Salvatore’s publication doesn’t really shed any new light on low carb dieting (he’s basically following the Atkin’s diet), but instead documents one person’s day-to-day experience with a low carb diet, and provides handy tips for living the low carb lifestyle (in this way, Salvatore’s publication adds a nice dose of practicality missing in typical low carb diet publications).

In fact, “The One Low Carb Diet That Always Works”, isn’t really the ideal publication for those of you who aren’t yet familiar with the basics of low-carb dieting.

In fact, so little information is provided about the actual mechanics of low-carb dieting, and why it is a viable weight loss strategy that the novice low-carb dieter may have difficulty understanding exactly what it is he/she should or should not do. Of course, you will pick up the basics over the course of the publication, but it would be nice to see the “low carb fundamentals” outlined concisely in a single chapter early on.

That notwithstanding, “The One Low Carb Diet That Always Works” does offer one main benefit over a longer, more complex and in-depth publications like the Atkins diet …

It’s brief, simple, and unpretentious, and you can get through the bulk of the publication in an hour!

There’s plenty of good info here too, some of it not found in the Atkins diet, like…

• How to count carbs (includes a nice discussion on glycerine) on non-digestible alcohol sugars (like malitol, xylitol, sorbitol, and so on)
• The best online resources for low carb diet items — like low carb pancakes, pizzas, muffins, breads, and all the goodies that make living the low carb lifestyle that much easier
• A thorough discussion on the health benefits of nuts and monounsaturated fats
• A holiday survival guide for the low carb dieter
• A nice discussion on the benefits of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)
• A list of the top 10 low carb “do’s”
• A 2-week induction plan and plenty of low carb recipes

Aesthetically, “The One Low Carb Diet That Always Works” is an attractively-formatted 83 page PDF ebook that’s a breeze to get through quickly. It also comes with several bonus files, and there’s a low carb forum, too.

Although you’d get much more from reading the Atkins diet from cover to cover (all 300+ pages) those of you who are time-pressed or already familiar with the mechanics of low-carb dieting may well appreciate this stripped down and personal approach to low carb dieting.

You can check out The One Low Carb Diet That Always Works here!

The South Beach diet is simply a slightly modified, somewhat more “friendy” version of the popular Atkins diet. And although author Dr. Arthur Agatston’s first words is that the South Beach diet “is not low carb”, there is little doubt that it is.

If you’re not familiar with how and why low carb diets work (i.e., by re-establishing the body’s sensitivity to insulin by the elimination of high glycemic carbohydrates), please read this article. You’ll find it helpful for getting the most out of any of our low carb diet reviews.

The main difference between the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet is that the South Beach diet restricts the saturated fats that the Atkins diet recommends. On the Atkins diet, for instance, you’ll cook your morning eggs in butter. On the South Beach diet, you’ll use a cooking spray, or a little olive oil. The South Beach restricts saturated fats, and instead, focuses on heart healthy fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as well as fish fats.

While this makes the South Beach Diet easier for the general public and medical professionals to swallow, it’s also a very valid point; there is much merit in supplementing with fish fat and monounsaturated fats (like peanut and olive oils), and fresh, unrefined omega 3-6-9 fatty acids. The health benefits of these oils are as extensive as they are documented.

The South Beach diet also places greater emphasis (in the earliest stages at least), on the consumption of fibrous fruit and vegetables.

The other major difference between these two diets is the relatively low caloric intake of the South Beach diet. While the Atkins diet does not even suggest moderation (thank heavens!), the South Beach diet’s daily meal plans clock in around the 1200-1500 calorie mark. Sure, Dr. Agatston says you should never be hungry on the South Beach diet. Yeah, right! If you follow the meal plans to the letter, I can guarantee you will definitely be hungry.

Like most low carb diets, the South Beach diet consists of several Phases…

1) Phase I: All moderate-to-high glycemic carbohydrates are completely eliminated from the diet. That means breads, buns, sweets, refined grains, most fruits, and so on. This period is intended to last 2 weeks.

2) Phase II: Moderate to high glycemic foods are very slowly introduced back into the diet. You may wish to add one slice of bread and one piece of fruit per day to start. Phase II of the diet may last for a year or more, depending on the amount of weight you need to lose.

3) Phase III: The most liberal part of the diet, where even more carbs are allowed. Although Dr. Agatston says “anything goes” in Phase III, the meal plans reveal that certainly isn’t the case. While more carbs are allowed into the diet, this is not intended to be a return to the eating habits that got you in this mess in the first place.

If you’re familiar with low carb dieting, you’ll recognize this is all pretty standard. Nothing out of the ordinary here, despite the fact the marketing gurus are spinning this as the diet you can stay on for life. If that weren’t enough, there are some pretty ridiculous things said in the South Beach diet… 

“Lose belly fat first”: There’s no clinical validation of this statement, and not surprisingly; spot reduction is not possible-you cannot control the areas from which fat is burned on your body by eating a certain way, or exercising in a certain manner. This is a common and completely unfounded myth.  

“Lose 8-13 pounds in the first two weeks”: Yeah, you can lose that much, but it will be largely comprised of lost water weight, caused by the diuretic effect of carbohydrates. You will not be dramatically “less fat” than you were two weeks earlier.

“You won’t be hungry”:  If you are hungry and need a snack, just count out 15 cashews, says Dr. Arthur Agatston. 

Hello?

If you follow the meal plans outlined in the South Beach, you won’t be hungry – you’ll be ravenous. They average out at about 1200 – 1500 calories per day. That’s pretty low, low enough to threaten the lean muscle mass that is critical to an elevated metabolism. If you’re going to experiment with this diet, forget the scale, and start tracking your bodyfat percentage and lean muscle mass.

Despite this bit of silliness, the South Beach diet is a pretty decent read. Dr. Agatston talks respectfully of Dr. Atkins, as well as Dr. Ornish and Nathan Pritikin (both low fat, high carb advocators), and outlines the various flaws in each gurus respective diet. He outlines the work of Dr. Ansel Keys, and the work that led to the establishing of the flawed carbohydrate-heavy food pyramid. There’s a great quote here as well…

“I was taught in medical school that the only bad effects of sugars was tooth decay”.

Bottom line?

Other than the extremely low calorie, “one-size-fits-all” meal plans, and little less protein consumption than I’d like to see, the underlying theory of the South Beach is sound. For the most part, it’s a common sense, smart eating plan. While I would suggest a couple of modifications to this diet to protect against the loss of critical lean tissue, the South Beach diet is a good step down the road towards the establishing of smart and sensible eating habits.

So what’s the deal with the glycemic index? Ah, good question…

Foods with high GI ratings break down and release their stored energy quickly. This causes a surge of insulin (insulin is the hormone in charge of shuttling gluose to the muscle cells). If you’re not involved in a vigorous activity, it’s likely that released energy will be stored as fat (if you’ve lived a lifetime of consuming high glycemic foods, you may be on the cusp of Adult Type II diabetes, and experiencing symptoms like mood swings, intense cravings for sweets, and wildly vacillating energy levels).

In contrast, foods with low G.I. scores break down and release their energy more slowly, leaving you feeling full for a longer period of time. These foods do not result in the dramatic releases of insulin and wildly vacillating energy levels discussed earlier. Low GI foods form the core of the diet.

Examples of high G.I. foods include those made from white flour, where essential nutrients have been eliminated. Low G.I. foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, lean meat and fish and low-fat dairy products -foods that are filled with nutrients and good for your health.

Backers of the G.I. regimen say 95 percent of diets fail because the dieters feel hungry or deprived. These diets can also be too complicated, requiring people to count calories, grams, blocks, or points in order to lose weight. The diets can also leave people listless and unhealthy, prompting them to eat more.

The G.I. diet operates according to a traffic light system. Red light foods are those you want to avoid in order to lose weight; yellow light foods are those you can eat occasionally; and green light foods are the foods that are preferred for your diet.

The advantages of the G.I. diet are many. First of all, it will not leave you feeling hungry or deprived. You can eat your fill of foods – provided they’re in the right category. High-nutrient foods are plentiful on the diet, meaning that the diet can be good for your heart as well as for your waistline. The diet’s promoters say it can reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colon and prostate cancer.

The diet is also simple – if you can follow a traffic light, the saying goes, you can follow the G.I. diet. Its supporters say it’s also the type of diet you can easily maintain for a lifetime.

Some people might think the G.I. diet is similar to the Atkins diet-but the differences are significant. The Atkins diet emphases high protein and animal fat and low carbohydrates. The theory behind the Atkins diet is that if the body is deprived of carbohydrates it will be forced to break down fat as an energy source instead.

In contrast, the G.I. diet encourages carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and low fat dairy, while eliminating saturated fat.

However, the G.I. diet does have its limitations. People who have lived their lives eating foods labeled as “red light” by the G.I. system may have difficulty adjusting.

All in all, the G.I. diet is a pretty sound program, and worthwhile experimenting with.

The Protein Power diet differs only slightly from the Atkins diet, and is really more like a cross between a ketogenic diet (like the Atkins diet), and Barry Sears’ Enter The Zone. 

The key to this diet is the drastic carbohydrate reduction required for the initial phases of the diet. Phase 1 is to be implemented by those individuals who are 20% and over their ideal body weight. These folks need to reduce their carbohydrate intake to a maximum of 30 grams per day.

Phase 2 is for those individuals who are less than 20% over their ideal body weight. They need to reduce their carbohydrate intake slightly less drastically - to 55 grams per day!

I like the 2 phase approach. Low carb dieting is difficult to do for extended periods, and many folks don’t need to severely reduce carb intake. A substantial reduction (like that recommended on Phase 2 of the diet), and a later switch-over to good carbs will be plenty effective.

However, the biggest difference between the Protein Power and Atkins diets is the way caloric values are determined.

On the Atkins diet, as long as you don’t exceed your daily carbohydrate intake, you can eat whatever and whenever you want. This is good!

On the Protein Power diet plan, your daily caloric intake is directly tied to your protein requirement. Protein requirements are typically determined by analyzing the activity level of the individual in question. Active individuals may require as much as 1 gram of protein per pound lean body mass, while 0.5 gram protein per pound lean body mass will suffice for inactive people.

The problem with diets that tie total daily caloric intakes directly to protein intake is that those individuals who are on the sedentary end of the scale end up having an extremely low caloric intake. In many cases it’s lower than the 1,200 calorie minimum standards for men, and 1,000 calorie minimum standards for women. This a serious detriment. Reduce calories too much, and your metabolism slows to a crawl. Lean tissue is also threatened.

And of course, there’s always the “battle with hunger.” Of course, you’re not actually supposed to ever be hungry on the Protein Power diet, but if you follow it to the letter, you will be.

If you’re going to try the Protein Power diet, I suggest you ignore the protein requirements chart and the daily caloric intake limits. Eat when you want, and don’t ever go hungry. The important aspect of this diet is the severe reduction, and elimination of simple carbohydrates. If you can manage this, you’ll be able to eat all the meat, eggs, and cheese in the world and still be successful on this diet.

All in all, it all makes for an interesting discussion.

The Atkins Diet has returned to the spotlight with the resurgence in the popularity of such low carbohydrate diets as “Protein Power”, “The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet”, and Barry Sears’ “Enter the Zone”. But clearly this man is no stranger to the dieting industry. A former cardiologist, his first book “Dr Atkins’ Diet Revolution”, was released way back in 1972. And it differs little from his most recent offering.

So what’s the crux of this diet, and why all the controversy?

Ah… good questions.

The problem with the Atkins diet, according to some experts, is its period of extreme carbohydrate restriction (under 30 grams daily). In the initial stages, the bulk of daily caloric intake comes either from fat (saturated or unsaturated is fine) or protein.

Although the science behind low carb dieting is starting to catch up with and vindicate many of claims made by Atkins and others, that hasn’t prevent nutritionist from claiming…

1) That increased protein intake is dangerous, and seriously hampers and impedes normal kidney function. This is absolute and total rubbish. None of the experts making such claims have been able to dredge up a single example of renal failure as a result of this diet. And I could not find any evidence that an increased protein intake posed any dangers to “normal” individuals not suffering from renal disease. In fact, I found the contrary (see Nutr Metab (Lond). 2005 Sep 20;2:25)…

“…we find no significant evidence for a detrimental effect of high protein intakes on kidney function in healthy persons after centuries of a high protein Western diet.”

One review (Contrib Nephrol. 2007;155:102-12) proposed…

“… that the concept that protein restricted diets decrease the risk of developing kidney disease in the general population is not supported by the scientific literature.

This one, which investigates a higher level of protein intake for athletes (see Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):647-54) indicated…

“…that higher protein diets have quite consistently been shown to result in greater weight loss, greater fat loss, and preservation of lean mass as compared with “lower” protein diets.” 

Of course, there are issues when increased protein is NOT a good thing — anyone with less than optimal kidney function needs to be concerned about increasing their protein intake without first consulting with a medical professional. And as Elissa points out in this blog post, diets rich in cereals/grains, animal proteins, and salt (like the typical North American diet) can get a condition known as chronic metabolic acidosis (CMA). That aside, the available evidence indicates an elevated protein consumption is not dangerous.

2) Severe long term carbohydrate restriction leads to nutritional deficiencies. Yes, this is true. But anyone who reads the Dr. Atkins diet knows that his period of extreme carbohydrate restriction is very short lived—only a couple of weeks. Then you gradually start reintroducing low glycemic carbs (like fruits and veggies) back into your diet. Plus, Dr. Atkins suggests you do supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals during this brief period of extreme restriction.

Additionally, those who make this claim are neglecting to mention that the folks adopting this diet are doing so because their previous eating habits were terrible. It is not liklely, for instance, that the vast majority of individuals embarking on the Atkins diet were consuming perfectly balanced diet complete with highly nutritious meals beforehand. In other words, it’s a valid point, but in the real world, it’s moot.

3) Increased fat intake leads to higher cholesterol levels, and increases chances of heart attack. Any diet that place an emphasis on the consumption of fatty foods can’t be good for you, goes the argument proposed by mainstream nutritionists. Unfortunately, there is no evidence this is so. In fact, a recent 20-year study found no association between low carb diets and the risk of coronary heart disease. In other words, this “danger” is not a danger at all.

It’s also been demonstrated that it’s the low carb diet that is more effective at improving metabolic syndrome!

Now I realize that some of you may have a difficult time accepting this. To you I really have only two things to say…

First, I don’t have a personal stake in promoting this diet. I’m only interested in presenting you with facts. Please review the clinical references I include here if you continue to be skeptical.

Secondly, for most of our entire evolutionary development we have been hunter-gatherers. That means no harvesting of crops, no tending of flocks: just scratching a living from what we scavenged or killed each day. Scientists studying the fossilized feces of early man (now there’s a job for you!), have speculated that as much as 80-85% of their diet came from meat.

Considering our early ancestors lived in Northern Europe around 30,000 years ago, and survived an ice age, it’s not surprising they ate meat. When it’s that cold, there just aren’t bushels of fruit and vegetables available at every street corner!

The bottom line here is very simple… our ancestors often experienced times of severe carbohydrate restrictions for extended periods of time (in fact, the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic did so up until very recently), without any ill effects. So this diet does not present any real threat to safety, especially considering the short period of time you’re actually restricting carbs.

So what is the purpose of this carbohydrate restriction anyway?

It’s to get the body’s insulin secretion system back on an even keel. Simple carbs, like those in preponderance in the North American diet, cause the body to become insulin resistant. In short, this leads to wildly vacillating blood sugar levels. This may lead to weight gain, fatigue, moodiness, lack of concentration, and UN-productivity. Carbohydrate restriction “reprimes” the body, and gets it back to working properly again.

With all that said, this isn’t an easy diet to stay on. Sure, eating all the steak, burgers, bacon, nuts, and cheese you want may sound appealing, but it quickly loses it’s allure when it’s the only thing you eat. Steak isn’t much fun without potatoes, burgers are lacking without fries, and cheese without crackers?

Boring.

Additionally, lean muscle mass seems to be threatened on this diet. Considering muscle burns calories even at rest, the loss of even some of this critical tissue is very undesirable. As an avid weight lifter, the rapid muscle loss I experienced while on this diet was particularly unnerving. I also found that without carbohydrates as a fuel source, strength at the gym dropped dramatically—even after the body had made the adjustment from a carb burning to a fat burning machine.

Despite all that, this diet does seem to be an effective way of losing fat weight. If you’re going to attempt this diet, however, I have two comments for you. First…

The first week is the hardest. On about the third day of the diet, it’s likely you’ll start to feel “muggy-headed” as the body starts to make its switch to a fat burning machine. Hang in there, you’ll soon feel better. Secondly, you will weigh at least 10 lbs. lighter at the end of the first week. Don’t get too excited though, severe carb restriction has a diuretic effect. Most of what you’ve lost is water.

The Dr Atkins diet isn’t perfect, but it does work. That’s the bottom line.

If you’re hypoglycemic, or severely insulin resistant and suffering from metabolic syndrome, the Dr Atkins diet may be just what you need. From what I’ve seen with personal contacts, it is the Atkins diet that leads to the most dramatic improvements in important blood markers (cholesterol blood triglycerides, etc) and weight loss.

The Carbohydrate Addict’s diet operates under the principle that no matter how many carbohydrates you eat, your body wishes to have more.

In a nutshell, that’s the theory behind the book called “The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet” by Richard and Rachael Heller. And it’s not a bad one, considering excessive carb consumption can cause an elevation of serotonin levels, that “feel good” brain chemical. Anyone who’s sat down on the couch with eyes drooping after a huge Thanksgiving dinner knows exactly what this feels like. Spiking insulin levels… the kind brought about by the consumption of high glycemic carbohydrate foods can also lead to carb cravings!

The Hellers do not recommend eliminating carbohydrates altogether. Nope, that’s considered too harsh. Rather, they suggest eating all your carbs during a specific period of the day. In this way, the Hellers claim, you can reduce your insulin production, causing less fat to be deposited. The Hellers believe that this method of eating can also help you to reduce your carbohydrate cravings.

On their website, the Hellers state, “Carbohydrate addiction is not a matter of will power. It is a matter of biology; pure and simple. We know what causes it and we know how to correct it. That’s why we’re here. To share what we have learned and to tell you that, from this moment on, you are never alone again.”

The Hellers point out that, without struggle or a feeling of deprivation, they have lost a combined total of 200 pounds. The Hellers define carb addiction as a “compelling hunger, craving, or desire for carbohydrate-rich foods—an escalating, recurring need or drive for starches, snack foods, junk food, or sweets.”

Foods rich in carbohydrates include cake, cereal, chocolate, crackers, potato chips, pop corn, and sweet beverages, among other things.

In the Carb Addict diet, you are eligible for a “Reward Meal” lasting sixty minutes. During this eating session, you can feast on all the carbohydrates you desire, as long as your meal is nutritionally balanced. However, during your other means, carbohydrate consumption is restricted. Snacks are also forbidden. Still, you can dine on such foods as meat, eggs, dairy products, lettuce, peppers, and snap beans without feeling guilty.

A sample diet would include the following:

Breakfast:

western omelette
bacon
coffee or tea

Lunch:

spinach salad
steamed green beans or broccoli
sirloin steak
coffee or tea

Reward dinner:

Salad with lemon-mayonnaise dressing
Mexican soup
garlic and green beans
yogurt chicken breasts
onion bread with butter
apple cream pie
beverage of choice 

The advantages to the Carb Addict’s diet are obvious. You don’t have to eliminate carbohydrates—you just have to restrict them to a certain period of the day. This can help cut your cravings, making weight loss easier.

The Carbohydrate Addict’s diet is really a modified Atkins diet. The same basic principles apply, only the execution differs slightly. There is one difference though… this diet is much easier, as it does not require the extreme carb reduction required in the early stages of Atkins. Also, the regular consumption of a reward meal means you’re not restricting too much for too long, making this a more practical diet to use over the long term.

However, I would argue it makes more sense to consume your “reward” carbohydrates earlier in the day rather than at dinner. Your metabolism is higher, and your more likely to burn those carbs if you’re active. For most people, the time spent between dinner and bedtime tends to be the most inactive, and additional calories will be converted to fat.

If you wanted to experiment with this diet, I also would argue that the “reward meal” be limited to every other, or perhaps every third night.

Check out my review of Jim Stone’s “Stop Cheating On Your Low Carb Diet” if you’re looking for a unique perspective for sticking to your low carb diet over the long term.

The first thing you need to know is that the glycemic index refers to carbohydrate-based foods. These foods are broken down and released into the body as sugar (the body’s primary source of energy) upon digestion. Pure protein and fats do not have a GI value, as their digestion does not result in the release of sugar, but amino acids and fatty acids.

The glycemic index therefore, refers to a value (from 1-100) assigned to a carbohydrate according to the rate at which it is digested and released as sugar into the bloodstream. Carbs with lower values are digested and released more slowly, and those with higher values are released more quickly. At one end of the GI spectrum we have foods like grapefruit (with a GI of 25) and at the other end we have foods like white bread (with a GI of 95).

This, of course leads to several other questions…

1) What is the significance of the GI rating of any carbohydrate? Or in other words, why should I care what the GI value of any carb is?

That’s a good question. The answer lies with the function of insulin in the body. When blood sugar is released into the body, insulin is released to lower blood sugar levels by shuttling it where it is needed for energy production.

The problem is that when large amounts of sugar is released very quickly, the body responds by releasing a large amount of insulin from the pancreas to counter this rapid rise in blood sugar. When large amounts of insulin are present in the body, the body goes immediately into fat-storing mode, and responds by reducing blood sugar levels so quickly that you experience an energy crash, followed by unbelievable cravings for high-G.I. goods — mostly sweets and simple carbs like breads. Thus the cycle continues over and over.

To make matters worse, over time the body can slowly become desensitized to the effects on insulin, and this can lead to Adult Type II diabetes.

2) What factors affect the GI rating of a carbohydrate?

One of the biggest is fiber content. Carbs rich in fiber are digested much more slowly by the body, resulting in a gradual and manageable release of blood sugar into the body.

Another factor is fat content.

For example, a Snickers bar has a GI rating nearly half of that white bread. Why? We all know there’s a ton of simple sugar in a Snickers bar. The answer is the fat content of the bar slows the release of blood sugar, much like fiber does in fruits and vegetables.

The overall idea therefore, is to consume less high GI carbs, and more low GI carbs in your diet.

Now that you know a little more about the GI value of carbs, let’s get back the diet, “The Low GI Diet Breakthrough”…

Unlike typical low carb diets (Atkins, South Beach, etc.), this diet does not focus so much on carb restriction, but on the type of carbs you consume. The GI diet is great for anyone who wants to lose weight and prevent the possibility of diabetes. Surprisingly enough it’s also great for athletes, as it can provide plenty of raw energy required for vigorous activity. Best of all its focus is the maintaining of steady and balanced energy levels throughout the day.

The Low GI Diet Breakthrough will show you how to prepare low G.I. friendly meals, and how to live with the low GI diet in the real world. You’ll learn which carbs you can eat with impunity, and which ones you’ll need to restrict, eating them only occasionally.

Bottom line?

The Low GI Diet Breakthrough provides you with the tools to eat a smart, sensible, workable, no-starvation diet that will help you lose weight as well as providing you with balanced and sustained energy levels.

If standard, ultra-low carb diets are a bit much for you, then it’s well worth your while to have a look at the Low GI Diet Breakthrough.

Aesthetically, the Low GI Diet Breakthrough is a professionally formatted, attractive PDF software download. It comes with several additional bonus files… all worthwhile.

You can learn more about this diet, as well investigate purchasing options here!

The Mayo Clinic Diet was developed some 30 years ago, but the real impetus for the diet is unknown. While the Mayo Clinic Diet may come in a number of varieties, it customarily includes grapefruit at every meal. The diet is also high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

Perhaps the Mayo Clinic Diet’s major claim to fame is the fact that it appears to be a catalyst for rapid weight loss. The grapefruit included at meals is supposed to help your body burn fat (grapefruit contains naringin, a citrus flavanoid long thought to have weight loss properties).  

The diet is short in duration, lasting only three to seven days. With this diet plan, you are permitted as much grapefruit, meat, and poultry as you want. By consuming a great deal of meat, you are supposed to keep hunger at bay.

Interestingly enough, you are permitted fried foods under the Mayo Clinic plan—something that is strictly banned under other diets. Some health experts say that while you can lose weight for the short-term under the Mayo Clinic Diet, you will have difficulty keeping the weight off over the long haul. Critics also note that the diet is not necessarily nutritionally balanced, and that grapefruit does not necessarily burn fat.

While advocates of the diet maintain you can lose more than 50 pounds in just a few months, critics are not so sure. If you do try the Mayo Clinic Diet, you might follow it up with a general low-carb diet that can help you maintain weight loss over the long term.

In addition to the immediate weight loss it offers, the primary advantages of the Mayo Clinic Diet are that you can eat until you are satiated and that you can eat foods with a fair amount of fat. It is also more affordable than other diet programs.

Major disadvantages of the diet plan are that it is low in complex carbohydrates; it can lead to tiredness and a lack of focus; and its high fat content is potentially unhealthy.

If you follow the Mayo Clinic Diet, you will have to reduce your coffee consumption, since coffee can affect the insulin balance that may hamper fat burning. You will not be able to eat between meals, and you will have to avoid certain foods such as bread, potatoes, potato chips, and fruit.

However, you can eat double or triple portions of meat, salad, and vegetables. The idea is to eat until you can eat no more—so hunger is not a problem under the diet program.

The Mayo Clinic Diet also recommends consuming eight glasses of water each day, which can be a key to weight loss. Any soft drinks you consume must be sugarless and caffeine-free.

Interestingly enough, the Mayo Clinic Diet is often recommended to heart patients who need to lose weight fast for by-pass surgery. Followed in short spurts, the diet can be highly successful in helping you lose weight. However, the diet’s restrictions might be difficult to follow over the long run.

One of the major advantages of the Scarsdale Diet is its speed—it tends to yield incredibly quick results. This is due to the fact that it relies on radically reduced calorie consumption.

If you follow the plan strictly, you can lose as much as 10 to 20 pounds in a two-week period — although most of that will be water weight. Even worse, the extreme caloric deprivation threatens lean muscle mass, a critical element of an elevated metabolism. While advocates of the diet plan maintain that Scarsdale represents an express route to weight loss, critics say that it provides too few calories for good health.

Under the Scarsdale plan, you will follow a strict diet for two weeks, then follow a less rigid diet plan for an additional week or two. The second phase of the plan is known as the Keep Trim program. Critics of the program maintain that it is far too restrictive to be healthy.

The Scarsdale program involves heavy consumption of protein. In fact, much of the diet consists of lean meats, with a number of salads also recommended. Alcohol is strictly forbidden under Scarsdale, and the only dressings that are permitted are lemon and vinegar and mustard. However, dieters are permitted to use ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs. Most vegetables are permitted, with the exception of corn, peas, potatoes, and beans.

Scarsdale recommends using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar in order to reduce calorie consumption. Dieters may also use herbal appetite suppressants in order to cut down on their food cravings.

The Scarsdale Diet is extremely low in calories—only 850 to 1,000 calories a day are permitted. This is significantly below the minimum caloric requirements recommended. You might find it difficult to follow the Scarsdale plan at first because so many favorite foods are banned. For instance, dieters cannot indulge in candy, desserts, or dairy fat; ice cream and custard are expressly forbidden.

Pasta and other flour-based products are also banned. Any meat you consume must be trimmed of skin and fat. You can only eat eggs three times a week; the only snacks you’re permitted are carrots and celery. While you can eat a variety of meats, such as beef, lamb, veal, ham, and pork, seafood canned in rich sauces are to be avoided.

Under Scarsdale, a typical diet meal would include half a grapefruit, a slice of protein bread, and coffee or tea. Lunch might consist of cold cuts, while dinner would include animal protein or seafood along with a salad. You might be surprised to learn that barbecued chicken is permitted on the Scarsdale Diet.

Scarsdale advocates drinking a great deal of water. At least four glasses of water are required each day. This is because drinking large amounts of H20 helps to flush out your system and facilitates weight loss.

While Scarsdale was one of the first “lower” carb diets to appear on the scene, it is not as popular as the Atkins Diet or the Zone Diet. Scarsdale does not require any exercise. In fact, it advocates no strenuous exercise for people over the age of 40, unless the dieters are already involved in a rigorous exercise program. Since Scarsdale severely restricts calories, you might find that you simply do not have the energy to engage in even vigorous walking.

The Scarsdale Diet can provide you with rapid weight loss over the short term. Of course “weight” does not mean “fat” in this case… your weight loss will be comprised of water, lean muscle, and fat tissue.

Additionally, you might find it difficult to maintain your weight loss because of the strict calorie requirements. Also, if you are hoping to combine dieting with exercise, Scarsdale may not be the right food plan for you.

Bottom line?

The best diets really should be a lifestyle change — something you can maintain for a long time. Otherwise, you’ll just gain the weight back when you quit dieting. The Scarsdale is not a diet anyone can commit to in the long run, and you’re very likely to gain most of the weight back after you complete the program. This is not a sensible, long term solution to weight loss.

A new study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association suggests that the real key to being successful on diet is not the type of diet you choose, but your ability to stay on it! (See this article from Medical News Today for more).

Sidebar: In my opinion, a low carb diet is one of the easiest to remain committed too — especially once you get past the induction period!

Apparently the medical community is in agreement — it’s not enough to go on a diet, you need to turn it into a lifestyle change in order to be successful. So, I rest my case… such a publication is required.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading “Stop Cheating”. All I know is that when I looked at the clock next, 2 hours had gone by. So what was so intriguing? Well…

In order to stop cheating on a diet, you need to know why you cheat. Yeah, that’s what I though too — you cheat because you’re hungry, or you’re sick of your diet, or whatever. And sure, these are factors… but that’s there much more to it than that.

After the introductory chapter, Jim begins by providing you with a series of case-studies, each one illustrating a different feature of “human motivation and dieting.”

Then, in the following two chapters, he delves heavily into a discussion on human motivation. According to Jim, his theories are drawn mostly from Modern Evolutionary Psychology. This is a very interesting chapter, which delves into the theory behind “why” it is we cheat by reviewing three systems — the animal system, the social system, and the rational system.

OK, OK, I’ll admit it — this sounds pretty heavy-duty, and not much like fun. Here’s the good news… while Jim is an academic, he does not write like one. Although chapter 3 does get a little intense, it’s easy to follow, and to be honest, both intriguing and enlightening.

Moving on, you’ll learn all kinds of tricks and techniques to encourage positive influences, and discourage bad ones. These include incantations, visualization techniques, and something called the “swish pattern” used by Tony Robbins and other self-help gurus. You’ll learn how to control your environment and reduce the “stressors” in your life (as Jim puts it — stressed spelled backwards is “desserts”).

Next up, you’ll learn how to get the support of friends and family, even if they happen to think the low-carb diet is impractical, troublesome, expensive, or dangerous.

At this point I should point out that this book is not another low-carb diet. It does not contain recipes. Jim assumes you have a working knowledge of low carb dieting. His intent is not to duplicate the material already covered by Dr. Atkins, South Beach Diet, Protein Power, The Zone diet and many others.

Nope, Jim’s intent is to empower you to stay on the low carb diet. Since Jim has struggled both with his weight and low carb dieting, his advice is heartfelt and sincere. He’s “been there”, “done that”, if you will. This adds additional credibility to his publication… not that it needs it, mind you.

Bottom line?

A very well written, easy-to-read publication that’s highly recommended for those of you who difficulty staying on your diet (Jim’s book is written specifically from a low carb perspective, but I feel there is plenty of material here to benefit any dieter).

The sections on human pychology might seem a bit much too you, but Jim’s right — until you can truly determine your motivations, and why you feel how do, it’s impossible to successfully attain your goals. Plus, it’s all very accessible.

“Stop Cheating on Your Low Carb” is well worth the money. Highly recommended.

You can read more about Jim’s publication here!