Some of the information in this article can also be found at: www.dieting-review.com Atkins, Slim Fast, Weight Watchers, Hollywood or Cabbage soup, the quest to reduce the waistline has endless possibilities. Whichever diet you choose, they all promise to help you shed those unwanted pounds but the question is - do diets really work?  The Atkins diet worked for me. I lost three stone in six months but you really have to stick to it. If you stop and start eating properly again the weight tends to pile back on. | | Martin Rogers |
According to Martin Rogers from Cheltenham, "Diets are always a constant struggle. You can try one diet for a few weeks but then your will power goes. "The Atkins diet worked for me. I lost three stone in six months but you really have to stick to it. If you stop and start eating properly again the weight tends to pile back on." Tiffany Bailey from Bishops Cleeve tried the Weightwatchers diet when she wanted to shed a few pounds. She said: "I did Weightwatchers for a month and then went on holiday and fell off the wagon. "However I lost about half a stone in a month and was pleased with the results. I didn't go to any classes or anything I just followed the book which worked for me. "The diet is good once you get used to it and you don't feel hungry as you can eat a really varied diet." Carole Booth, from Gloucester, has tried lots of different ways to lose weight including the cabbage soup diet. She said: "The cabbage soup diet works if you stick to it. No cheating and the weight will drop off. | The cabbage soup diet works if you stick to it. No cheating and the weight will drop off. | | Carole Booth |
"I blended the soup to make it smooth as I found this easier to cope with. "The good thing about this diet is that if you are serious in wanting to loose weight but are afraid of always feeling hungry, you can have as much of the soup as you want when you want, plus you get to eat other things too. "I dont think it would be any good for someone with cravings for crisps or a very sweet tooth and you would have to like veg because after a while the soup becomes very boring. "As with any diet its will power and discipline that are the main acheivers of weight loss, plus something to aim for is always good like a target weight, keeping in mind that todays culture is fixated on thin people to an unhealthy degree." So if you want to reduce your waistline but still haven't decided which diet to try, take a look at some of the options below: Extremely popular at the moment the Atkins programme is a high protein diet which allows almost no carbohydrates at the start of the diet. The diet works by inducing a state of ketosis in the body which allows the dieter to eat as much food as they like while in this state. Ketosis is when the body believes it is starving and is deprived of carbohydrates to burn so it burns fat instead. Reasons for: - It actually works
- Is safe if you keep some carbohydrates in your diet
- Can eat as much protein and fat as you want and still lose weight
Reasons against: - Weight can return quite quickly when you stop the diet
- It has a high drop out rate for the induction phase
- Bad breath is a side effect of this diet
- The diet is high in cholesterol and saturated fats
- Low in vitamins and minerals especially in the induction stage
One of the oldest diet plans around weight watchers was founded by Jean Nidetch in the early 1960s.
| The diet (weightwatchers) is good once you get used to it and you don't feel hungry as you can eat a really varied diet. | | Tiffany Bailey |
Weight Watchers is a points based system whereby points are assigned for each food based on fat, fibre and calorie content.
Each person is set a daily points target and can eat any variety of food that adds up to that total. Each person is responsible for meeting his or her own targets. Reasons for: - Group support can be helpful and encouraging
- Any foods can be eaten
- Weight Watcher groups are very wide spread
- Proven weight loss method with a strong track record
- Lots of products available
- Diet is safe and promotes good eating habits
Reasons against: - Not all people enjoy weekly meetings which can be particularly daunting if you haven't lost any weight
- Weight loss is slow
- Not easy to translate non Weight Watcher products into their points equivalent
Everyone recognises the pink SlimFast shake but how does it work? SlimFast is a meal replacement diet that relies on two SlimFast shakes, one for breakfast and one for lunch, and a normal meal for dinner. Each SlimFast shake has about 240 calories and with a normal meal the diet should have a daily intake of 1000-1200 calories. The Slim Fast shake contains added vitamins and minerals in attempt to make up what would be eaten in the two missed meals. Reasons for: - A good diet for the more overweight dieter
- One of the simplest diets on the market
- Fast weight loss
- Convenient
- You get to eat real food with this diet
Reasons against: - SlimFast shakes and snacks can become repetitive especially if you don't have a sweet tooth
- Does not teach good eating habits
- Expensive
Ok - it doesn't sound the most inviting of diets but it works for some. The cabbage soup diet was allegedly created in the 1990s for patients recovering from surgery. Some people claim that cabbage has unique fat burning properties, but this is untrue. The weight loss is because of the low calorie contained in the diet. Reasons for: - You will lose weight after following this diet
- Can eat as much soup as you want throughout
- Diet period is only one week
- Perfect if you have an important party to go to
Reasons against: - Very boring selection of available food
- Short term side effects can include headaches, weakness and decreased concentration
- Weight loss is mainly water and is only temporary as very little actual fat is burnt
- Diet does not contain the body's required vitamins and mineral
- You have to eat lots of cabbage
- Flatulence can be a side effect
............................................... What do you think about this article? Do you swear by another diet? Send us your comments by emailing us at: gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk | Comments in response to this article | I went on Dr Elson Haas' False Fat Diet three years ago. It's based on the premise that excess weight is really bloating and swelling caused by allergy-like food reactions. It suggests you cut out potentially reactive foods like wheat, dairy, sugar. It claims to give you more energy and relieve other medical problems. I did it primarily for bloating and eczema. I dropped 10 lbs in 5 weeks and the rash on my cheeks disappeared. I also quit processed foods and caffeine. It's half-way to Atkins, but you can eat carbs like rice and potatoes. Clare Perry - Cheltenham |
Some of the information in this article can also be found on the following website www.dieting-review.com | 
If you want to lose wight we've weighed up (ahem!) the pros and cons of some of the most popular diets around.
