Weight Loss Diets: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Plan

Most women have been on a weight loss diet at some point in their lives, and options range from the mainstream to the weird and wacky.

Calorie control diets

Traditionally weight loss diets have concentrated on the principle of calorie burning. A calorie is a unit of energy, and if we take in more energy than we use up, then the excess will be stored as fat.

As well as eating lower calorie foods and/or reducing portion size, increasing the amount of energy that the body consumes is also helpful. This can be done both through exercise and increasing muscle mass, which burns more calories even when at rest.

Insulin controlling diets

In recent years, diets which restrict the types of food eaten rather than just the calories consumed, have become very popular. These are based on regulating the release of insulin in the body, which is believed to play a major role in converting food into fat.

The types of food that causes insulin spikes are categorized as high glycemic foods and comprise mostly of starchy refined carbohydrates and sugary items.

The intake of foods such as white bread, pasta and even too much fruit is therefore restricted, and the emphasis is placed on protein, vegetables and grains instead. These types of food have the added benefit of being broken down more slowly by the body, so you feel fuller for longer.

Other diets

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of other diets available, most based on these principles above.

Versions range from Weightwatchers, which operates a points rather than a calories based system, the Zone diet, which seeks to balance the intake of all 3 food groups, liquid diets, vegan and vegetarian diets, to those that believe weight loss is governed by eating the right food for your blood type.