Hugo L
The health and well-being industry is huge, and a large chunk of that is focused on weight loss. With so many options, and more popping up every day, it can be hard to know what’s a real, effective diet, and what’s not. Fad diets (and miracle products) come and go, but the overall health problem still remains.
There are many designed and packaged diet plans for women to choose from, and a lot of these have been heavily vetted by health experts and reviewed by medical professionals.
There are also “lifestyle” diets, which mean complete changes in diet and behavior, like becoming a vegetarian. Alternatively, you can develop your own diet based on simple nutritional choices and portioning.
Diet Systems
Most diet systems follow a general rule system or guideline system, and some of them sell product lines that make it easier to have meals ready when you need them. They are all slightly different, and it can come down to personal preference as to which a person will choose.
1. Weight Watchers’ diet
Weight Watchers seems to be the most agreed upon diet system amongst dieters and experts.
Benefits of their diet system are:
- Established point system
- Flexible food choices
- Fast short-term results
- Longer lasting results (a year or more after the diet started)
- Ability to eat more of the foods you like
- Points allow for three meals a day plus a couple of snacks
The system itself is relatively easy to follow, and has both online support and in-person support. The food choices and regulations are nutritionally balanced, and there’s no need for ultra-low calorie consumption. Studies have shown that the diet system is effective and safe.
Complaints about the system are normally about the cost or points system. Weight Watchers counts the effectiveness of a food as well as calories, and assigns a specific score. Foods that keep you satisfied for longer have lower points, and this makes them more attractive to eat during the diet.
2. Jenny Craig diet
Jenny Craig is another popular diet system, but it comes with a tailored diet and exercise plan and a one-on-one consultant.
Benefits include:
- Simple food choices, no point counting
- Ready-made meals that arrive at your door
- Fast short-term results
- Three meals a day plus snacks
- Reported to be some of the nicer tasting diet food available
The Jenny Craig diet attempts to teach the dieter about portion size, fat content, and healthy choices. The diet is nutritionally balanced and safe, and most people do not feel hungry when they are on it.
Most complaints about the system are about the cost or the limitations around home-cooked meals and meals from eateries. There are also concerns about how a dieter will do after they are allowed to stop eating the prepared meals and regulate their own foods.
3. Biggest Loser diet
The Biggest Loser diet (named after the famous TV show Biggest Loser) is the cheapest of all the top-rated, healthy diet systems. It is also the one that takes the most effort.
Some of its benefits are:
- No membership fees, just a book purchase
- No pre-prepared meals, you make everything yourself
- Ability to make cheaper foods
- Ability to eat more of what you want
- Focus isn’t just on weight loss but health benefits as well
The Biggest Loser diet is nutritionally sound, and the food regulations are safe. Weight loss is fast, and if you continue eating correctly and exercising, also long-term. The level of exercise tends to be the largest complaint about this diet, and some may find it hard to follow.
The focus of this diet is on plenty of exercise, portion control, calories that fill you up for longer, and educating yourself about moderation.
Lifestyle Diets
There are diet systems that teach you about portion control, calorie management, and healthy levels of exercise, but there are also diets that require so much change, that a whole new lifestyle has to be adopted.
Becoming a vegetarian is an example of adopting a new lifestyle diet. Anyone that has ever gone to a restaurant with a vegetarian can tell you how hard it can be for them to find a meal they can eat, in an average restaurant, that isn’t a side salad.
These types of diets take a lot of work and mean major changes. Most pre-made meals do not fit the criteria for these diets, so most food has to be made by the dieter, from scratch. There are many limitations that may also take some time to get used to.
4. Raw food diet
The Raw Food diet is an example of a lifestyle changing diet plan. It is said by dieters and experts to be incredibly effective for short-term weight loss, and because it is a whole lifestyle change, if you stick to it, the long-term results will stick.
Key points include:
- Lots of fruits and vegetables
- Nothing is ever cooked, or heated higher than 115 degrees F.
- Food prep is how you gain variety in the diet
- Very natural and organic
- Low calorie, but very filling
Most complaints about the diet come from the amount of time it takes to prepare meals, and the appliances required to do so. Food processors, dehydrators, and juicers are standard diet requirements, and food items can take days to prepare. The startup cost is high, and sourcing organic foods can be difficult.
The Raw Food diet is becoming more accepted as a diet, and there are eateries popping up around the world that cater to it, but they are not high in number. People on this diet will struggle to find foods that they can eat out of the house.
5. Vegan diet
The Vegan diet is normally adopted by people who do not wish to use animal products in any way, with some vegans refusing to wear anything made with animal products as well. Reports show that it is a healthy way to lose weight and keep a low-calorie diet, so more people are now going on the diet to improve their health.
Key points are:
- Never eating any type of animal product (including gelatin)
- Strong leaning towards eco-friendly products
- Short-term results don’t vary much from long-term
- Low-calorie diet, but you should always feel full
The normal complaints about diets don’t really surface with the Vegan diet, as most people are on the diet because they don’t believe in using animal products. Commitment to the diet is normally long term if people can cope with the short term.
The cost of the products can be high, as well as specialty items for cooking, but the high cost of meat is avoided. Eating out can sometimes be difficult, but there are more vegan eateries popping up in large cities.
Many vegans take supplements, and these can be quite expensive. Vegans will not use pills that are made with gelatin, so gelatin-free supplements need to be sourced from health food shops. This diet can become unhealthy if it is not followed properly, and most vegans plan heavily to avoid this.
Exercise
Every diet system or plan needs to also have an exercise plan, whether it’s part of a paid system or part of a lifestyle diet. Eating less calories will cause weight loss, but adding exercise will boost that weight loss.
If a woman wants to be healthy and lose weight fast, she needs to be exercising regularly. This doesn’t have to be a vigorous exercise for hours a day, but half an hour of walking every day can make a big difference.
Some people find that it’s easier to exercise at home, so getting a treadmill or an exercise bike can be a good option. There are people who complain that exercise is boring for them, so sitting on an exercise bike for half an hour while watching TV could be a good compromise.
Everyone needs to start somewhere, and easing yourself into exercise is a healthy way to start.
Making the Change
There are many diet plans for women to lose weight fast, and the list above is only a handful of them. Other diet plans worth looking into that we didn’t even mention are one that is based on green tea, and one that involves eating Yoplait yogurt. Be careful when choosing your new diet, and make sure that you’ve done your research!
If you can’t find a diet that sounds right for you, consider creating your own, based on healthy food choices and calorie counting. It can be harder work, but you may find that you can have variety and flexibility as well. As a little tip to get you started, you should definitely consider making delicious (but healthy) smoothies. Again, make sure to research your food choices to avoid an unbalanced or unhealthy diet.
Regardless of your choice, be prepared to make a firm commitment to your new diet and remember that fast weight loss comes from the combination of diet and exercise!
