7 Popular Diets Reviewed

Cabbage Soup Diet

The cabbage soup diet is exactly as the name implies. You eat cabbage soup – only. The claim is that you will lose up to 10 pounds in one week. However, it is made clear that is should not be continued for more than 7 days, and that this diet is only designed as a kick start to a more healthy way of eating.

The soup consists only of green onions, green peppers, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery, bouillon, and of course cabbage.

Every day the soup is to be eaten with a combination of other foods. For example, on day 1 eat fruits along with the soup, on day 2 eat only vegetables with soup, etc.

The biggest draw back to this diet is that you may not like cabbage soup, then don't even bother. In addition, like all other diets, what happens after you're done? If you go back to your regular eating habits all your efforts would have been in vain.

This soup may be successful in weight loss (but it may not be fat loss) because of all the fiber in the food. This can lead to cleansing of the entire digestive system which may appear as weight loss. This is not a bad thing, but just realize what is happening.

For more information you can refer to: Cabbage Soup diet

The Grapefruit Diet

The grapefruit diet promises that you will lose 10 pound in about 12 days without starvation. The theory of this diet is that grapefruit causes some magical fat burning process. If this was true, why hasn't this diet caught on? So, eat your grapefruit if you like them, they are nutritious, but don't expect any miracles.

The Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle Diet

.
The claim by this diet is that you will lose up to 10 pounds in just 48 hours. The diet also claims that you will have more energy, you will detoxify your body, and decrease your cravings for bad foods. Best of all you don't need to cook or create anything. The 48 hour diet comes in a bottle for only about $25 a bottle! The ads claim that the contents in the bottle will activate your fat burning capabilities of your body. Just like many diets the claims do not specify between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss could simply mean water loss. Up to you.

The Rice Diet

Guaranteed to lose 2-3 pounds per day! I'm not sure how successful this diet is. Once again, it is not that popular. The main focus seems to be a consumption of carbohydrates which most of us eat too much of already. Although unrefined rice has health benefits the biggest question is how much and for how long can you eat rice?

The Scarsdale Diet

This diet can be somewhat compared to the Atkins diet from the perspective that carbohydrates are limited. It promotes 3 meals a day, very little fat, and only fruit and vegetables for carbohydrates. The main component of each meal is meat, usually chicken or lean steak. This diet is probably one of the better ones out there. But the problem is how long can you keep it up. If you can eat like this permanently then congratulation, it's a very healthy way of eating. It's a high protein, low carbohydrates, low fat way of eating, which includes plenty of vegetables and fruits.

For more information you can refer to: Scarsdale Diet.

South Beach Diet

This diet is also a way of eating healthy. It cuts out simple carbohydrates and saturated fats. Similar to the Scarsdale diet, if you can eat like this permanently then you've got it made.

For more information you can refer to: South Beach.

The Zone Diet

The emphasis of this diet is to properly balance carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in each meal in an effort to control the production of insulin. The claim is that this diet promotes weight loss, and reduces the chance of diabetes and heart disease. It promotes fresh vegetables and fruit, along with protein, and plenty of water. In addition, all fat consumed should be mono-saturated. The exact ratio promoted is: carbohydrate 40%, fat 30%, and protein 30%. The trick is to know exactly what you are eating.

This diet is, again, just a healthy way of eating. Plenty of nutrients, low simple carbohydrates, and low saturated fats.

For more information you can refer to: The Zone.

Conclusion

From the list above it appears that weight loss and proper weight maintenance is achieved by eating complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and fats not from the saturated kind. Any diet that is successful, both in the short and long term, involves cutting back on excess calories, and must be sustainable.