Weight Loss Programs That Do Work

With plenty of popular fat loss programs to choose from, if you are looking to shed some excess fat around your belly or just need to get into a smaller dress size, there is a fat loss program or diet that can give you the results you are looking for. Most fat loss programs if adhered to faithfully will be effective, at least for the short term.

Two of the more famous fat loss programs followed by a large number of people around the world are the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet. These two diets are fairly similar in that they both limit starchy or sugary foods. Most fruits and grains and alcohol are not permitted during the first phase of the diet. This is to train your body to stop craving high sugar carbs.

The South Beach fat loss program requires a two week induction stage where you learn to eliminate unhealthy foods and stick with healthier choices. Some people feel this diet’s weakness is that most of the early weight loss is due to water weight and therefore not a true fat loss. However, hunger pangs are fewer than with many other diets, as regular snacking is encouraged during this stage and permits many people to achieve greater weight loss than might otherwise be possible.

People who utilize the Atkins diet to shed unwanted weight do so by severely limiting almost all forms of carbohydrates, including many fruits and vegetables. Meats and fats are allowed in almost unlimited quantities, but things like bread and ketchup are forbidden, whereas mayonnaise and butter are allowed. While this certainly sounds unhealthy, there are those who swear by this to drop unwanted weight and have been successful in trimming their waistlines. The goal is to make the body burn its own fat, rather than to utilize carbs to generate energy for the body.

For followers of the Atkins diet, the carbohydrate restriction is for a lifetime. While the state of perpetual ketosis or internal fat-burning may be desirable at the beginning stages, it’s quite difficult to maintain this for the long haul. At least with the South Beach diet, once you’ve cleared the maintenance stage, you can re-introduce certain low-sugar carbohydrates back into your diet as long as you continue to stick with healthy food selections. One good thing is that under either diet, no calorie counting is necessary.

Certain popular fat loss programs advocate fasting and internal cleansing to achieve weight loss. These generally allow only liquids for an extended period and the slow reintroduction of solid foods. The lemon juice cleansing diet is one such fat loss programs which claims to give good results. Here the person is required to refrain from all solid foods and drink a concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper throughout the day for several days, generally up to ten days.

While these popular fat loss programs may seem to offer quick results, there are concerns that they are not healthy for the long term. If you are looking to lose a lot of weight, you should consult with your doctor or nutritionist. Keep in mind that a balanced diet with all food groups in moderation along with daily exercise is probably the best course of action for a healthy life.