Diet Plans Explained
There are many different diet plans out there. Some are old. Some
are
new. Some work. Some don't. I've tried many of these diets myself over
the years.
I will outline each diet briefly on this page. For more in depth information on each diet, follow the links provided.
I've experienced weight loss successes and failures over the years. Chances are you have too. Weight loss seems so complicated and difficult. I will explain what finally worked for me at the end of this article.
• Low Calorie Diet
Low calorie diet plans are based on calorie restriction. Calories are found in protein, fat, and carbohydrates. A low calorie diet depends upon counting calories or using a food calorie chart.
The basic principle to the low calorie diet is to eat fewer calories than you burn. This is the most common diet that everyone has tried at some point. It works to a certain extent, but it has shortcomings.
The low calorie diet may well be responsible for more weight loss failures than all other diet plans combined.
Low calorie diets deliver good results for a few weeks. After that, the body slows its metabolism to compensate, and weight loss stops.
• Low Fat Diet
Low fat diet plans primarily restrict saturated fat. The premise is that dietary fat is stored as body fat. This may be the most misunderstood concept in nutrition. Dietary fat is burned for energy throughout the day and night. Excess dietary sugar is stored as body fat.
It is also believed that saturated fat is bad for the heart and blood cholesterol levels. The problem is that this simply isn't true. Low fat diets lead to fat soluble vitamin deficiencies.
The low fat diet is also responsible for many weight loss failures. A friend of mine eats a low fat breakfast and fruit for lunch. He's doing great right? Then he gets off work and eats 3 or 4 candy bars and a couple of cans of soda pop. Is he actually on a low fat diet? No.
The body craves fats because they are vital to sustaining life.
• French Diet
The French diet plan is rich in saturated fat, yet they are thin and healthy. This is known as The French Paradox. It is assumed that the secret is in red wine since we know for a fact that fat is bad. This is one dimensional thinking.
There is another really simple answer to the French Paradox. Fat isn't bad for you. Red wine is probably good too.
• Low Carbohydrate Diets
Low carbohydrate diets are the diet plans of choice for many people looking to lose weight.
Photo by NickNguyen
Low carb diets avoid all simple carbs and restrict complex carbs to low amounts, usually less than 40 grams per day.
In the past, I have had more weight loss success on low carb diets than any other diet plan.
• No Carb Diet
The no carb diet is a meat eater diet. In order to eat no carbs, you cannot eat any vegetables, grains, or fruit as they all contain some carbs. While this might seem crazy, it has some merit as a healthy diet.
This is the primary diet of the Inuits and Eskimos. On their traditional diets, they have no ill health effects. They don't suffer from obesity, cancer, heart disease, or strokes.
In order to provide necessary nutrition, one must eat the fats, organ meats, and brains as well. The organs are typically eaten raw.
• Low Cholesterol Diet
Low cholesterol diet plans primarily restrict cholesterol. They usually restrict saturated fat as well. This diet is usually doctor recommended to reduce blood cholesterol levels.
It is based upon the lipid hypothesis that serum cholesterol levels are directly affected by dietary cholesterol intake.Skyscraper:
This was largely disproved by the originator of the lipid hypothesis. There is no real evidence that a low cholesterol diet lowers blood cholesterol. In fact, it lowers good cholesterol more than bad cholesterol.
Low carbohydrate diets are the most effective way to improve blood cholesterol numbers.
• Vegetarian Diet
There are several of variations of vegetarian diet plans. Vegetarianism is basically defined as not eating meat or animal based products.
A lacto-vegetarian also eats dairy products. Ovo-vegetarians also eat eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarians also eat dairy and eggs. Semi-vegetarians abstain from the flesh of mammals while eating fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Vegans eat absolutely nothing from an animal whatsoever, not even honey.
Some people eat a vegetarian diet for health reasons. Other people are vegetarians because of ethical reasons. Vegetarians need to aware of nutritional deficiencies.
• Raw Food Diet
Raw food diet plans, like the name implies, entails eating uncooked food. Nothing is cooked including meats.
There are variations of the raw food diet. There are raw food vegetarians, raw food Vegans, and raw food carnivores.
Raw food weight loss has some merit because all of the foods consumed are whole foods. Foods that have ever been cooked or heated are not consumed. This means no pasteurized dairy or processed food is consumed.
Eating whole foods keeps you from consuming MSG, aspartame, and sugars. I believe this is the true reason it is effective for weight loss.
• Whole Food Diet / Military Diet
A whole food diet plan is responsible for my weight loss success. I also call it a military diet because that's what I ate in the Navy.
The US military uses a whole food diet to convert civilians into soldiers, airmen, and sailors. Processed food is the main reason for obesity around the world.
It is very hard to get fat on meat, vegetables, fruit, and grains. We drank whole white milk or whole chocolate milk, not soda pop. We had burgers and fries available, but the fries were baked, and the hamburger was just hamburger. It wasn't loaded with soy fillers and MSG.
I combine a whole food diet, organic diet, and a low carbohydrate diet to lose weight. I have lost 80 pounds to date doing this. I plan to eat this way for the rest of my life.
A whole food diet makes you avoid food additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG), soy, and aspartame. On a whole food diet, you can control your fat, cholesterol, and sodium intake.
Organic Diet
Organic diet plans includes eating as many organic foods as possible. Organic fruits and vegetables are becoming more available all of the time.
Organic meats are available too, but even better options are grass fed beef, pastured pork, and free range chicken. These are considered by most as beyond organic.
Beware of processed organic foods. Canned organic foods may still contain unhealthy food additives like MSG. Some are OK. Read the ingredient lists.
Low sodium diet plans are mainly used to lower blood pressure. Sodium is one of the base components of our blood.
When some people eat too much sodium, their blood volume increases. Sodium can also cause constriction of some arteries and blood vessels.
Excess blood and constricted blood vessels increases blood pressure.
Avoid processed food, fast food, and restaurant food. Replace table salt with Celtic Sea Salt. Don't buy any old sea salt. Most of it is refined and devitalized of its minerals. Follow the whole food diet outlined above.
• Glycemic Index Diet
Glycemic index diet plans recommend eating foods low on the glycemic index for weight loss. The glycemic index measures the body's blood sugar response to foods.
Most low carb foods are also low on the glycemic index. There are some foods high in complex carbohydrates that are low on the glycemic index.
By eating foods low on the glycemic index, it is said you will lose weight. I didn't find this to work for me. I find a low carb diet to be more effective.
Carbs are sugar. It doesn't matter whether they are absorbed slow or fast. Losing weight is about burning fat. Eating sugar slows fat burning which slows weight loss.
• Vegan Diet
Vegan diet plans don't include anything from an animal whatsoever. Vegans don't even eat honey. Vegans don't use wool for clothing because it comes from an animal.
Fat soluble vitamin deficiencies are common as well as iodine, iron, and calcium deficiencies.
Veganism is a subcategory of vegetarianism. Less than 1% of Americans claim to be Vegan. Most cite animal rights as the main reason for living a Vegan lifestyle.
In order to avoid nutritional deficiencies, the Vegan diet is very regimented. It seems to me to be very difficult to follow. I also think that nutritional deficiencies are inevitable.
• Alkaline Diet
Alkaline diet plans are designed to raise a person's pH level. A neutral pH level of 7.0 is considered to be ideal for health and wellness. In order for the body to keep its blood Ph neutral, it adjusts the Ph level of other fluids to compensate.
An acidic pH can be detrimental to health. It is believed by many that cancer can only exist in an acidic body chemistry. There are many who claim that an alkaline diet cured their cancer. It is also believed that you cannot lose weight if you are acidic.
An alkaline diet involves eating and drinking things that raise your body pH levels to a neutral or slightly alkaline levels. I have experimented with an alkaline diet but didn't find it relevant for weight loss.
• Heart Healthy Diet
Heart healthy diet plans are usually low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Sadly though, most people who try to eat this way wind up hurting their health instead of helping it.
In the attempt to avoid fat and cholesterol, people consume trans fats like margarine instead of butter. They eat anything that is labeled low cholesterol or no cholesterol like pretzels, microwave popcorn, and non fat dairy products.
This is largely due to food industry and drug industry propaganda. They want to sell us their highly profitable processed foods. They will say anything to make a buck. They are not above fudging scientific study results in their favor.
They easily sway doctors to promote this diet too. Doctors are not nutritionists. There is little to no nutrition education in medical schools. Doctors are controlled by a fear of losing their medical licenses.The drug companies and medical industries are in bed together. They are all about profit, and it's your money they want. They don't make any money from healthy people.
What most doctors tell their patients to do and what they do themselves are two different things. They make money from frequent office visits, tests, medication, and surgery.
The government looks the other way because your health problems stimulate the economy. The food and medical industries spend huge amounts of money lobbying in Washington, so they get what they want.
A heart healthy diet is not a low fat diet. I don't care what doctors and government experts say. A whole food diet is far healthier.
• Asian Diet
Asian diet plans are responsible for saving my life. It was a business trip to Japan and Taiwan that opened my eyes that American food causes obesity and disease.
There are many misconceptions about why Asians are thin and healthy. Many believe that it is just genetics. The problem with this theory is that Asian Americans have the same obesity and health problems as other Americans.
I lived in Taiwan for several months. There are overweight people here. I see them at McDonalds and KFC when I drive by. These restaurants have only been there for a couple of years, and they are already causing obesity problems.
We also perceive that Asians only eat rice and that they eat very small portions. This is simply not true either. These skinny little people can regularly out-eat me. The secret is what they eat, not how much.
We also perceive that they get lots of exercise. I can tell you they don't value exercise like we do. They believe in energy conservation, not exercise.
They drive cars and ride motor scooters everywhere. There is 100 motor scooters for every bicycle. There are Gyms in Taiwan, but they are not as plentiful as they are in other parts of the world.
I once asked a couple of Taiwanese guys at work if they exercise. They both laughed and asked why they should exercise. They are both thin and healthy. While I go walking at lunch time, they take naps.
• Paleo Diet
Paleo diet plans focus on eating the same foods that were consumed by cavemen. It is also known as the paleolithic diet, caveman diet, hunter gatherer diet, and stone age diet. It is based on the presumed diet of the paleolithic period.
Foods included in the Paleo diet include meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and roots (hey that rhymes). All processed foods are avoided (that puts it on the radar as a possible good diet). Grains, legumes, dairy, and salt are also avoided.
• Macrobiotoc Diet
Macrobiotic diet plans are basically the opposite of the Paleo diet. A macrobiotic diet is based around grains. It is supplemented with vegetables and beans.
The American food pyramid is macrobiotic based. Although the American diet is mostly based around processed foods. This is not a weight loss diet because it is a sugar burners diet.
• Very Low Calorie Diet
Very low calorie diet plans are primarily done under doctor supervision. A very low calorie diet can be very dangerous if done incorrectly. They usually consist of liquids or shakes.
This is usually done only for extreme cases of obesity where the person's life is in immediate danger. This is not a diet for healthy weight loss.
•Healthy Diet Plan
What worked for me is a combination of diet plans that I like to call the Healthy Diet Plan. It is basically a combination of the whole food diet, low carbohydrate diet, Asian diet, and organic diet.
Asians eat lots of vegetables, and so do I. Vegetables are full of wonderful nutrients. Vegetables cleanse and detoxify. if they are organic, it's even better. They are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Vegetables are the staple of the Asian diet, not rice. Rice is a side dish.
The military diet is a whole food diet. I lost weight in boot camp. All of the exercise helps, but the diet they feed is no accident. Processed food causes weight gain mainly because of MSG. Avoiding MSG is my main reason for avoiding processed food. I also avoid fast food and most restaurant food to avoid MSG. A whole food diet should be the foundation of all healthy diet plans.
In order to lose weight, I also eat low carbohydrate foods. I avoid potatoes, corn, peas, and other high carb vegetables. I limit fruit to a couple of times per week. Apples and pineapple are my usual choices as they promote weight loss. Bananas promote weight gain, so I only eat an occasional banana. I eat no sugar of any kind. Simple carbs are weight gain food. I eat a little brown rice occasionally to ensure I am getting the nutrients from it. I believe a low carb diet is the key to weight loss.
I eat as much organic and beyond organic foods as possible. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers in non-organic fruits and vegetables add up over the years. Animal hormones given to cows, pigs, and chickens can also cause adverse affects on humans. These hormones are synthetic and don't break down during cooking. I eat grass fed beef, pastured pork, and free range chicken. I noticed significant weight loss from eating beyond organic meat.
I outlined these diet plans as an overview of what is out there. There many more diet plans out there. Some are subsets of the ones I outlined here. There are diet plans out there that recommend a strict eating schedule. Some want you to weigh your food. Most of these seem like gimmicks to me.
The healthy diet plan I just described is how I lost 80 pounds and finally put an end to obesity. I enjoy delicious, hearty, satisfying meals 3 times per day. I usually snack on almonds if I snack because they boost metabolism. I eat an organic apple as a snack sometimes too, but I take it easy on sugar. I try not to eat after 8pm, so I can burn fat while I sleep.
I hope you'll adopt my healthy diet plan. It works!
