There are several diet programs out there, and many more are poping up. It seems that everyone has a diet program, from celebrity chefs to dr. Phil (the only fat man with a diet program). But is there anything to it? Are there diet regiments that allow you to eat what you want and still lose weight? This page will review the top popular diet programs out there.

Diet Fads

They are called 'fad diets'. There is always the latest thing that comes along and it starts to get a following because it makes claims that people want to believe. They become popular for a variety of reasons. Often times it is because they are endorsed by celebrities or are shown to actually work by numerous people. Eventually these diets pass and are replaced by the latest hip thing, that is just the nature of any fad. They also are popular because they are a scripted and controled diet plan that has a step by step program. This way people will know what they are getting into and have a map to help get them there.

Should I Use These Fad Diet Methods?

So, are these fad diets right for you? That is really a decision that you have to make. You don't have to cut out pasta, carbs, or whatever the diet may call for. You don't have to be on a fad diet to lose weight! But if it appeals to you, then go for it. these diets are safe and many have been proben to work. The real secret is that they all work. Some just work better for certain types of people. Some work quicker and some are easier to get through.

Popular Diets

Let's talk about the popular diet fads. These are considered the most common and popular. You will most likely have heard of all of them, you see them everywhere. Below you will get a review about what they claim to do, how they work, and if it is effective.

Atkins Diet
This is one of the more talked about diet programs. It is based on the idea that your body metabolizes carbs first, so by cutting down on carbs, your body will burn fat. So it allows you to eat all of the protein and fat you want and still lose weight. It requires that you cut out sugar and just about all carbs.

The Atkins diet was created by Dr. Robert C. Atkins. Learn more about it at www.atkinscenter.com

South Beach Diet
Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, created this diet as a heart healthy alternative for his patients to lose weight and ensure a healthy heart. The South Beach Diet differs from its low-carb competitor Atkins diet, in that it restricts saturated fats, which are linked with health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol. It promises that cravings for sugars, sweets and other carbohydrates will disappear as you go along because the diet is supposed to keep blood sugar levels maintained.

For more information, visit www.southbeachdiet.com

The Zone Diet
This is a popular diet created by biochemist Dr. Barry Sears. It suggests that you consume calories from carbohydrates, fat, and protien in a ratio of 40%, 30%, 30%. This is considered a low-carb diet. But it is not as restrictive as some of the other low-carbohydrate diets. Dr. Sears claims these other diets miss the point. According to him, they ignore the importance of dietary balance on digestion and the influence of hormonal balance on weight control.

For more information, visit www.zonediet.com

Weight Watchers Diet
This is one of the more premiere diet programs out there. You get foods that are assigned point values that determine the number of calories and fat grams the food has. This is a flexible diet that allows you to eat anything you want as long as you stay withing your daily point limit. THE SCIENCE: Foods are assigned point values based on their number of calories, grams of fat, and grams of fiber. Eat anything you want, but stay inside your daily point limit.

For more information, visit www.weightwatchers.com

Macrobiotic Diet
This diet calls for you to eat only when hungry, slowly chew your food, and divide your foods into daily percentages. Such as, 30% veggies, 50% whole grains, seafood, nuts, fruit, etc. You have to cut out most meat, dairy products, caffine, and any artificial foods.

This diet was created by Michio Kushi. For more information visit www.macrobiotics.org

Raw Foods Diet
This diet is based on the idea that cooking food destroys the natural nutritional value it has. That enzymes begin to degenerate and that the body must use its own enzymes to digest food, thereby reducing your energy, making your gain weight, and making you visibly age quicker. So raw foods are what you get to eat on this diet, say adios to anything that is really cooked.

Based on a 2003 book called 'Raw' by Roxanne Klein and chef Charlie Trotter

Life Choice Diet
This diet is pretty much the antithesis of the Atkins diet. It is a low-fat diet that emphasises vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and various soy products in their base and natural forms. It requires that you cut back on sugar, meat, alcohol, and all high-fat foods.

It is based on a book by Dean Ornish called 'Eat More, Weigh Less'. For more information visit www.ornish.com

Which One Is For Me?

This is really a decision that you will have to make for yourself. Each one of these fad diets works, it is just that results will vary for each person. If you want to do a fad diet, then look at the review above and think about which one is appealing to you. Each diet has you do different things, just think about what you can deal with. Also consider the cost of the diet. Some of these diets require you to buy more expensive things or eat more expensive things. But if you feel too restrained by these requirement, then you don't have to do any specific one. You don't need to be on a fad diet to lose weight. Look at the other pages on this site to get a full understanding of the weight loss process.

Final Thoughts

The truth is that all of these diet fads work in one form or another. They all tap into certain aspects of the weight loss process. If you feel that one of these sounds appealing, then go for it! Just remember that you don't have to be on a fad diet to lose weight. But they are all structured and you will everything that is required of you to lose weight. The most important point is that you have to stick to whatever program you start, whether it be fad or not. If you don't stick with it, then you have no hope of getting the results.