The Zone Diet uses the concept of obtaining calories from a ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fats; specifically 40:30:30.  By using this ratio to for your daily meals it promotes balance to your hormones and insulin levels.  A benefit claimed by this diet besides weight loss is that this hormone balance is a natural anti-inflammatory that is good for your heart and health.

Carbohydrates—you should focus on eating fruit and vegetables for your carbohydrate portion of your meal and not the “traditional” meal carbohydrates that we think of such as starches, rice, pastas and grains due to the high fat content.  This should fill up 2/3 of your plate.

Proteins—these should be about the size of a small chicken breast or the palm of your hand (size and width).  This should fill up 1/3 of your plate.

Fats—such as olive oil, slivered almonds, walnuts, peanuts and avocado. This would be an addition or dash to your plate.

The Best Diets That Work Overview

Low to High cost – you can do this diet for a low investment by adjusting your meal planning and grocery shopping; you can research diet details online or buy a book.  Or if you prefer to order some Zone diet foods, snacks and a prepackaged meal plan you can order through the Zone website which would be a Medium to High cost.

Low time – Your time invested is in learning what you should be eating and prep towards all of your meals.

Self discipline – You will need to keep track of what you are eating to ensure that you are following the ratio guidelines.

Weight loss – This diet is suitable to lose a few to a lot of pounds over a period of time.  Also, this diet plan will aid in maintaining weight lost.

Long term – Once you are familiar and develop eating habits for this diet plan it is an easy diet that works.

Other – For some people this diet can be difficult since it requires that you give up carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and potatoes.

After spending time researching your dieting options if you are still unsure of the right diet for you there are online diet program websites that will help to find a diet that is right for you.  eDiets.com is one of the largest online diet programs that exists today.

eDiets.com offers a short personal survey that they will base their diet recommendations on for you personally.  These diet options range from access to dieting tools via their website such as personalized meal plans, support from dieticians, numerous support boards, personal fitness trainers, community support, expert’s advice and meal delivery services.  The eDiets.com site offers support in all areas of your dieting program to aid in your dieting success.

The Best Diets That Work Overview

Medium to High cost – depending on the plan you decide to go with the costs can be medium to high.

Low to Medium time – depending on the plan you decide to go with you might have very low time invested, although it is in your best interest to invest time on the eDiets.com website using the dieting tools you will have access to.  Also, spending time working out per your personalized fitness plan will greatly expedite the success of your diet plan.

Self discipline – if on an ordered meal replacement plan very low self discipline is needed, although you will need to stay away from eating foods and snacks that are not part of the meal plan.  If on a plan where you are responsible to make the meals you will need to stick to the meal plan designed for you.

Weight loss - This diet is suitable to lose a few to a lot of pounds over a period of time.  Also, this diet plan will aid in maintaining weight lost.  There is flexibility to be on the most appropriate diet plan for whatever stage of life you are in.  If you are looking for a ton of help or a way to kick start your weight loss plan you might want to start with the meal replacement program that is sent to your home.  Then transition to the diet plan where you make your own meals to.

Long term – Once you are familiar and develop eating habits according to the diet that is best for you this is an easy diet that works.

Other – This type of diet program offers professional advice and guidance regarding a diet plan that would work best for your needs and lifestyle.  There is support from experts as well as a community of fellow dieters.  Advice from fitness professionals helps to round out this diet plan.

To learn more about how eDiets.com can help you go to their website.

Disclosure: The Best Diets That Work is a publisher of eDiets.com

Body-for-LIFE is a diet plan that combines an eating plan with an exercise regime.  For the eating plan it is recommended that the dieter should consume 6 meals per day, about every 3 hours to help keep metabolism and energy levels up.  Also, a lean protein and carbohydrate should be combined during each of these meals.

Here are some tips that this diet promotes:
1.    Eat 6 meals/day
2.    Combine carbohydrates and protein at every meal
3.    Choose “appropriate” portion sizes
4.    Plan meals ahead of time
5.    Drink 10 glasses of water every day
6.    Use high-quality supplements
7.    Find your “emotional reason” for staying on track
8.    Strive for consistency, not perfection

For the exercise component of the Body-for-LIFE diet plan the focus is on high-intensity training which is believed to burn more fat than low-intensity activity.  This exercise plan includes both cardio and upper/lower body weight training.  Here is a suggested 2 week schedule:

Day 1  Upper Body Weight Training        Day 8    Lower Body Weight Training
Day 2  20 Minute cardio                               Day 9    20 Minute cardio
Day 3  Lower Body Weight Training       Day 10  Upper Body Weight Training
Day 4  20 Minute cardio                               Day 11  20 Minute cardio
Day 5  Upper Body Weight Training       Day 12   Lower Body Weight Training
Day 6  20 Minute cardio                              Day 13  20 Minute cardio
Day 7  Free Day                                               Day 14      Free Day

The Best Diets That Work Overview

Medium to high cost – you can do this diet for a moderate investment depending on what your current grocery shopping expenses are and if you decide to join a gym for the exercise component of this diet plan.  Also, there are books and journals that can be purchased to help with following this diet plan.

Medium to high time – Your time investment is in learning what you should be eating and prep towards all of your meals throughout the day as well as the time dedicated to the workout part of the diet plan.

Self discipline – You will need to keep track of what you are eating and ensuring that you are doing the exercise component of the diet plan.  There is a website that you can sign up with for help regarding the accountability of staying on track with the diet; however most of the accountability is with yourself.

Weight loss – This diet is suitable to lose a few to a lot of pounds over a period of time.  Also, this diet plan will aid in maintaining weight lost.  Those who commit to this diet plan see incredible results that can be maintained as long as they continue with the lifestyle.

Long term – Once you are familiar and develop eating habits for this diet plan as well as an exercise routine that fits your lifestyle this is an easy diet that works.

Other – You have the flexibility to eat whatever you want during your “free” day which helps to forgo the craving for a few days and then rewarding yourself by indulging.  It is not like other diets that will forbid specific foods for the life of the diet.  Also, the diet encourages you to set a number of goals to help motivate yourself during each day.

]]> http://thebestdietsthatwork.com/body-for-life/body-for-life/feed/ 0 http://thebestdietsthatwork.com/health-and-fitness/social-networking-sites/ http://thebestdietsthatwork.com/health-and-fitness/social-networking-sites/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 01:41:39 +0000 admin http://thebestdietsthatwork.com/?p=68

For anyone who is looking to loss weight or improve their fitness levels, there are a number of online social networks that have been created specifically to connect people and help them to meet their goals. Many of the sites share similar features, such as the ability to track your diet and workout, but each social network has its own features and a unique community of users.

Here is an introduction to 15 of the best social networks for health and fitness.

Traineo

With Traineo you can create an account, set a weight loss goal with a specific target date of accomplishment. You’ll then record your activities/exercise each day as well as the food you eat and their calorie counts. You can connect with other users to help motivate each other and simply recording your info each day will help you to achieve your goals. They also have trained professionals who are available to help you.

DailyBurn

DailyBurn is a community with over 125,000 members who are looking to either lose weight or build muscle, or both. You can easily track what you eat, record your workouts, and interact with a large community of users.

SparkPeople

SparkPeople is a large and active community. The site includes over 100,000 articles, recipes, and tips. With SparkPeople you can set up your own profile and blog, use the message boards, watch videos, and more. The site is part of a larger network of sites, including Spark Recipes, Daily Spark, Spark America, and a few others.

Health Ranker

Health Ranker is a social health news site where users can submit links to articles and information on other websites, and other users vote to determine which content gets promoted to the front page and receives the most exposure. Health Ranker includes news in various categories, including health news, fitness, food and nutrition, diet and weight loss, health care and more.

Daily Strength

Daily Strength includes support groups and forums for its users. It is a large network of more than 500 support groups where members share advice, treatment experiences, and support. The available support groups are categorized so you can find just what you are looking for.

BodySpace

BodySpace is a social network that is part of BodyBuilding.com. At BodySpace you can create a profile and a BodyBlog, share photos, diet and workout information, and connect with other users. The community at BodySpace is geared towards body building more so than weight loss or general health and fitness.

My Fit Tribe

My Fit Tribe allows you to create an account, set your goals, and track your activities and progress towards the goals. The site includes lots of articles, videos, workouts and more. You can also upload pictures, join groups and participate in the forums.

MyPypeline

MyPypeline includes over 500 high quality exercise videos that users can view and download. The videos can be downloaded to an iPod for portability or burned on a DVD. There are a variety of different programs to meet the needs of a variety of users. Programs are designed for either 4 weeks, 6 weeks,, or 12 weeks in length.

WellSphere

At WellSphere you can search for articles and information on health-related topics, or you can connect with the community of users. There are tons of communities for all different purposes, including healthy eating, rock climbing, strength training, vitamins and supplements, yoga, children’s health, and much more.

FitLink

Create an account at FitLink and you can Keep a workout journal, map running / cycling routes, plan activities, research exercises, calculate your body mass index, read fitness articles, discuss new ideas and much more. You can also network with other users like yourself to find activity partners and training groups.

ShapeFit

With ShapeFit you can track your diet and your exercises and meet new friends. The site includes exercise guides, workouts, exercise videos, success stories, forums, games, questions and answers, and more.

FitClick

FitClick’s Social Fitness tool helps you to design a diet plan and workout, and you can also track your progress. The site includes groups and message boards to provide users with an opportunity to connect and network with other users.

ExtraPounds

At ExtraPounds you can join the community and start your own diet weight loss blog to document your progress and interact with other users. The site also includes weight loss support groups, weight loss tools, and a food diary that you can use to track what you eat.

Walker Tracker

Walker Tracker exists to help its users to log and track their steps. The site encourages the use of pedometers and walking for losing weight and improving fitness levels. If walking is a frequent activity of yours, you can connect with others like yourself and hopefully get even more motivation from the community.

FitFiend

FitFiend is a social network for health, fitness, and athletics. As a user you can connect to fitness professionals, as well as other users like yourself. Users can track their workouts, find activity partners, and discuss fitness-related topics with other users.

Calorie Counting is a diet plan that has been around for a long time and has been used by many dieters.  The concept is easy, consume fewer calories than your body uses and you will lose weight.  Although in practice you need some self discipline and determination to make the right food choices to help you succeed.

To lose a pound you must create a shortage of 3,500 calories for your calorie needs.  You can do this through exercise, a reduced calorie diet or a combination of both.  If you reduce your daily calorie consumption by 500 calories or exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you should lose 1 lb. a week.  You can also reduce calorie consumption by 250 and exercise to burn another 250 to achieve the same results.

First thing you need to determine is per your weight, height, age and sex how many calories your body needs a day to function.  This is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).  You can find a number of BMR calculators online by doing a simple Google search.  Use a few of the calculators to help you determine your BMR calorie range as results vary from one BMR calculator to another.

BMR calculator links
www.caloriesperhour.com
www.fitwatch.com
www.bmi-calculator.net
www.health.discovery.com
www.internetfitness.com

Once you have determined how many calories you want to consume daily you need to track what you are actually eating.  Many people will keep a calorie counting journal to write down everything they eat and the calories for each item or meal.  To do this read the packages of the food you are eating and focus on the portions associated with the calories listed per serving.  Another tool is searching online for the calories in foods.  There are a number of calorie counting websites, however just typing “how many calories in ___________” into Google’s search engine will bring up a number of results.

Calorie Counting Websites
www.calorieking.com
www.caloriecount.about.com
www.nutritiondata.com
www.fitday.com
www.thecaloriecounter.com

The Best Diets That Work Overview

Low cost – you can do this diet for free, possible cost is investing in cookbooks with low calorie recipes.

Medium time – Your investment is in research regarding the calories your body needs, calories in the food you are eating as well as journaling everything you eat during the day.

Self discipline – You will need to keep track of the calories you are consuming daily and focus on staying within the calorie range needed for your body without formal accountability.

Weight loss – This diet is suitable to lose a few to a lot of pounds over a period of time.  Also, this diet plan will aid in maintaining weight lost.

Long term – Once you are familiar and develop eating habits for the calories you actually need this is an easy diet that works.

Other – You have the flexibility to eat whatever you want whenever you want.  However, you must stay in your calorie range to ensure weight loss.  Doing a combination of a calorie reducing diet and regular exercise is the best way for a health diet plan.

Weight Watchers is a weigh loss plan that has been around for 40+ years that helps dieters balance healthy eating with a healthy lifestyle.  This diet program includes group sessions, consultants and has online support.  This diet uses a point system to help you decide what to eat; the key is you must stay within the points allowed for the day and week.

Weight Watchers encourages exercise to increase weight loss in a shorter amount of time and to assist the dieter to have a healthier lifestyle.  Although many members still lose weight by adjusting eating habits without exercising.  The Weight Watchers four basic principles are: eating smarter, moving more, getting support and developing better habits.

Here are few foods with the corresponding Weight Watcher points:

Almonds (23 nuts)—4 pts
Apple (small)-1 pts
Bagel (small)—3 ptsBrownie (2″ square)-5 pts
Filet Mignon (4 oz)—-6 pts
Hot Dog on bun (1)-8 pts
Icecream regular (1 scoop)-4 pts
Milk Whole (½ cup)-4 pts
Pizza medium crust (1)—5 pts
Potato chips (1 oz)-4 pts
Chicken Noodle soup  (1 cup)—3 pts
Baby carrots (10)—0 pts
Orange (small)—0 pts

Here is Weight Watcher’s daily advice for their dieters.

Take a multivitamin
6 glasses of drinks
Reduce consumption of alcohol and sugar
Lean protein (1-2 times)
Healthy oils (2 tsp)
Fruit and Vegatables (5 servings)
Milk or Dairy products (2 servings)
Use Whole Grains instead of refined flour/grain products
Exercise 30 minutes (as many days during the week that you can)

The Best Diets That Work Overview

Medium cost – Weight Watchers on-line is $29.95 sign-up fee and then $16.95/month.  Weight Watchers Meetings costs vary by location, generally around $25 for first time registration and $15 meeting fee each week.  There are some Plans that you can choose from such as a 10 week commitment plan for $130 and a Monthly Pass that give access to online as well as unlimited meetings for $39.95.  However, once you master your weight loss techniques and reach your weight loss goal you will no longer be incurring the fees.

High time – Your investment is in learning the Weight Watcher point system, weekly meetings and recording of points during the day (usually by journaling).

Self discipline – You need to be able to keep track of the points for the foods consumed as well as follow the guidelines presented in this diet.  However, by attending the Weight Watchers meetings you will have a ton of accountability built into your diet as well as support.  The combination of both accountability and a support network are powerful motivators for many dieters and is why Weight Watchers has been successful.

Weight loss – This diet is suitable to lose a few to a lot of pounds over a period of time; also will aid in keeping off what you lost.

Long term – Once you are familiar with the point system and have adjusted your eating habits to focus on these types of food this is categorized as easy diets that work.

Other – Many foods list their Weight Watchers points on the package which will help with food decisions in this diet plan.