Hip and Thigh Diet

Rosemary Conley developed this diet in 1983 and has been a UK best seller for this period. The diet has hardly changed in the last twenty years and it is basically a very low fat diet that encourages lots of vegetables, starchy carbohydrates and regular exercise. The diet comes with a comprehensive exercise plan designed to help with weight loss and tone muscle. The diet bans quite a lot of foods but the recipes are easy to follow and hunger is not a problem on this diet. The diet encourages three regular meals and is a sensible well balanced diet that is based on proven dietary facts.

Rosemary Conley's Hip and Thigh diet does not make you lose weight on specific areas of the body this is a diet myth and the weight loss that occurs will be from allover the body. Generally the hip and thighs are the last areas of fat that is lost during dieting, the diet does contain some exercises that will help you tone the hips and thighs.

Rosemary Conley's Hip and Thigh diet : Positives

• No calorie counting
  
• Well balanced nutritionally
  
• You will lose weight by following this plan and the weight can be kept off
  
• Lots of vegetarian options
  
• Hunger is not a problem as the meals are filling

Rosemary Conley's Hip and Thigh diet : Negatives

• The amount of fats allowed is a little bit on the low side and can be hard to get used to.
  
• The preparation of meals requires a lot of weighing
  
• The diet does not help you lose weight specifically from the
• hip and thighs.
  
• The plan includes exercise

Rosemary Conley's Hip and Thigh diet : Verdict

The Hip and thigh diet is recommended as it is a well balanced diet that includes exercise and is based on sound principles and should improve overall health as well as helping you lose weight. No diet can make you lose weight specifically from one area of the body and the hip and thigh diet is no exception.

See also

Shrink your female fat zones

South Beach Diet

Developed by Dr Agatston in 1999, to help patients avoid or combat heart problems, it also boasts weight loss. Celebrity successes include Bill and Hillary Clinton. It works on the idea that carbs cause weight gain, which is similar to the Atkins diet, however the South Beach diet does not eliminate carbs completely. It divides them into 'good' carbs (e.g. high fibre cereals, wheat breads) and 'bad' carbs (e.g. biscuits, pasta). 'Bad' carbs make you feel full temporarily, but cause your blood sugar levels to rise sharply. When they fall again they leave you feeling lethargic and hungry. The South Beach diet also differentiates between 'good' fats (monounsaturated) and 'bad' fats (saturated). You eat 3 healthy balanced meals a day and snacks are allowed, however, by eating the right kinds of foods you will feel fuller for longer.

The South Beach diet works in 3 phases.

Phase One - 2 weeks of strict dieting. This is the initial weight loss period. You still eat normal portion sizes but nearly all carbs are avoided. In studies people lost between 8 -13 lbs. during this phase.

Phase Two - lasts until you reach your desired weight. 'Good' carbs are slowly introduced while weight loss continues.

Phase Three - returning to normal. This is all about maintaining your desired weight with a healthy balanced diet. If at any point the dieter starts to gain weight again simply return to phase one.

As with all diets it is recommended to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and it is also recommended that followers of the South Beach diet take a daily calcium supplement. It is not recommended for people with kidney problems. Always consult a doctor or dietician before undertaking weight loss plans.

Dr Agatston says "Everyone will cheat or fall off the wagon at times. This does not mean forget it."

South Beach diet : Reasons for
Scientifically sound and recommended by Dr Cheskin of the John Hopkins Weight Management Centre.
It improves cholesterol and insulin levels
It does not omit any major food groups, rather it is about finding a balance
It had only a 5% drop out rate in tests
You don't have to exercise!

South Beach diet : Reasons against
Much of the initial weight loss may just be water loss caused by cutting out carbs.
Can be limiting if you are unable to eat or dislike dairy products.
It can be hard to find the time to prepare meals in a busy modern lifestyle and it is easy to be tempted by fast food and ready meals.

South Beach diet : verdict
Overall this is a good diet. It keeps your heart healthy while reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol. It has one of the lowest dropout rates for modern diets and provides practical eating patterns. It provides quick weight loss at the beginning and a steady weight loss continues until you reach your ideal weight. With this diet the weight is more likely to stay off.

Also see:
South Beach Living Meal Replacement Bars, 2.11-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)

Pritikin Diet

The Pritikin diet was developed in the late 1950s by Nathan Pritikin (founder of the Pritikin Longevity Center in California). The Pritikin diet was initially developed as a program to prevent heart disease and is a low fat high fiber diet. The Pritikin diet includes regular exercise, with a minimum of a 45 minute walk per day. Diet is based upon choosing meals that contain 400 Calories or less per pound. This method is easier than calorie counting but requires some mathematical approximation. Processed foods such as pasta and white bread are eliminated in favor of whole grains while most fats are exchanged for fruits and vegetables. The diet is mainly vegetarian and there is no need to restrict portion sizes. The Pritikin diet encompasses a very healthy range of foods and generous portions that should fill you up without any danger of weight gain.

Also see:
New Pritikin Program

Fit For Life

The Fit For Life diet is a food combining diet that recommends eating specific combinations of foods at certain times of the day. The authors of the book 'Fit For Life' Harvey and Marilyn Diamond devised it in the early 80s. The diet is made up of 70% fruits and vegetables with all other foods making up the other 30%. There is no calorie counting or portion control, as the authors believe that poorly combining foods and not overeating or lack of exercise causes weight gain. The diet claims that eating foods incorrectly will cause them to become rotten and not be digested properly causing fat to be stored and wasting the bodies energy. So by following the proper food combining rule and timings the outcome will be better health, more energy and significant weight loss. There will be weight loss on this diet but it is due to the high proportion of fruits and vegetables which are low in calories

Fit For Life Diet : Reasons for

Should lose weight
No portion control
Weight loss is quite rapid

Fit For Life Diet : Reasons against

Not enough protein, zinc, vitamins D and vitamin B12 on this diet
No scientific basis
Rules are complex and difficult to follow
Eating foods at specific times has no benefits
Requires serious changes to your current diet habits

Fit for life : Verdict

A Food combining diet like this works because it is low in calories not because of any of its claims. It seriously restricts some healthy foods and should not be followed.

Also see:
Fit for Life (Mass Market Paperback)

Suzanne Somers

Somersizing was developed by TV celebrity Suzanne Somers, the diet us a low carbohydrate high protein diet that has a calorie intake of 1100-1300 calories per day. The Somersizing diet is a mixture of several ideas as it is part food combining and part an Atkins style low carb diet. It eliminates several foods including sugar and white flour and recommends eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Fruits should be eaten alone while vegetables should be eaten with fats and proteins. There is no portion control and the diet recommends eating frequent small meals

Somersizing : Reasons for

You can eat all the proteins and fats that you like
No need to monitor portions
Reduces the sugar intake and therefore lots of junk foods
Encourages lots of small meals
Somersizing : Reasons against

The high protein/ high fat diet is linked to heart disease
Low in fiber and can cause constipation
Complex meal plans are needed to follow the food combining rules
Unsupported by scientific evidence

Somersizing : Verdict

The Somersizing diet should help you lose weight as it follows a low calorie plan and the elimination of junk food is always helpful in any diet. The Somersizing Diet is quite complex for no good reason and it remove many healthy foods. Food combining has no scientific evidence and if you
follow this plan you should be aware that there are some health concerns.

Also see:
Suzanne Somers' Eat, Cheat, and Melt the Fat Away (Paperback)

Beverly Hills Diet

The Beverly hills diet was created by Judy Mazel (actress, a good qualification?) is a type of food combining diet. It claims that by following the plan for the full 35 days a weight loss of 10-15 pounds is expected.

The diet is mainly based on fruit which it claims contain the enzymes that can activate the human bodies metabolism to burn fat faster, while combining a protein with a carbohydrate can destroy enzymes which slows down the process and cause an increase in body fat. It is a 35 day diet plan where you can only eat specific fruits for the first ten day and as you continue add different foods every few days in an unsafe and

impractical diet plan. Some of the points stated in this diet have no scientific background at all.
Beverly Hills Diet : Reasons for

* None

Beverly Hills Diet : Reasons against

* No long term success stories
* Monotonous
* Not enough proteins, fat, various vitamins and minerals in the diet
* Can cause diarrhoea
* Based on unscientific facts

Beverly Hills Diet : Verdict

The Beverly Hills diet does not live up to its promises of being healthy, preventing disease, detoxing and rapid weight loss. It is very unhealthy and unsafe. There may be some weight loss but there are a variety of different diets around that are far healthier and easier to follow.

Also see:
The New Beverly Hills Diet

Zone Diet Information

The zone diet was created by Barry Sears, PhD. This is A low carbohydrate that claims to balance protein and carbohydrates and fats in a 40%-30%-30% ratio. It is meant to optimise the bodies metabolic function by regulating blood sugar levels. By regulating insulin production in the zone diet it claims will maximise fat loss and reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease.
The Zone's eating plan is a combination of a small amount of low-fat protein, fats, and carbohydrates in the form of fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. Proteins should be eaten with every meal and at every snack. Carbohydrates should be twice the size of the protein portion. These include vegetables, beans, and whole-grains. "Unfavorable

carbohydrates" such as brown rice, pasta, bananas, bagels, etc. should be eaten in smaller portions. The main problem with the zone diet is that the 40%-30%-30% ratio is very strict and hard to follow especially as the meals also have to be split into blocks of with your own unique combination. As this plan is so complicated it has over the years been simplifed however Barry Sears is quite adamant about having the correct amount so by doing a simplified version you are not really following the zone. The whole diet plan is low in calories (typically 800-1200) which is probably more the cause for most weight loss rather than in regulated insulin levels

Zone Diet : Reasons for

* Good amounts of fruits and low starch vegetables
* Low in saturated fats
* Restricts low nutrition carbohydrates
* Steady weight loss if followed exactly

Zone Diet : Reasons against

* Very complicated and to scientific
* Restricted calorie intake means it is difficult to stay on it
* Eliminates some highly nutritious foods and is low in whole grain and calcium
* Expensive to follow if you purchase all the pre packaged zone products
* Time consuming as you should have six meals a day

Zone Diet : Verdict

The diet is very hard to follow and most weight loss is due to the low calorie intake. However the diet is safe on the higher calorie diets although low on some nutrients. So it can be a worthwhile short term diet for those dieters that enjoy a bit of routine in their diet