is one of the more successful and balanced low-calorie diets.

Medifast 5 and 1 Plan

This Diet plan is made up of 5 meal replacements per day, generally shakes, but there are also bars, soups, oatmeal, and puddings. You can customize your meal plan to include any combination but you should limit yourself to one bar per day. One meal per day is a “lean and green” meal – a small portion of lean meat, and 2 cups of salad or vegetables and can be eaten at any time throughout the day. You won’t get hungry because with this diet you eat every 2-3 hours, and must drink a minimum of 64oz of fluid (water) per day. This is an excellent addition to the daily routine.

Caloric intake is between 800-1000 calories per day.

The most popular items are the shakes – made up of differing proportions of protein. Medifast has optimized vitamins and minerals.

Medifast is a drastic diet that will put you into state of ketosis. Exercising while on the diet should be kept at a low intensity level, this is a necessary part of losing weight and it can also help prevent many chronic diseases. One of the easiest ways to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule is walking. Weight loss is rapid – from 2-5 pounds per week.

After you have reached your goal weight you begin transition back to ‘normal’ meals (foods such as fruits, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and higher-carbohydrate vegetables) over a period of about 16 days. Transition gradually adds calories back into your diet. Beyond this, Medifast recommend 1-3 packaged meals daily and a moderately intense exercise routine . This is essential to keep the weight off. This diet helped you develop healthful eating habits(portion-control and eating 6 times per day). You sustain your weight loss results by making healthy food choices and living an active lifestyle.

Sample Meal Plan and Foods

What Sort Of Foods Do They Have?

• Food Supplements: Homestyle Chili, Oatmeals: (Apple Cinnamon, French Vanilla Berry, Maple Brown Sugar), Hot Cocoa; Chicken Noodle Soup, Minestrone Soup, Peach Pro Tea, Chocolate Pudding.
• Creamy Soups: Cream of Broccoli, Cream of Chicken, Cream of Tomato
• Fast Soups and Snacks: Delicate Chicken, Robust Tomato, Savory Beef, Multi-Grain Crackers.
• Supplement Bars: Chocolate Divine, Crunchy Lemon, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint, Double Berry.

What about the “Lean and Green” Meal?

• Lean Meat: Skinless chicken or turkey breast, Fish, including shellfish, tinned tuna or salmon. Lean cuts of beef, pork, or lamb. Grill, bake, or poach. Condiments allowed. For men there should be 6-7oz of lean meat, for women 4-5oz.
• Green Salad: 1-2 cups of salad greens, up to 1/4 cup raw vegetables.
• Cooked Vegetables: 1-1 1/2 cups of fibrous vegetables instead of salad.

You can use the Body Mass Index to find out if you’re a healthy weight for your height.

These are the weight ranges, set by the World Health Organisation:

• If your BMI is less than 18.4 you are underweight for your height.
• If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9 you’re an ideal weight for your height.
• If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9 you’re over the ideal weight for your height.
• If your BMI is between 30 and 39.9 you’re obese.
• If your BMI is over 40 you’re very obese.

If your BMI is over 25 you do need to think about losing weight, otherwise you’re at risk of health problems. If its over 30 you need to make some big changes to your lifestyle to get your weight down.

• When you work out your BMI, remember to take into account your body frame and your build – your BMI may not be accurate if you are a weight-trainer or an athlete, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Your BMI may not be accurate if you are over the age of 60. This is because your bones may begin to weigh less as you get older.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat. BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems. Calculating BMI is one of the best methods for population assessment of overweight and obesity. Because calculation requires only height and weight, it is inexpensive and easy to use for clinicians and for the general public. The use of BMI allows people to compare their own weight status to that of the general population. BMI is calculated the same way for both adults and children. The calculation is based on the following formulas:

Measurement Units	Formula and Calculation
Kilograms and meters (or centimeters)	Formula: weight (kg) / [height (m)]2 With the metric system, the formula for BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Since height is commonly measured in centimeters, divide height in centimeters by 100 to obtain height in meters. Example: Weight = 68 kg, Height = 165 cm (1.65 m) Calculation: 68 ч (1.65)2 = 24.98
Pounds and inches	Formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703 Calculate BMI by dividing weight in pounds (lbs) by height in inches (in) squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703. Example: Weight = 150 lbs, Height = 5’5” (65″) Calculation: [150 ч (65)2] x 703 = 24.96

The standard weight status categories:

BMI	Weight Status
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 – 24.9	Normal
25.0 – 29.9	Overweight
30.0 and Above	Obese

The correlation between the BMI number and body fatness is fairly strong and varies by sex, race, and age. For example:

• At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men.
• At the same BMI, older people, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults.
• Highly trained athletes may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness.

The BMI ranges are based on the relationship between body weight and disease and death. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following: 

• Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

Don’t skimp on protein when you diet: It may help you lose more flab and less muscle, new studies show. Harness your hunger. A diet that’s 30% protein (similar to the Zone, Atkins, and South Beach plans) helped 19 overweight people lose an average of 11 pounds, 8 of them fat. Remarkably, the subjects consumed 441 fewer calories per day in 3 months on this regimen than they had during 2 weeks on a 15% protein diet–despite the fact that they could eat as much as they wanted, provided they maintained the 30% protein ratio. Protein can suppress appetite in ways that carbs and fats can’t, the scientists say, for reasons yet to be determined.

Pick better proteins.One of protein’s amino acids, leucine, may be the key to keeping muscle and losing fat. Twenty-four women who averaged 107 g of protein daily (similar to high-protein diets) lost 1 more pound of fat than 24 others who averaged 57 g a day over 4 months. Both groups limited calories to 1,700 a day. Other recent studies show that leucine can promote muscle building when overall calories are low. Although animal protein is richest in leucine (1,700 to 2,100 mg per serving), it’s also a prime source of heart-harming sat fats. So stock up on good, lower-fat sources.

7 protein foods high in fat-fighting leucine (mg)

• Tofu, firm, 1/2 cup - 1,511 mg
• Cottage cheese, 1% fat, 1/2 cup - 1,440 mg
• Fat-free milk, 8 ounces - 818 mg
• Mozzarella, reduced-fat, 1 ounce - 670 mg
• Cheddar, reduced-fat, 1 ounce - 608 mg
• Egg, hard- or soft-boiled, large - 538 mg
• Couscous, cooked, 1 cup - 464 mg