Nigel Spence
The Slim Fast Diet is as the name expresses, a diet to lose weight quickly.
It's not an adjustment that can be made permanently, but it does promise - and can deliver - quick results.
The Slim Fast diet involves replacing some of what you eat with a nutritional shake provided by the company.
Your meals become smaller, and some are replaced entirely by a nutritionally balanced shake.
Your regular lunch is replaced with a small amount of carbohydrate, a small amount of protein, and a shake, while supper is replaced by a combination of a protein dish, a salad and a shake.
While most people adapt to it quite easily, some people with healthy appetites might find it challenging at first.
There are, unfortunately, a few limitations.
First of all, you should be eighteen years or older or the diet could cause complications while your body is still in its final stages of development.
Additionally, it cannot be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people with any medical problems.
As such, you will have to consult with your doctor before embarking on the Slim Fast diet - which is a good thing to do when you want to follow any serious weight loss plan.
Lastly, the makers only advise it for use by people who intend to lose a maximum of around thirty pounds.
As such, it's not recommended for a large portion of the population who have far more than 30 lbs to lose.
If you need to lose more than thirty pounds, you should explore other options instead.
Other complications include the price - which can be somewhat steep.
Furthermore, availability seems to be erratic in some areas.
Unfortunately, as with all "fast track weight loss" concepts, the diet itself is based on a temporary shift in bodily processes.
Once your system returns to normal, so does your weight - and you are right back to where you started.
If your eating pattern is not sustainable, it's unlikely that the results will be sustainable either.
The South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet is the brainchild of Dr. Arthur Agatston, MD, a cardiologist.
In essence it’s a low carb diet, although it’s more moderate in its approach than our previous two diets.
There are, however, still a few basic issues constantly under debate.
Dr. Agatston reasons that most people who are overweight don’t only eat the wrong foods, but they also eat portions that are out of proportuion to their bodies' needs.
As such, the South Beach Diet teaches you not only to eat the right foods, but also to eat in moderation.
During the initial phase lasting around two weeks, there is a marked shift towards consuming fewer carbohydrates and more protein.
You are taught how to control your cravings, and how to eat smaller portions. The carbohydrate portion of your diet is also drastically limited.
Once your body has adapted to the changes and your digestive system and metabolism perform as they should, a number of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grain products, are introduced as well.
This then allows you to consume a more balanced diet.
During this phase your body's functioning is restored to what it should be.
The last phase involves permanently adapting to your new way of eating, and sticking to it for the rest of your life.
Once you have adapted to the new eating habits and are motivated by what you have achieved, holding to this new “normal†should theoretically be easy.
In reality, though, there are a few problems you may have with the South Beach Diet program.
First of all, the eating plan is very strict.
As such, you will probably be cutting out a number of foods that you really love, and some of these might have to disappear from your life altogether.
For that reason alone, many people find it difficult to stay on this diet without cheating from time to time.
Additionally, the diet itself is somewhat complex, with a bit of a learning curve involved.
Most people - in our modern day and age - lead busy lives, and don’t have the time or patience to decipher what they should or should not do when it comes to eating.
As a result the details tend to get lost in the rush, and the diet is often - due to a lack of knowledge - discarded as not being efficient, or not producing the desired results.
Additionally, there is also still much debate going on around the issue of creating a condition of ketosis (which occurs when you suddenly remove all sugar from your diet), and the medical dangers associated with it - especially for those who are not perfectly healthy to begin with.
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