The best diet plans to lose weight healthily Part 3
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Description
GM Diet
An extremely strict seven-day plan. The GM diet plan recommends drinking 12-15 glasses of water a day while cutting out alcohol, tea and coffee; and restricting your calorific intake from food.
On day one, you only eat fruit (not bananas). Day two, you eat vegetables, starting your day with a large baked potato. Day three, eat both fruit and vegetables but no bananas or potatoes.
On day four, you can eat up to eight bananas, three glasses of milk and a ‘GM wonder soup’ that consists of cabbage, onion and other green vegetables.
On the fifth day, eat two portions of lean protein (beef, chicken or fish) and six tomatoes. Day six you can eat unlimited protein and vegetables and on the final day you can enjoy unlimited fruit and vegetables and brown rice, but no protein.
The expert says
“This diet is very restrictive and you are likely to miss out on nutrients and feel dizzy, tired and faint. You may have to cut back on exercise; only very low intensity exercise is recommended such as yoga.
The rapid weight loss is unlikely to be true fat loss but water weight – which you will regain very quickly if you start eating carbs again.
You may lose some muscle which will reduce your metabolic rate in the long-term and you may find it harder to maintain your weight.”
South Beach
A two-week, low-GI diet, prioritising heart health. Three meals and two snacks a day consist of lean protein, meat, fish, poultry and some low-GI vegetables and unsaturated fats.
While there is no calorie counting or portion limits. There is, however, an exercise plan to follow.
The expert says
“The diet is based on low glycaemic index foods. Carbohydrates with a lower glycaemic index appear to release energy into the body slower and, therefore, prevent rapid energy spikes followed by a dip in energy.
The diet encourages three meals a day plus two snacks, which is good for sustained energy throughout the day.
The South Beach diet encourages dieters to include healthy snacks throughout the day.
The South Beach diet encourages dieters to include healthy snacks throughout the day.
Phase 2 is based on general healthy eating principles and is well balanced. However phase 1 – to be followed if you have more than 10lb to lose – is quite restrictive and can leave you feeling tired and without some of the vitamins and minerals you need.
Phase 1 may also result in other symptoms such as bad breath, dizziness and constipation, due to the lack of carbohydrates.
The diet encourages up to 13lb a week weight loss in the first 2 weeks, which is not sustainable, and is likely to be a lot of water loss rather than true fat loss, which you will regain as soon as you come off the diet.
There is no education on portion sizes and no calorie counting, which may appeal to some people but is unlikely to help you maintain your weight in the long-term.”
Dukan
A four-phase diet plan for gradual, sustainable weight loss. The Dukan diet begins with a strict lean protein diet followed
