Effective Diet Plans

Finding the right dieting plan can be particularly difficult for women. Though there are a variety of plans to choose from, not every plan works for every woman. There are many variables to consider when choosing a diet that will work for you, including lifestyle, willpower and your personal desire to succeed.

 

The Low-Carb Diet

• The low-carb diet was made famous by Dr. Atkins who seemed to have revolutionized the diet world for a period of time. This diet is terrific for women with busy lives who don't always have the time to prepare complicated meals. Though a sensational diet tool, it must be strictly followed to see results.

  The basic rule of the diet is you can eat as much meat as you like all day long in any portion size, however lunch should be your largest meal of the day. Breakfast may consist of low-fat plain yogurt with a boiled egg, while lunch can be a large steak, piece of chicken, fish or veal. Your meat choice can be accompanied by a salad comprised of fresh vegetables. You are not allowed dressing though, only oil, vinegar and salt. You also need to omit any bread you may normally enjoy at this time.

  Dinner basically resembles your lunch, but the portions should be a bit on the smaller side. If you feel a late-night craving kick in, it's OK to feed it with something such as tomato and cottage cheese; this should be eaten no later than 10 p.m.

  Other foods you may enjoy on this diet include two tablespoons of oatmeal each day, olives, an ounce of raw nuts and one piece of fruit a day, which may help with any sweet tooth cravings you experience. Foods which are absolutely out of the question include refined sugars, resulting in the elimination of all sweets, rice and potatoes.

  The week prior to your menstrual cycle may be the hardest, as this is when a craving for something sweet typically occurs. To combat this, eat an ounce of raisins or a teaspoon of honey; these will fulfill your craving and provide you with instant, harmless gratification.

• High-Protein Diet

  • The primary goal of this diet is to limit the amount of food you eat which can transform into fat while feeding your body with the protein it needs to feed your muscle--the more muscle you have the more fat you will burn. The drawback of this diet is that there is no great variety of food, and it limits your intake of carbs and fats as well.

    The amount of protein each woman needs will vary according to her current weight. To determine your personal protein needs, multiply your body weight by 1.2 (the number of protein grams needed per pound of weight). The number you get is the number of grams of protein you should eat each day.

    Along with the protein, you are allowed salads and fresh vegetables such as cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene which actually increase the benefits of the protein you are eating.

    All sweets should be avoided, including fruits, as well as any food containing dough such as bread, pizza and pastries. Your meat and fish should be either cooked on a grill, boiled or baked, and your salads should only be topped with oil and vinegar.

    Though there doesn't appear to be much difference between this and the low-carb diet, there are a few differences.

    First, you need to eat seven to eight times a day on this diet; this feeds the muscles, hence adding to the amount of protein they contain. The amount of food you are also able to eat is limited more on the protein diet versus the low-carb diet.

    For optimal results, you should combine exercise along with your diet; this will help build your muscle to help give you a lean look without bulking up, a fear many women have.

  • Three-day Diet

    • This diet is effective and powerful, giving those who use it the opportunity to lose up to 10 pounds in three days. There is more than one way to follow this diet, although the following version gives you the same results with a few more food choices.

      The basic principle of the three-day diet is to follow a lower-than-normal calorie diet over a three-day period, resulting in rapid weight loss. This is best suited for women who need to fit into a dress for an upcoming event such as a wedding reception or dinner party. Once the three days are completed, you may notice a loss of energy due to the dramatic cut in calories; it is for this reason that the diet should not be followed for more than three days at a time.

      It works by boosting your metabolism and burning fat at a higher-than-normal rate because of the dramatic calorie cut. A typical day on the diet would be as follows: For breakfast you could eat half a banana with a slice of toast, no topping, accompanied by a cup of coffee, no sugar. Lunch would consist of cottage cheese or tuna on saltine crackers, while dinner might be a form of meat such as two all-beef franks, two vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, the other half of your banana and a half a cup of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

      This diet plan requires strong willpower and must be strictly followed to see results. For long-term weight loss, you need to incorporate healthy eating habits or you will notice your weight loss return. In addition, you must drink at least eight glasses of water a day; this will help both with your weight loss and keep you full between meals.