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The arguments about the “best” diet — veg or non-veg? Weight Watchers or Dukan? — are enough to make your head spin… and then make you say “screw it” and dive into a huge blueberry crunch-top muffin.
Keep in mind that it’s important to get all of the nutrients your body needs, and diets that restrict a particular food category can make this difficult — sometimes exceedingly so. (Several of the diets below, including the Dukan Diet, the Atkins Diet, and others.., have been criticized by nutritionists for not being well-rounded, sustainable plans.) And if you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, it’s always a good idea to talk with a doctor or nutritionist about your specific dietary needs.
So, which diet is best for you? Take a look at the 4 most-searched diets on internet to learn more about how each one works
1. Dukan Diet
This plan, which Kate Middleton reportedly followed in order to slim down for the royal wedding, is basically a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. The first phase of the Dukan Diet cuts out all food groups except for protein for the first two to seven days. Later phases gradually reintroduce vegetables and very limited amounts of carbohydrates and fat (via bread, fruit, and cheese).
The Promise
Drop 10 pounds in one week and never gain it back. You can do it if you follow the Dukan Diet’s rules, claims French general practitioner and nutritionist Pierre Dukan, who created the diet in 2000.
Lean protein, oat bran, water, and a daily 20-minute walk are at the heart of the plan. The theory is that limiting carbohydrates forces your body to burn fat.
Basically, you can eat unlimited quantities of food, as long as they’re on the approved foods list, which includes very few carbs, if any.
What You Can Eat: You’ll be eating a lot of protein and oat bran.
The diet has four phases.
1. During the “Attack” phase (1-10 days), you eat all the lean protein you can handle, plus 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and at least 6 cups of water daily.
2. In the “Cruise” phase (which can last several months), you add unlimited amounts of non-starchy veggies every other day, plus an extra half-tablespoon of oat bran.
3. When you get to the third stage, “Consolidation” (5 days for every pound you’ve lost), you can have veggies every day, plus one piece of fruit, 2 slices of whole-grain bread, and 1 serving of hard cheese. During this phase, you can also have 1 or 2 servings of starchy foods and 1 or 2 “celebration” meals where you can eat whatever you want.
4. The final phase, “Stabilization” (ongoing), is all about maintenance. You can eat whatever you like, except for one day a week when you follow the all-protein rules from the diet’s “Attack” phase. In this phase, you also eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day and walk 20 minutes every day.
