Brian Bandler asked:




There have been many diets recommended by various parties claiming to be effective and promising things that sound too good to be true. However, the definition of a fad diet is simply one that gains and loses popularity very rapidly. Some fad diets include the Atkins Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the Negative Calorie Diet, the Low Fat Diet, the 3 Day Diet and the Low Carb Diet, to name a few.

The Lemonade Diet is a short term diet that is meant to serve as a detoxification routine, allowing your digestive system to take a break whilst burning excess fat stores as well. The idea for the Lemonade Diet was proposed by Stanley Burroughs in 1976, and is also known as the Master Cleanser Diet. The Lemonade Diet usually lasts 10 days, with a 3 month break before resuming the diet. It is a very strict procedure that allows only the intake of lemonade. Hence, this diet is known also as a cleansing diet or a juice fast.

When on the Lemonade Diet, it is crucial that you consume approximately 12 glasses of lemonade each day. This lemonade has to be made specifically with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1/6 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. This provides your body with approximately 100 calories per glass, or 1200 calories a day.

In addition to the lemonade, you are allowed to consume only water or peppermint tea to prevent dehydration. The diet begins with a glass of salt water flush in the morning, followed by the consumption of lemon juice throughout the day, as your only source of energy. It ends the day with a glass of laxative tea. When you wish to get back to your normal diet, it is important that you go through the ending process to allow your system to readjust. This necessitates a gradual shift to raw fruits and vegetables for approximately 3 days.

Bear in mind that whilst weight loss will occur with the Lemonade Diet, it may not be healthy, and the diet is used mainly for detoxification purposes. It is not recommended as a weight loss regime, and if used for long periods of time may lead to fat storage. It is also not suitable for children, or people with health problems. Due to the nature of the Lemonade Diet being similar to a fast, you may experience symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and nausea. It is recommended to embark on this diet with a professional or with medical advice, and if the symptoms are too severe the diet should end prematurely.

Whilst the Lemonade Diet will kick start your weight loss plan, it should be viewed as a detoxification routine and not a diet plan. Any weight loss during the diet is a result of fasting, and the weight loss is easily gained back if one is not careful. Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is crucial to maintaining your weight after you complete the diet.

Suzanne Macguire asked:




Cantaloupes, or more popularly muskmelons, are one of the most popular varieties of melons in the United States. For people who are conscious of extra calories but have an affinity towards tasty stuff, cantaloupes form the perfect choice for their palette. The refreshingly rich flavor and aroma of cantaloupes can hardly fail to tickle the taste buds of a food lover.

The cantaloupe has its origin in the Italian papal village of Cantaloupe, where it was first cultivated around 1700 A.D. Hailing from the same family of Cucurbitaceae, cantaloupes grow on the ground with the support of a trailing vine. Cantaloupes have a ribless rind with a distinctive netted skin and hence it’s also called ‘netted melon’. Inside the melon, there is a hollow cavity containing seeds encased in a web of netting. Rockmelon is also another popular name of cantaloupes.

The health benefits of cantaloupes are innumerable. An excellent source of vitamin A on account of its concentrated beta-carotene content, cantaloupes are responsible for reducing the risk of developing cataracts to around 39%. Reports suggest that cantaloupes are more beneficial than carrots for our eyes. Beta-carotene has also been the subject of extensive research in relationship to cancer prevention and prevention of oxygen-based damage to cells. The benefits of cantaloupes are not confined within this. Being a good source of Vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, folate, and niacin (vitamin B3), along with its fiber, cantaloupes lend an efficient support to the body by allowing good carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar stability. Besides, recent researches held at various renowned universities as the Kansas University has suggested that consumption of cantaloupes may reduce the risk of lung cancer in passive smokers.

Without doubt, cantaloupes are one of the healthiest of all foods. So including them in our daily diet would be one of the healthiest choices to make. But this does not mean that our diet would monotonous. There are a wide variety of cantaloupe recipes that can really tickle our taste buds. Cantaloupe is normally eaten as a fresh fruit, as a salad, or as a dessert with ice cream or custard. Melon pieces wrapped in prosciutto are a familiar modern antipasto. A world-renowned chef describes the charentais variety: “the orange, sugary and fragrant flesh makes this fruit popular both as a dessert or main course. These have smooth gray-green rinds and very fragrant orange flesh. It keeps well when stored in a cool, dry place and ripens after several days in a warm room.” It’s essential to choose the right cantaloupe while shopping. Choose a melon that is heavy for its size with a sweet but not over-powering smell and no soft spots. If it is ripe, store it in the refrigerator – just be sure to seal it tightly since cantaloupes can take on the odors of nearby foods. If it is a bit hard or green, store it at room temperature until it is ripe. These little tips are helpful to let you enjoy the natural taste of cantaloupes and its wide array of recipes.

Cantaloupes thus combine within themselves the key to health and taste. Low in fats and rich in essential vitamins and minerals, they are just the ideal food for all fitness freaks. So, just reach out and make cantaloupes an essential part of your daily diet.

Justin Cotter asked:




This is a close one! Both programs have their drawbacks, but there is no denying the positive impact that these programs have had on the weight loss industry!

Weight Watchers – Pros: Weight Watchers is probably the most well known diet program…and for good reason! Their support groups and coaching systems have been extremely successful, and at this point it is considered a fact that people are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off if they are held accountable by a coach or a supportive group.

Weight Watchers – Cons: The process of measuring foods and counting “points” is not only a pain in the neck…it’s not the best way to eat for weight loss! Much of Weight Watcher’s dieting advice is based on research from the 70’s and 80’s that told us that it’s “all about counting calories.” Those of us who have kept up with the latest research realize that it’s not about eating “less food,” it’s about eating the “right foods!”

South Beach – Pros: Few programs have hit the nail on the head quite like the South Beach Diet! Dr. Agatston explains that it’s not about eating “no carbs” or “no fats,” it’s about eating “good carbs” and “good fats.” Counting calories restricts our metabolism while eating the South Beach way preserves and improves our metabolism, allowing us to burn fat more effectively.

South Beach – Cons: The South Beach Diet is just that…a diet. A diet alone can only do so much. It is not a complete lifestyle system and it does not offer the support that you would get from Weight Watchers.

Conclusion: Draw

Both of these programs have done great things for the world of weight management! Weight Watchers, for recognizing the importance of community and accountability, and the South Beach Diet, for recognizing that it’s not about eating “less food” it’s about eating the “right foods.”

That being said….both of these programs are incomplete. In order to lose weight and keep it off, you need to fix your metabolism! This can only be done by changing your lifestyle AND eating the right foods! If you are serious about losing weight and keeping it off, I suggest you either combine the two or find a more complete program.

Danielle Sims asked:




It seems like every other week we are hearing about the “latest” diet. Standing in line at the grocery store, you can read the front cover of the magazines, the latest diet craze! Will the latest diet craze work for us?

Most popular diets follow trends. In the early 90’s, we were celebrating the holy grail of diets…fat makes you fat! Susan Powter was our guru. Showing us a post pregnant plump woman on a couch, spreading to cover her whole couch. The “new” Susan was a lean, buzz cut “super woman” who was in control!

We made a mad dash to the grocery store to purchase all of the fat free products we can find. this was going to work! It only made sense…fat=fat, right?

But by the late 90’s we all got fatter! Fat didn’t necessarily equal fat, plus we all missed the wonder taste and feeling of being full that fat offered. We experienced fat withdrawal.

Someone had to come along and give us the permission to eat fat and still be thin. So in the 90’s we crowned Dr Atkins as our new king of weight loss! We had to admit, he wasn’t pretty, he didn’t have the same charisma as our fat stomping guru Susan Powter, and he didn’t look very healthy and lean. But he had a doctors degree so that compensated for the guru that we wanted to emulate.

Dr Atkins message was so refreshing, we can eat fat! Not just a little fat, a whole bunch of fat. Not only was our taste buds dancing, we were dropping pounds rapidly! This was it!

Then the agonizing truth came out, too much fat will over tax your kidneys and contribute to other diseases. also, everyone was gaining the weight back and adding more on top of it after we stopped the program and ate more carbs. What do we do now? Doesn’t anyone have the answer?

After our drastic,extreme, quick weight loss fixes in the 80’s and 90’s, we needed the truth. It didn’t matter how bad it hurt. In 2000’s we learned a more toned down balanced approach. We actually went full circle and went back to the tried and true, monitoring our calorie intact, eating primarily fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and lean meat. We have now differentiate between good fats and bad fats, good carbs and bad carbs, good sugar and bad sugar, and eating smaller more frequent mini meals. We find ourselves more educated about healthy eating, enjoying good food, and losing weight! Most of all we can live on this game plan for wellness and weight loss. It is something we can follow for life.

Even the latest celebrity diet found in the tabloid magazines, are not as drastic and are still enveloped in good healthy foods. It is up to our palate to pick how we chose to reduce our size by eating.

Rachel Z Wilson asked:




The Atkins Diet has been around for over 30 years now, since being constructed by Dr. Robert Atkins. The premise of this diet is low carbohydrates, which the body turns to sugar. By lowering the carbohydrates, it forces the body to burn the existing fat cells, and many Atkins Diet followers have reported quick and lasting weight losses. This diet, offers some things that all dieters love- meat, eggs, cheese, butter and cream. The critics of this diet don’t like the fact it is based on high-fat, high-protein, although research has shown that it can lower cholesterol and triglyceride counts.

It starts with the Induction phase, which consists of limiting the carbohydrates to 20mg per day, achieved mainly through cutting out all breads, pastas, potatoes and starches, including all sweets. This phase normally lasts for 14 days, although some dieters personally decide to extend this phase to lose the weight quicker. While you are allowed to eat all the red meat you want, many of the dieters use chicken and fish, and low calorie methods of cooking, to combine it into a low carb/low calorie combination for quicker weight gains. The diet encourages vitamins through salads and low carb vegetables, which is mainly everything but potatoes, corn, peas and dried beans and discourages fruits, as these contain natural sugars.

The next phase is the Ongoing Weight Loss phase where you add an additional 25mg per day. This allows a little more freedom as you can chose how you use your 45 mg of carbohydrates. Not only does the website, atkins.com offer carb counts, but it is a large portion of the book, as well. By the time you are at this phase, you already have memorized carbs in many items, and learn to look at every package for serving, calorie and carbs.

The next phase is the pre-maintenance phase, which is started about 5-10 pounds before your weight goal is attained. You can add 10mg more as you head toward your goal, and start re-introducing some carbs that were previously forbidden, with monitoring that you don’t go back to your old eating habits. By this time, so many of the Atkins dieters have made the meat, eggs, cheese, butter and their favorite vegetables a mainstay that it has become habit and they are true proponents of the plan.

Once you hit your weight goal, you are at the ACE phase, (Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium), where you will need to determine the proper amount of carbs for your weight and activity level, at the Maintenance level. Dr. Atkins books and website, give you the guidelines necessary to maintain.

In conclusion:
The Atkins Diet offers the dieter a wide range of freedom, with steaks and buttered vegetables, and of course, encourages exercise. Many dieters on Atkins have lost weight without exercise and Atkins sells all sorts of pre-packaged food, if you desire, and sell menus and recipes on eDiet to make using your own. You need to return to a well-balanced diet once you have attained your weight loss, but this can be a very easy diet to stick to for many dieters.

Kayla Kuba asked:




With so many weight and fat loss programs being sold everywhere, how do you know which is the right one for you? Quite frankly, most diet programs that I have tried are completely useless and are only created to make money for the commercial companies. The Diet Solution is a new program that promises to help you achieve your weight loss goals, but I was really skeptical about it when I first saw it.

1. Who Is Isabel De Los Rios? Can You Listen To This Person?

After digging further for more information about the creator of this program, I have found out that Isabel De Los Rios is a certified exercise and nutrition specialist with 10 years of experience in helping clients get rid of obesity problems and reach their desired weight levels. She has had to deal with obesity problems herself in the past, but she has overcome it and has now created the Diet Solution program based on her 15 years of research and methods.

2. What Is The Diet Solution Like?

This program is a step-by-step system that uses the concepts that Isabel has compiled in her years of studies. You will not find a whole list of theories about the human body and nutrition inside this guide. What you will find is an action plan that I have personally applied consistently over weeks to finally shed off the ugly fats on my body.

3. My Experience and Thoughts After Using The Diet Solution

I am glad that this program is not some sort of crash diet that has always failed whenever I used them. Instead, it teaches you a way of eating and living your life that will gradually but permanently help you lose the unwanted fats on your body. There is nothing extreme or difficult about the methods inside The Diet Solution. All that is required is persistence in applying the steps, and you should expect to see results within a few weeks after using it.

Lindsey Price asked:




There’s no question that prepackaged diets are incredibly popular today. Few of us actually have the time to research, shop for, prepare and package our low calorie or low carb foods. Sticking with diets are hard enough, so adding on the work of research and preparation, at least in my opinion, lessens the chance that you will actually stick with and have success on the diet. And, in today’s economy, very often, you’ll find that cost of these prepackaged diets are actually lower in cost than trying to buy a bunch of groceries and wasting the gas to gather them. In this article, I will review one of the more popular prepackaged diets and the one that I’ve had a great deal of success with — Medifast.

How Medifast Works: In the truest sense of the word, this is a prepackaged diet. Although there are many options from which to chose (women’s, men’s, diabetics, heart health, and metabolism boosting), all of the plans provide you with enough food to eat the company’s prepackaged foods five times per day. Once per day you will prepare your own fresh, large, healthful meal (this is called the “lean and green,” and it consist of lean protein and veggies.) So, you’re eating six times per day, but only preparing one meal (and you can make this preparation really easy by using an indoor grill and bagged vegetables.)

The prepackaged foods are generally quick and easy to prepare and assemble. Some of the shakes require a blender, but some don’t. The bars require only that you remove the wrapper, but some of the other foods, like the eggs and oatmeal, require only minimal assembly.

Medifast Food Choices And Taste: There are over 70 food choices with this diet. Examples are the shakes and bars, puddings and cappuccinos, chili and stews, crackers and chips, fruit drinks and hot chocolates, etc. The taste for the most part is pretty good and better than I expected. And, you can make it even better by adding fat free syrups, whipped creams, sour cream, cheese, humus, etc. I really like to use the pudding as a base for recipes that allow you to make muffins and cookies.

How Ketosis And A Low Amount Of Carbohydrates Make This Diet Very Effective: Many people don’t realize this, but this is technically a low carb diet. All of the foods are low in calories and high in protein. This works to force your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Since you are depriving it of carbs that it would usually burn for energy, it instead has to turn on stored fat which in turn will really ramp up your metabolism and weight loss.

I believe that this is why Medifast works so well and is so effective. In essence, it works a lot like the South Beach or Atkins diet, but you don’t have to eat meat or eggs all of the time. As a result, many people see pretty quick and dramatic results as long as they follow the instructions to a reasonable degree.

Cost: This diet’s cost is pretty typical of a prepackaged diet. It’s around $8 – $10 per day and this can be better with coupons, specials and discounts that are very frequently offered. When you think about it, with the cost of groceries and gas today, this may actually be less than you spend on groceries.

Bottom Line: At the end of the day, my review of Medifast is positive. It’s a very effective diet, the food is pretty decent tasting, and it’s very convenient and easy to follow. They aren’t any calories to count, or many choices to make. You just mostly eat the foods they give you, and you’re on your way.

Brian I Park asked:




Diets based on the glycaemic index (Gl) have become popular. They focus on the role of carbohydrates (sugary and starchy foods) in the diet, and particularly on the speed at which carbohydrates are digested into glucose and released into the bloodstream.

The glycaemic index (Gl) is a way of classifying carbohydrates according to how quickly they are digested. Glucose, which is rapidly dispersed into the bloodstream, has a Gl rating of 100, while grapefruit has aGI of 14 and spaghetti a Gl of 41.

This was developed by nutritionists researching into diabetes, which occurs when the body’s ability to produce insulin and regulate glucose is impaired. A key part of managing the condition is to keep glucose levels stable, and researchers found that carbohydrates that are digested slowly cause fewer peaks and troughs in glucose levels than those that release glucose quickly into the blood.

People with diabetes are often advised to include low-GI carbohydrates with each meal as part of their treatment plan. People who do not have diabetes do not need help with managing their glucose and insulin levels. But further research into the Gl classification has found that it can play an important role in helping to manage weight.

The theory behind Gl weight loss diets is that filling up on carbohydrates with a low Gl helps to control overall energy intake, because they are more likely to keep hunger at bay for longer than other foods. High-GI carbohydrates, by contrast, are believed to produce a short-lived ’sugar rush’ followed by a dip in energy and the desire to eat again. Slimmers who are following a low-GI plan are less likely to eat high-sugar, high-fat snacks, and to eat low-fat, high-fibre meals, so that it should be possible to create a calorie deficit resulting In a weight loss at the desirable rate of 450-900 g (1-2 lb) a week.

One reason why the low-GI diet has become very popular with nutritionists is that many of the principles are in line with current thinking on what makes a healthy diet. Low-GI carbohydrates (with a rating below 60) include most fruit and vegetables, wholemeal stoneground bread, porridge, rice and pulses. They are likely to be high in fibre, either soluble or Insoluble, which is good for the digestive system and heart health, and many -although not all – are low in sugar and fat.

High Gl foods, which are to be limited or avoided on a Gl weight loss diet, include white bread, white rice, sugary breakfast cereals, and foods made with sugar or white flour such as cakes and biscuits. Processed foods like these are also likely to include saturated fats or trans fats, which need to be limited.

Ivan Kelly asked:




The Hospital 3 Day Diet, which is also known as the Birmingham Hospital Diet, has become popular due to claims that the diet was created as a means of enabling patients intended for surgery to lose up to 10 lbs in weight over a period of three days. Other sources attribute the origin of this diet plan to the University of Alabama.

It should be noted that these institutions do not make that claim and do not accept any responsibility towards those who follow the diet.

Notwithstanding the uncertainty of its origins, there is little doubt that this simple diet plan has become widespread and that many people have used it, often coming across the weight loss strategy under one of its many names. Apart from the Hospital 3 Day Diet, it is also known as Alabama 3 Day Diet, 3 day Tuna Diet, Tuna Fish Diet, 3 Day Cardiac Diet, and others.

The content of these weight loss diet plans is very similar and will here be treated as essentially the same.

A key element of the Hospital 3 Day Diet is that it contains a low daily calorie level of about 1,000 calories with specified ingredients to provide the protein, carbohydrates, fat (very little) and other nutrients that we need to survive. For a full description of the menu plan, do a quick search for my article “3 Day Tuna Fish Diet – Menu and Diet Plan”.

In brief, the plan outlines the foods to be included for breakfast, lunch and dinner over a three day period.

There are many reports of weight reduction from those who have followed the diet. The amount of claimed weight lost during that time varies, as might be expected with so many differing metabolisms and food requirements being involved. However, a minimum weight reduction of at least 2.5 lbs does seem attainable and likely.

Much of the weight loss from a diet of such a short duration probably comes from water loss. As well, with a calorie count of about 1,000 this would be well below normal requirements for most adults, so energy expended would also account for some of the loss.

However, whilst not a ’starvation diet’, the Birmingham Hospital Diet is likely to generate user problems if continued beyond the recommended 3 days. For instance, it is normal for our bodies to make adjustments when a food shortage is detected. This is a survival mechanism which protects us when little food is available, as in times of famine. The body slows metabolism and conserves fat stores to enable us to survive longer with less food. This actually makes it harder to lose weight, we have less energy and tire more easily. Not a satisfactory long term condition!

Although there may be some short-term loss advantage, the feelings of hunger experienced by the end of the diet encourage extra food intake after the diet has been completed. A better alternative is a program that does not produce a craving for food, does not cause the body to slow its activities, and takes into account nutritional requirements so that changes in eating habits would allow fat loss to happen over a longer period and be lasting.

Rather than following a simple, low calorie diet plan, losing weight over an extended period allows other tactics to be employed in the plan, such as ‘calorie shifting’, placing greater emphasis on fat loss and adequate nutrition. This is more likely in the long run to provide health benefits and sustainable weight loss.

Raissa Arutjunjan asked:




The latest craze which is budding among the people on the world of web is the craze of an online diet chart and schedule which is known as the ‘Weight Loss 4 Idiots’. The name Weight Loss 4 Idiots is now been changed and the new name is ‘Fat Loss 4 Idiots’. One can get better results if he goes for the Fat Loss 4 Idiots diet.

Advantages of Weight Loss Diet 4 Idiots: The best thing about this diet 4 Idiots is that it is web based diet which offers many features to the user which helps in the loss of weight and calories. Besides this, the eating plan which is included in this diet program is very simple and easy. The only effort which is required from the user’s side is the full dedication of the user so that he can maintain his daily routine. The weight loss diet 4 idiots provides the user with a perfect schedule of exercise program and positive support which can generate a good and healthy change in the life of the people.

Including of Fat Loss Diet 4 Idiots: This diet schedule is mainly includes the process of calorie shifting which has to be perfectly followed for 11 days with the specific menu. This approach will help in increasing the metabolism rate of the person and hence helps in easy shedding of the weight as the calories will be burnt more consistently. There is a misconception in the mind of the people that this diet program can be a spam or includes some magical pills, diet or programs. The Fat Loss 4 Idiots is a perfect diet plan with no side effects and worries.

Another approach which is followed in the programs of weight loss diet 4 idiots is that there is no restriction on the consumption of the calories. People who are following this diet can go for the consumption of the diet until they are fully stuffed. This diet plan includes online software which generates a systematic menu for 11 days. The food items are listed according to the preference of the user. And after the tight schedule of 11 days, there are 3 free days in which a person can go the any kind of meals or food items which he likes.

Secret Behind the Diet: The main reason behind the popularity of the diet program is that the meal included under this diet program includes a high proteins and carbohydrates food items. This will not help in reducing the weight and burning the calories but also helps in increasing the muscles of a person if he is going for body building.