EmailAll diets must reduce the number of calories a person consumes and/or increase the amount of calories he or she burns. In a comparison among the most common diets (Atkins, Ornish, Zone, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, South Beach), the daily caloric intake for each was found to be nearly identical.
Most of the diets currently on offer have considerable overlap with each other; they just focus on different things to get you to eat the right foods. Weight Watchers purports to let you choose whatever foods you wish to eat, and this is true. You can eat whatever you want, but if you wish to stay within your daily points allowance until you reach your goal weight, you'll quickly learn that fruits, vegetables and whole grains -- basically, low glycemic-index foods -- contain the fewest points. Low glycemic-index foods are also the ones that have the highest fiber content and give you a feeling of fullness faster and longer. So, in effect, a balanced Weight Watchers regime becomes the Low Glycemic-Index Diet, Dr. Phil's advice for sensible eating or Volumetrics. Focus on fish and olive oil as your protein sources, along with salad and complex carbs, and you've got a version of The Mediterranean Diet. Cut out the meats and reduce the fat somewhat and you have the Dean Ornish Diet. Up the fat and reduce the carbs by a little and you're in the Zone.
Marketing gurus know you won't pay for the obvious, so each successful diet must have a twist to make it seem unique, when in reality, most of the diets (apart from the low-carb diets) are very similar to one another.
This knowledge should make the choosing of a diet regime (or the construction of your own self-made diet) easier. Since all diets work in essentially the same way of restricting your caloric intake, all you need to do is choose the diet with the right types of nutritious foods you already have an affinity for that will leave you feeling satisfied. Retraining one's body to eat better foods and less of them takes time. And you can't let up even after you lose weight. Relapse to your old habits, and you will relapse to your old figure. Maintenance is accomplished by regular and vigorous exercise, in addition to limiting calories and regular appointments with your scale. If you want to be among the successful few who keep the weight off, you have to develop healthy-eating and exercise habits and keep them up for a lifetime.
Overall, here's what the experts say to look for in a weight-loss program:
- Use the type of weight-loss program you're most comfortable with. Some folks prefer group support, while others would rather have individual attention. In case you're still smarting from some decades-old humiliation in gym class, don't worry about group weigh-ins; these programs want you to keep attending, and they know better than to shout out embarrassing numbers. Many programs offer a choice of formats, including group, home, work or Internet-based options.
- The diet should be based on real foods. A regime that uses proprietary manufactured foods such as shakes, bars or packaged mini-meals is okay in the short term, but it will probably not help you establish healthy long-term eating habits. Such foods are convenient and they can be effective weight-loss tools, but ultimately you will need to learn to cook healthful meals for yourself. Plans like Slim-Fast are effective for short-term weight loss, but in one review, surveys show the dropout rate to be higher for Slim-Fast than for other diet plans.
- Avoid diet pills. Research shows that diet pills don't work. (See the companion ConsumerSearch report on diet pills.) Diet pills, which do not need FDA approval, can interact with other drugs you may be taking, posing a real hazard. Some merely act as a diuretic, which can make you prone to dehydration.
- Fad diets aren't healthy. Some plans ask you to avoid specific kinds of food. That's not necessarily bad; a vegetarian diet can be very healthy as long as you substitute other proteins such as legumes or low-fat dairy products for meat. But watch out for diets in which you subsist on cabbages and grapefruits, or that encourage you to steer clear of all carbohydrates or all fats. A balanced diet with protein and complex carbohydrates, plenty of fruits and vegetables, a decent amount of fiber and not too much fat is what most people need in a good long-term eating plan.
- Make sure the program is flexible. Is your plan adaptable for vacations, quick commuter meals or socializing? Can it accommodate meals you can serve to or adapt for your family, or do you have to prepare two complete meals, one for yourself and one for everyone else?
- A healthy lifestyle should be encouraged. Good programs recognize that exercise is essential to weight loss. Some also include help with other elements of a healthy lifestyle, such as stress management, recognizing psychological or situational triggers for overeating, or developing an appropriate body image.
- Continuing support is important. The best programs continue to offer encouragement even after you reach your goal weight.
- Understand the pricing structure. Is there a large up-front fee, or is the program pay-as-you-go? Are there required purchases of food or supplements that add to the price?
- Many houses of worship sponsor weight-loss groups of various types. Overeaters Anonymous, a nonprofit 12-step program with meetings in many locations, also offers a nondenominational, spiritually-based support group. However, this organization makes no specific recommendations about diet or exercise, and it is designed for people for whom eating is a behavioral disorder.
Before undertaking any weight-loss program, you should consult with your health-care provider. Also, according to the IRS, some weight-loss expenses are deductible as a medical expense on your taxes. There are quite a few restrictions, and you must prove through your doctor that you are at significant medical risk in order to claim a deduction. Membership and counseling costs are deductible, but food costs are not.