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Here's the skinny on which diet's the best one for you
By Nick Robbins
May 9, 2005 | Whether it's counting
numbers, controlling portions, limiting carbs, or it
seems society has become inundated with diets plans
that guarantee a slimmer waist-line and a happier, sexier
you. However, many of these diets guarantee these results
with very little effort from the consumer, and in less
time than it takes for the next round of fad diets to
come onto the front line.
The media have tagged the issue of obesity in America
as an epidemic. A report by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention says, over 65 percent of American adults
are overweight or obese. That's nearly 129.6 million
people. And according to one survey, 400,000 deaths
resulted from weight related problems. Poor diet and
inactivity have been linked to diabetes and heart disease;
the leading cause of death among Americans today.
Epidemic or not, obesity is potentially an issue for
many Americans, children and adults. Most of those facing
the problem understand the risks, and know it is time
to lose weight. But how? Which diets are the most effective?
Which ones have the best long-term results? How can
I shed the pounds the fastest? What diets are safe?
What diets are healthy? The list of unanswered questions
is endless. There are so many options for losing weight
it seems that unless you have a personal trainer, you
have no idea which one is the best, or where to even
start.
A search on Amazon.com for "diets" brings up nearly
8,000 titles alone. We've all heard of the Atkins Diet,
Weight Watchers, the Zone Diet, liquid diets, Body for
Life. Eat this, don't eat that. And how did Oprah lose
all her weight? Here is what we know about some of the
most popular and well known diets on the market today.
Weight Watchers began in 1961 when an unhappy and
overweight housewife confessed to her friends that she
was addicted to eating cookies. From there, founder
Jean Nidetch discovered that through sharing her experience
with her friends, empathy, rapport and mutual understanding
were as beneficial to weight loss as eating right and
exercising. Weight Watchers helps dieters keep track
of what they eat by giving every food a point value.
Members are encouraged to stay within their personal
daily allotment of points in order to lose weight. The
points are determined by a formula which calculates
fat grams, calories, and carbohydrates. Weight Watchers'
Web site says, "You can eat any food as long as you
stay within your points budget. Since nutritious foods
are low in points values, the approach guides you to
healthier eating strategies."
Stephanie, who has been with Weight Watchers since
January of 2002 said, "I don't consider it a fad diet.
It's a lifestyle." Stephanie has lost over 65 pounds
with the program.
Recently, the most popular diet has also been the
target of much debate. The Atkins Diet promotes a diet
with low to no carbs and lots of protein to the thousands
who prescribe to it. Dr. Robert Atkins introduced his
diet to the world in 1968. It was immediately hit with
criticism. Atkins said that by cutting carbohydrates
out of our diets, and eating all the protein and high-fat
foods we wanted, the pounds would melt off, with or
without exercise. He was right. By eliminating carbs,
the body delves into its fat storage for energy, a condition
called Ketosis, thus burning fat quickly.
Tiffany has been on the Atkins diet for a year and
a half. She says the hardest part is the lack of variety.
"But," Tiffany says, "I have never slept better or felt
better in my life." However, many worried about the
other health risks that might ultimately be associated
with eating such a high-fat diet; heart disease, high
blood pressure, diabetes, and strokes. Because the Atkins
diet has only recently gained a steady following however,
not enough research has been conducted to really get
a good grasp on the long term benefits or side-effects
associated with it.
Want to eat more than bacon and beef, maybe a personal
chef is just the ticket for you. However, we can't all
afford to have a personal trainer and chef at our beck
and call, but there's the Optifast diet. Optifast offers
a shake twice a day followed by a small dinner in the
evening. There is no calorie counting, no worrying about
what to eat, it's relatively inexpensive, and makes
the pounds just disappear. But there is no variety and
as one woman said, "it tastes like liquid snot." Optifast's
most popular follower Oprah Winfrey lost 67 pounds on
the diet. However, as soon as Oprah and the rest of
the country introduced food back into their diets, the
pounds came back.
OK, so we're all destined to be fat right? Wrong.
There is one sure fire way to lose weight. It isn't
expensive, but may require a little work. Ready? Eat
less, and move more. That's it. No magic potion, no
overnight pill. It's the plain and simple philosophy
of eating what we all know is healthy choices in the
right proportions.
After years of yo-yo dieting, I found that this was
what worked best. I eat six small meals a day, and drink
lots of water. I try to exercise fives times a week,
aerobic and weight resistance, and don't eat anything
after 8 p.m. Who knew that after all these years what
we've been hearing for years really works? I lost 20
pounds in about two months. Sure, you hear "add calcium,
coordinate carbs with proteins, three a day." We need
to find what works best with our own bodies. No one
diet is perfect for everyone.
NW
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