| There is no shortage of weight-loss ideas out | | | | in a 3 to 4 ratio. While it is a low-carb diet, it |
| there, especially for those who dread exercise | | | | doesn't take it to the extreme that other diets |
| and eating right. Fad diets, which usually focus on | | | | do. The Zone Diet emphasizes the importance of |
| one type of food or category of food, have | | | | maintaining a hormonal balance through eating |
| become popular in recent years. But there's a | | | | certain foods. |
| difference between a fad diet and a healthy diet | | | | 6. Atkins Diet: Perhaps the most popular of the |
| that optimizes weight loss. And while pills may be | | | | low-carb diets, Atkins brought people away from |
| a big thing now, they don't offer the one thing | | | | the food pyramid and toward a diet that restricts |
| that a dieter needs: the ability to make wise | | | | carbohydrates that effect blood sugar. With |
| choices. Top 10 diets like the Sonoma diet and the | | | | exercise and supplements, the Atkins Diet |
| South Beach diet not only provide healthy eating | | | | stresses the importance of eating unprocessed |
| choices, they help followers change their eating | | | | foods and avoiding food high in saturated fats. |
| habits. The following diets have been studied by | | | | 7. Ornish Diet: This diet opposes the Atkins and |
| doctors and dieters alike: | | | | other low-carb diets. It is a vegetarian diet which |
| 1. South Beach Diet: This has a lot in common | | | | stresses the importance of complex |
| with the once-popular Atkins Diet. Created by a | | | | carbohydrates while strictly prohibiting simple |
| cardiologist, this three-phased diet involves | | | | sugars, cholesterol and saturated fat. It is another |
| temporarily giving up fruit, starches, and fatty | | | | ratio diet, with 10% fat, 20% protein and 70% |
| meats, which is meant to cure the craving for | | | | carbohydrates. |
| unhealthy types of foods. | | | | 8. The Blood Type Diet: This is a controversial diet |
| 2. Sonoma Diet: This is another three-phase diet, | | | | that works off the idea that each person should |
| but this one emphasizes ten "power" foods, | | | | eat foods that match their blood type, based on |
| including tomatoes, grapes and spinach. It's not a | | | | the evolution of the types. Proponents of this diet |
| low-carb or low sugar diet, but does limit | | | | believe that "O" types should eat primarily meat. |
| saturated fats and white flour. | | | | "A" types should be following a more vegetarian |
| 3. NutriSystem: Of the top 10 diets, this program | | | | diet, and "B" types should eat high amounts of |
| is the only one that requires dieters to buy their | | | | dairy products. |
| food from the company. It serves to reduce | | | | 9. Fit For Life Diet: Short term dieting isn't the |
| cravings through controlling the intake of glycemic | | | | solution, according to the couple who created this |
| index carbs. | | | | diet. Combinations of foods are stressed. Only |
| 4. Weight Watchers: This is not a diet but a way | | | | fruits should be eaten in the morning, and meats |
| of life. Individuals determine goals, and work | | | | shouldn't be combined with complex carbs. |
| toward completing those goals while attending | | | | 10. Subway Diet: The list of top 10 diets wouldn't |
| regular support group meetings. There are two | | | | be complete with this diet. Everyone seems to |
| different plans, the core and flex plans. They both | | | | know Jared, the college student who lost 245 |
| work off of a point system, with each food | | | | pounds eating Subway sandwiches. But is it really |
| afforded a different value. | | | | a diet? As with other weight-loss plans, Jared's |
| 5. The Zone Diet: This isn't a "diet" in the | | | | story includes daily walks and a severe reduction |
| traditional sense either. It was invented by a | | | | in daily calories, in addition to eating healthy subs |
| biochemist, and promotes eating protein and carbs | | | | with fresh vegetables and baked chips. |