Weight loss fad diets are everywhere! They’re in our magazines, on the television, on in internet and sometimes even on your radio.

A typical weight loss fad diet is often promoted by any or all of the above and others even add to the programs with their own self-made supplements and food ala’ Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss and more.

What you need to watch out for is that some of these weight loss fad diets don’t have even the faintest medical or scientific backing.

Read on for some tips on weight loss fad diets.

Unhealthy?

Many experts that have tested and reviewed weight loss fad diet varieties often report that these diets can be unhealthy. Since they are termed -fad-, chances are, they are only good for a certain period of time and the limitations can lead people to binge eat when they’ve had enough.

Also if a person jumps from one weight loss fad diet to another it can be unhealthy the body as you may face nutrition deficiencies and general stress from the yo-yo dieting.

The Categories

There are 3 categories where a weight loss fad diet can be identified. These categories determine what kind of dieting is being promoted:

1. Certain foods are omitted from your diet
2. There is an emphasis on eating one very specific area of food
3. The benefits of certain foods and food groups are purported and exaggerated for curing particular diseases

Extreme diets

A weight loss fad diet can be dangerous to your health and overall can prove to be a highly ineffective means of losing weight especially long term.

Fad diets can leave you feeling lethargic, with vitamin/mineral deficiencies and going mad with cravings!

Claims

A huge number of weight loss fad diets cannot be supported by scientific studies or research. In other words, these diets claim to have fantastic results and scientific proof but they never follow the standard methods for proving their effectiveness and validity.

Some people from scientific and medical communities often remark that fad diets are a result of the lack of knowledge on dietary and nutritional facts paired with the desperation of wanting to lose weight.

According to them, there is a lack of evidence on weight loss due to calorie restriction. Furthermore, there is a lack of evidence supporting the claims that fad diets can help achieve and maintain sustainable weight loss. Also, they point out that these diets ignore the necessary associations between human health and dietary and nutritional patterns.

Examples of fad diets

There are thousands around but here’s a list of some of the most notorious:

* The Cabbage Soup Diet
* The Hollywood Diet
* Atkins Diet
* LA Weight Loss
* Cybergenics
* Master Cleanse

And the list goes on . . .

For a ANTI fad diet check out Red Carpet Ready by celebrity trainer Valerie Waters. Click the link for more info!

The fundamental rule when it comes to weight loss is to use more calories than you consume each day.

If you’re going to eat 4000 calories a day and burn just 1000 you’re going to gain weight – there is not two ways about it.

The amount of calories you should eat vary depending on your lifestyle. The more active you are the more calories are needed to fuel your body.

It can seem confusing working out a healthy calorie diet but I’ve put together some tips to make it easier.

What Makes Up A Healthy Calorie Diet

Everybody is different and the calories you need can vary from 1500 up to mid 2000′s for weight loss diets.

Generally women are allocated a lower calorie range than men. For example for women it is relatively easy to feel completely satisfied from a 1500 calorie diet whereas men might struggle with that.

Basically sticking to a healthy calorie diet is about making smart choices. Instead of eating foods that don’t fill you up but add tonnes of calories swap the high fibre/low cal option and reap the benefits.

For example a dinner of grilled Chicken Breast (marinated with Soya Sauce and Sweet Chili Sauce) served with 1.5 cups of Steamed Vegetables equals approximately 270 calories versus a McDonald’s dinner with a Big Mac and Medium Fries that has over 800 calories!

A healthy calorie diet is all about making the right food choices so that your calorie intake stays within a healthy range.

Here a some tips to make a healthy calorie diet work for you:

* Swap high calorie soft drinks for water or organic fruit juice

* Instead of crunching potato chips grab some almonds

* Swap your Choc Chip frappuchino for a Light Coffee frappuchino and save about 400 calories!

* Don’t grab anything that says 99% fat free without checking out the sugar content first.

* Eat every 3 hours to avoid pesky sugar cravings

* Pack fruit or fresh veges as snacks instead of processed snacks and lollies

* Start using virgin olive oil

* Switch to 100% wholegrain pasta and bread

* Try not to eat super starchy foods like pasta and potatoes past 4pm

* Get rid of highly processed cereals and opt for oatmeal or untoasted muesli

* Try low calorie soups like miso soup before meals to make you less inclined to overeat.

* Add fresh herbs and spices to your food instead of salt

* Up your water intake it’ll help you feel less hungry and flush out toxins

* Chuck out processed foods and start eating more natural produce

What you really need is a program that can help you reduce calories fast and get serious results. Follow the link to read about the Fat Loss 4 Idiots program that promises a 9 pound weight loss in just 11 days.

I bought Bob Greene’s book "The Best Life Diet" at late night shopping tonight.

I’m only a chapter in and already I can see its going to be a good one!

I decided to sneak a few interesting facts to you tonight and I’ll do a full review when I’m finished.

Check it out

Always wondered what factors most influence your body weight? Here’s what Bob Greene had to say:

1. Genetics – biology does affect your weight to some extent but lifestyle is also a huge factor so don’t start making excuses!

2. Food – what you eat and how many calories you eat, That may seem obvious but so many people still get it wrong.

3. Medications – heaps of medications can affect your weight because of their impact on your metabolism and appetite.

4. Smoking – obviously quitting smoking is the most important health choice you will ever make. Do it!

5. Basal Metabolic Rate – the involuntary rate at which your body burns calories.

6. Basic activity – how much you move during the day doing basic activities like picking up the phone etc.

7. Extra activity – how much exercise you do i.e if you make an effort to workout.

The 7 main factors were taken from Page 20 of Bob Greene’s book "The Best Life Diet".

I’ll keep you posted as I work my way through it – its looking good so far!

If you just CAN’T wait then click the link below to grab a copy now:

You’ve probably heard of the South Beach Diet before as it has quite a following in the US.

Developed by cardiologist Dr. Agatston of the University of Miami this diet was released in the mid 1990′s and has steadily grown in popularity since.

While the South Beach Diet IS one of the more healthy programs available the strict initial phases are hard to stick to and may leave you caving and binge eating more than you would if you followed a more balanced diet.

Read on to find out more about the South Beach Diet

The South Beach diet is broken into 3 phases. . .

Phase 1

This is the strictest phase and last for two weeks.

It has been designed to help you eliminate cravings for sugar basically by putting you in a detox/rehab like situation – NO SUGAR ALLOWED!

This phase will jump start your weight loss as you cut out naughty foods and stick to lean protein, high fiber veggies, low fat dairy products and healthy fats.

During this phase your shopping list should look like this:

Fish
Skinless Chicken
Lean Beef
Tofu
Beans
Low Fat Cheese
Nuts
Seeds
Asparagus
Green beans
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Spinach

Phase 2

In Phase 2 you can eat all of the foods from Phase 1 but you’re allowed to bring in some good carbs like whole-grain bread, brown rice, fruit, sweet potato, pumpkin and peas.

This is known as the long term phase i.e. the eating plan you should incorporate into your life and follow for good!

If you have only 10 pounds or less to use the experts at South Beach diet suggest you start on this phase.

Phase 3

Phase 3 is the maintenance phase you should follow once you reach your goal weight.

This phase is basically about linking what you learnt in the previous 2 phases and following it for life.

If you start to gain weight again revert back to phase 1 or 2 and start again.

South Beach Diet Recipes and Pre Packaged Food

The South Beach diet company offers heaps of great recipes when you sign up with their program.

This can help newbies who aren’t quite up with portion control and calories.

You can also buy pre packaged meals and snacks through the company and have them delivered.

The Celebrity Converts

Kim Cattrall (Sex and The City)
Bette Midler (Singer, Actress)
Bill Clinton (Ex US President)
Hillary Clinton (Politician)
Troy Aikman (US Quarterback)

The Advantages

There are definitely advantages to the South Beach diet in terms of producing weight loss results.

The components of lean protein, veges, fruit, healthy fats and low fat dairy are the combination we recommend.

Stock up on green veges, lean protein and slot in the occasional dairy product and healthy fat and you are basically guaranteed weight loss and a healthier body.

The Disadvantages

I think the strict phase 1 is probably a bit of a downfall. Most dieters (especially if they are accustomed to poor eating habits) will find this too hard to stick to for a whole 2 weeks.

You would still see results if you included some fruit and some wholewheat products and it would be a whole lot easier to stay committed.

The Verdict

The principles behind the South Beach diet are good and accurate for weight loss results.

If you think you can brave through the initial 2 weeks then go for it.

You will definitely learn about healthy, balanced eating and lose weight while you’re at it.

To grab a copy of the South Beach diet for yourself click the link below: