July 29th, 2010 by 
Owen Jones
The race to health and fitness is on and a lot of people are getting in on the act. Some people do it in order to have a beautiful body, some people do it because they are ashamed of their body, while others do it just to remain fit and healthy. As such, there are hundreds of fitness programs on the Internet, in gyms, spas and fitness centres all over the world. Some are too expensive – so expensive that you will lose weight quickly, just because you have to work hard to earn the money to pay for these fitness programs.
One may not have to go to the gym or the spa or any fitness center and spend a fortune just to slim down and obtain that longed for sexy body. There are many books available in the bookstores] offering weight loss programs which seem easy and free. However, the books are not though. These weight loss programs, or diet plans are gaining immense popularity because of their publicity, testimonials and reviews and you might be confused as to exactly which one to follow. So before choosing which weight loss plan to follow, try reading the following precis of the most popular diet programs around today.
The Atkins\’ New Diet Revolution by Dr. Atkins: This diet plan encourages a high protein diet and fewer carbohydrates. You can eat loads of vegetables and meat but must not eat bread and pasta. You are not restricted on your fat intake so it is OK to pour on the (correct) salad dressing and freely spread on the butter. However, during the diet, some people may find themselves lacking fibre and high on fat and cholesterol. Grains and fruits are also strictly limited.
The Carbohydrate Addict\’s Diet by Drs. Heller. This diet programme also advocates following a low carbohydrate diet. It recommends eating mostly meats, vegetables and fruit, dairy and grain products. however, advises against consuming too many carbohydrates. So-called \”Reward Meals\” can be quite high in fats and saturated fats.
Choose to Lose: by Dr. Goor. It advises restricting your fat consumption. You are allowed a \”fat\” budget, but you are given free reign on how to spend it. It does not pressure people to regulate their carbohydrate intake. Eating meat and poultry as well as low-fat dairy and seafood is fine. You may also eat vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta. This weight loss plan is quite healthy, because it advises healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables and saturated fats. Watch your triglyceride levels though. If they are high, cut down on the carbohydrates and eat more unsaturated fats.
The DASH Diet. Advocates moderate amounts of fat and protein but lots of carbohydrates. Primarily designed to lower blood pressure, so the diet plan follows the pyramid food guide and encourages a high intake of whole wheat grains and fruit and vegetables and low-fat dairy. Some dieters think it advocates too much eating to produce significant weight loss.
Eat More, Weigh Less: by Dr. Ornish. Mostly vegetarian fare and strictly low-fat. Warns to watch out for low-fat dairy and egg whites. This diet plan is low in calcium and limits the consumption of healthy foods like seafood and lean poultry.
Eat Right for Your Type: This diet is really interesting because it bases its recommendations on your blood type. For example, it recommends lots of meat for people with the blood type O. However, diet plans for some blood types are nutritionally unbalanced and too low in calories. Furthermore, just for the record, there is no proof that blood type can affect dietary needs.
The Pritkin Principle: It is focused on trimming the number of calories by eating watery foods that make you feel full. Eating vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, pasta, soups, salads and low-fat dairy is OK, although it restricts protein sources to lean meat, seafood and poultry. It is healthy because it provides low amounts of saturated fats and large amounts of vegetables and fruits. However, it is low on calcium and limits lean protein sources.
Volumetrics: It recommends eating fewer calories. It recommends roughly the same foodstuffs as Pritkin but limits fatty food and dry foods like popcorn, pretzels and crackers. This program is fairly healthy given the high volume of fruit and vegetables. It is also low in calories and saturated fats.
The Zone: It is fairly low on carbohydrates but moderately high on proteins. It recommends low-fat protein foods like fish and chicken and vegetables, fruits and grains. It is also a healthy plan but short on grains and calcium.
Weight Watchers: They recommend high carbohydrate meals, yet are moderate on fats and proteins. A fairly healthy diet program and very flexible too. It allows the dieter to plan his own meals rather than offering recipes, although there are WW TV dinners in the shops.
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