The Step Diet

A common complaint about diets is that they’re just too complicated. Some diets forbid a long list of foods, others only allow a short list, and many require counting of every single calorie. It’s no wonder that people find them so hard to stick to.

For those of us who are tired of diets that leave us scratching our heads, there’s the Step Diet. It is based on a very simple principle: the more steps one takes in a day, the more calories he burns. By walking 10,000 steps each day, we can lose weight without a great deal of effort.

The rules of the Step Diet are laid out in a book of the same name by James O. Hill, Ph.D. Readers are asked to increase their daily number of steps by five hundred each week for 12 weeks. It even comes with a pedometer. The steps taken each day, at-rest calories burned and activity calories burned are converted into “MegaSteps,” and the dieter must work toward a daily goal of these MegaSteps.

The Step Diet is great for those who enjoy walking or can’t find the time to do other types of exercise, but is also flexible for those who prefer different activities. The book provides conversion charts for a number of activities, so they may be substituted for a certain number of steps.

Although it’s called a diet, the Step Diet really doesn’t require a great deal of change in what we eat. It simply recommends that we cut our food intake by 25 percent. This way we can eat the foods we love and still lose weight.

Cutting food intake by 25 percent could be achieved by counting calories, but if you use the simple rules of thumb provided in The Step Diet, that won’t be necessary. Instead, you prepare the food and put it on your plate as usual, but stop eating when one-quarter of it is left on your plate. At buffets, dieters are encouraged to never eat a portion larger than their fists.

In addition to eating less at each meal and becoming more active, most dieters need to address problems with their eating habits. This is addressed during the first week of the Step Diet program. In order to be successful, the dieter must become aware of problem areas and eat mindfully to avoid them.

The Step Diet even allows for a little splurging. If you burn extra calories on a given day, you are allowed to treat yourself to food that has the same number of calories. Since there are no forbidden foods, you can eat brownies, ice cream or anything else you like as long as you work it off.

If you hate diets, the Step Diet could be the weight loss plan you’ve been dreaming of. It’s one of the simplest diets out there, and it doesn’t require you to slave away at the gym. By making minor modifications to your diet and working more steps into your day, you can be well on your way to a slimmer and healthier body.

The Flat Belly Diet

Many diet plans all but eliminate fat from the diet. It makes sense, because most people who want to lose weight want to lose it in the form of fat. But a diet that is extremely low in fat can be hard to stick to, and it often leaves us feeling hungry. Besides, there are certain types of fat that are good for us.

Did you know that there’s even a kind of fat that can actually help us lose belly fat? Monounsaturated fat can help reduce bad cholesterol and lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, and it helps us feel full faster. This kind of fat is a cornerstone of the Flat Belly Diet.

Written by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD of Prevention magazine, The Flat Belly Diet features Mediterranean-style fare. Each meal includes a source of monounsaturated fat. Foods that contain these beneficial fats include olives and olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate and soybeans. The diet has been praised by dietitians and featured on the Rachael Ray Show.

How It Works

The Flat Belly Diet begins with a 1,200 to 1,400 calorie jump start plan. During this initial period, dieters are instructed to drink 2 liters of “sassy water” each day. The water contains spices, herbs, citrus and cucumber, and is used to increase energy and reduce bloating and constipation.

After the jump start period, dieters start eating four 400-calorie meals a day. Instead of counting calories and fat grams, dieters choose from a list of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items. The book also contains dozens of recipes with complete nutrition information. There are options that work with virtually any dietary need, from vegetarianism to lactose intolerance.

Exercise is optional on the Flat Belly Diet, but it is strongly encouraged. The book includes a 28-day workout plan, walking plan and detailed diagrams of exercises. Working out will bring quicker and more noticeable results and improve overall health.

In addition to the book, there is an online membership program that dieters can take advantage of. Features include customized meal plans, food logs and progress tracking. Members can participate in social applications such as message boards and video diaries, and they have the opportunity to ask program coaches any questions they may have.

The Flat Belly Diet can produce quick initial weight loss while still providing plenty of nutrition. The monounsaturated fats included in each meal satisfy hunger and allow for tasty food options. But portion control is very important in this diet, and dieters must realize that after initial loss of water weight, progress will be significantly slower.

If you want to lose belly fat but are not willing to completely give up dietary fat, the Flat Belly Diet might be worth a look. It’s easy to follow, and most dieters find it easy to stick with.

The Body for Life program

When people start a new fitness regimen, they do so because they want to see results. Counting calories and working out can be a major challenge, especially for those of us who are in poor shape to start with. When our efforts do not produce results quickly, it’s easy to just give up.

For those whose motivation hinges on tangible results, Body for Life Program could be the answer. Body for Life founder Bill Phillips claims that anyone who follows the program for 12 weeks will have the best body he has ever had. It sounds like a lofty claim, but many participants have obtained fabulous results.

The Body for Life program originated as a fitness competition in 1996. Contestants were given 12 weeks to transform their physiques using diet, exercise and nutritional supplements. Prizes were offered for the most dramatic transformations. The competition became extremely popular, and Phillips wrote a book detailing his recommended diet and exercise program.

Six Meals a Day

With its heavy emphasis on working out, the Body for Life program advocates eating six small meals each day to boost metabolism and keep energy levels up. Each meal consists of one serving of protein and one serving of carbohydrates. A serving is a portion the size of one’s fist. Dieters must choose from a list of approved foods.

Dieters are also encouraged to eat at least two portions of vegetables each day and drink ten glasses of water. Supplementation is encouraged, including a protein supplement and a small amount of flaxseed oil or another healthy oil. Total calories should be about half protein and half carbohydrate, with a minimal amount of fat.

The Workout Plan

Intense workouts are the core of the Body for Life plan. The exercise plan requires participants to alternate between weight training and aerobic exercise. Each type of exercise is done three days a week, and the remaining day is designated as a day of rest.

The workout plan is carefully constructed to minimize the risk of injury. Participants do upper body weight training one day, aerobic exercise the next, and switch to lower body strength training the following day. After another day of aerobic exercise, the cycle repeats, leaving at least four days between weight workouts on the same part of the body.

The Body for Life diet and workout plan can sculpt the body, but it’s not for everyone. It requires a great deal of dedication, and it’s extra heavy on the exercise. Even so, it has become a very popular program. The fitness challenge is still going on today, providing a chance for motivated individuals to win cash and prizes. But anyone who sticks to the Body for Life plan comes out a winner, even if he does not enter the competition.

The Blood Type Diet

Dieters often complain because the diets they go on take a sort of “one size fits all” approach. They provide lists of acceptable and unacceptable foods that are supposed to be appropriate for everyone, yet not everyone has the same tastes and weight loss needs. Shouldn’t diets be more personalized? Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, creator of the Blood Type Diet, thinks so, but for different reasons.

D’Adamo is the author of Eat Right for Your Type, a book that claims that a person’s diet should be based on his blood type. A New York Times Bestseller, the book was voted one of the Ten Most Influential Health Books of All Time by analysts. Yet it has also been subject to a great deal of criticism.

How the Blood Type Diet Works

Today there are four basic blood types in humans: O, A, B and AB. According to D’Adamo, type O blood is the oldest, and is associated with a time in history when humans ate mostly meats. Type A blood was the next to develop, and is associated with the movement toward a diet consisting primarily of grains and vegetables. Type B blood came about in Asia, at a time when the standard diet included mostly meat and dairy products. AB is the newest blood type. Brought about by intermingling of Type A and Type B, AB carries characteristics of both of those types.

D’Adamo suggests a diet for each blood type that consists of foods historically consumed by that type. Here are the basics for each type:

Type O – Can eat meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Grains, beans and legumes should be limited. For weight loss purposes, eat kelp, seafood, red meat, liver, spinach and broccoli; and avoid wheat, corn, kidney and navy beans, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
Type A – Best foods include vegetables, tofu, seafood, grains, beans and fruit. For weight loss, eat vegetable oil, soy and pineapples, and avoid meat, dairy, kidney and lima beans and wheat.
Type B – Can eat all meats except chicken, dairy, grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Greens, eggs, venison, liver and tea are conducive to weight loss, and corn, peanuts, sesame seeds and wheat should be avoided.
Type AB – May eat meat, seafood, dairy, beans, grains fruits and vegetables, all in moderation. Weight loss foods include seafood, dairy, greens and pineapples. Red meat, kidney and lima beans, seeds and corn should be avoided.

Criticisms

Although the Blood Type Diet has become extremely popular, it is also controversial. Critics say that despite its scientific-sounding explanations, there is no research to back up the claims made. Some go as far as to say that the principles of the diet are based on nothing more than generalizations gleaned from a few isolated cases.

Many dieters are put off by the diet’s restrictiveness. Although it does not prescribe specific calorie counts or portion sizes, it severely limits the foods a person can eat. This makes it difficult for many dieters to adhere to.

Still, the Blood Type Diet has many supporters. Some claim that it has greatly improved their health and helped them lose weight. If you’re interested, D’Adamo has published supplemental books for each blood type in addition to his original offering.

Biggest Loser Diet and Workout Plans

If you’re a reality TV fan, you’ve probably seen NBC’s The Biggest Loser. The popular show features two teams consisting of contestants who want to lose weight. They receive personal training, customized diet plans and lots of support. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have such an opportunity?

The makers of The Biggest Loser recognized the demand for similar programs for the general public, and they created a book outlining the basics of the diet and workout plans used. But we all know how those diet books tend to end up collecting dust on the shelf. That’s why they took it a step further and began to offer an online plan.

The Biggest Loser Club offers a website full of tools to help us succeed in losing weight. It offers daily meal plans, complete with recipes and nutritional details. There’s also a customized fitness program that can be done at home or at the gym, along with demonstrations that show how to do the exercises correctly. Alternative exercises are offered for members with varied abilities.

The Biggest Loser Club also offers a great deal of flexibility in meal planning. Meal plans are provided for members, but they are not set in stone. If a member does not like a particular meal, he can select from a variety of other meals that offer similar nutritional value. The plan consists of three meals and two snacks each day to help keep hunger at bay.

Support and Easy Access

One of the most important things when dieting is support, and the Biggest Loser Club offers plenty of that as well. All members get access to a message board that features lots of tips and advice from fellow members, experts and even contestants from the TV show. There’s also a progress journal feature that can help keep members motivated, plus an informative club newsletter.

In addition to access to the website, club members can get information straight from their cell phones. Mobile features include access to exercise plans, shopping lists and food logs. So you don’t have to worry about messing up your diet just because you’re on the go.

Pros and Cons

As with any diet plan, the Biggest Loser Diet has good points and bad points. Here’s a summary:

Pros

* The diet plan places a great deal of emphasis on good nutrition. Participants are encouraged to prepare foods in a way that maintains their nutritional value and still tastes great.
* This plan is much more flexible than most.
* The online community offers a level of support that most diet plans do not.

Cons

* Those who are not computer savvy may have trouble following along.
* Even with all of the support that’s available, dieters must be motivated to make it work.
* Unlike the television show, there is no cash prize for the winners.

Overall, the Biggest Loser Diet plan is a feasible way to lose weight. But like any drastic lifestyle change, it requires commitment. The flexibility and level of support given with this plan are impressive, however, and many dieters have reported great success with it.

Acai Berry Diet

It’s no secret that berries are good for you. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, huckleberries and all other types of berries are loaded with antioxidants and other stuff that promotes good health. But there is one berry that stands out from the rest, and that’s the acai berry.

The acai berry can only be found in the rainforests of the Amazon. The delicate fruit spoils quickly after harvesting, so if it is to be transported it must be frozen or otherwise preserved quickly. For these reasons, it has only recently gained widespread attention. Yet doctor after doctor has extolled the acai berry’s virtues, advocating its use for everything from weight loss to fighting the signs of aging.

Acai berries have numerous nutritional benefits. They contain about ten times as many antioxidants as the same amount of red grapes. They are packed with amino acids, dietary fiber, monounsaturated fats and phytosterols. The antioxidants reduce the effects of free radicals, which contribute significantly to aging. The amino acids help build healthy muscles. And all of these nutrients are great for the heart, immune system and digestive system.

Acai berries have also been used successfully in weight loss regimens. An acai berry supplement is often used in conjunction with a colon cleansing product. Together, the acai and the colon cleansing agent rid the body of toxins and other wastes. The acai berry’s high nutritional content also provides an increase in energy.

The acai berry and colon cleanser combination can cause a significant amount of weight loss quickly. The wastes removed by such a regimen could weigh several pounds, and flushing them out will reduce your weight by the same amount. The absence of these wastes can also help prevent fatigue in the long run.

The high protein content of the acai berry also contributes to its effectiveness in weight loss. When consumed, acai berries make one feel fuller than the same amount of a food with less protein. Acai berries can also have a positive effect on metabolism. These are two of the reasons that acai is often used as an ingredient in weight loss supplements.

The acai berry is most effective in its natural state. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to find whole acai berries outside of their native land. The rest of the world must settle for acai pulp, or supplements in the form of pills, powders or juices.

Some researchers have disputed claims that the acai berry promotes weight loss. But all agree that this fruit is one of the best sources of nutrition that one could hope for. An acai berry diet is safe for almost anyone, and many dieters have reported great success with it. So if you’re looking for a diet that doesn’t skimp on nutritional value, the acai berry diet might well be worth a try.

Abs Diet for Women

Have you seen your abs lately? We all have abdominal muscles, but when we gain weight, it tends to accumulate in the stomach area. Not only does this hide those abs and increase our pant size, it’s also bad for our health. Excess belly fat has been linked to disease of the heart, liver and other organs.

David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazine, recognized this problem and designed the Abs Diet. Geared toward men, the diet incorporated a list of healthy foods, small, frequent meals and an exercise regimen into a plan to flatten the stomach. The diet became so popular that Zinczenko adapted it for women. Released in 2007, The Abs Diet for Women: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Belly and Firm Up Your Body for Life was a great success.

Eating on the Abs Diet

One of the keys to success with the Abs Diet is the incorporation of twelve “powerfoods” into the diet. These foods all have great nutritional value, and it’s easy to remember them using the acronym “Abs Diet Power.” They are:

Almonds and other nuts
Beans and legumes
Spinach and other green veggies
Dairy (low fat or fat free)
Instant oatmeal
Eggs
Turkey and other lean meats
Peanut butter
Olive oil
Whole-grain bread and cereal
Extra-protein powder
Raspberries and other berries

Another important part of the diet is eating not three, but six meals each day. Eating frequent small meals can help satisfy hunger with fewer calories. It also boosts the metabolism and helps avoid cheating.

But perhaps the most popular aspect of the Abs Diet is the freedom to eat whatever you want for one meal each week. Dieters are not required to follow any of the diet’s guidelines for this one meal. It’s sort of a built-in splurge, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods on occasion without breaking the diet.

The Importance of Exercise

When it comes to having great abs, exercise is an absolute must. Surprisingly, exercise is optional during the first 2 weeks of the Abs Diet plan. This is intended to help dieters ease into the transition, making them more likely to stick with it. But on the third week and beyond, regular exercise is required.

The Abs Diet exercise program focuses more on muscles than on a cardiovascular workout. It is built around circuit training, which consists of a series of strength-building exercises done at a fast pace. This keeps the heart rate up, burns fat and keeps the workout as short as possible. The program also promotes the use of compound exercises, which are simply exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time.

While there is some debate about whether you can really flatten your stomach in just 6 weeks, the testimonials for the Abs Diet have been quite favorable. It combines good nutrition with an intense yet short workout routine to promote overall health, weight loss and leaner abdominal muscles. The ability to eat six times a day and work out for just 20 minutes three times a week has made the Abs Diet a favorite of many.

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