Choosing the best weight loss program

HCG Diet

Dr Albert Simeons first suggested the HCG hormone could help you lose weight in 1954. In his protocol, dieters use injections of the HCG hormone coupled with a low-calorie diet. HCG hormones are secreted by pregnant women and have been proven to make the metabolism work efficiently, while keeping hunger pangs to tolerable levels. HCG hormones release abnormal fat deposits and make the fat available for consumption by the body however while HCG is available via an injection it is costly and inconvenient for the average person.

PROS: Lose weight fast, keep it off
CONS: Injections are expensive and quite inconvenient

The Trim N Healthy Detox Program

This detox program is inspired by the research of Dr Albert Simeons. His studies in the 1950’s around the HCG Diet revolutionised how we tackle weight loss and all its frustrating aspects like constantly feeling hungry, always craving sugar and hopelessly unsustainable exercise regimes. The TNH Detox Programs are an excellent alternative to HCG injections as they appear to trigger the same action. The drops are taken daily to trigger the body to release the same hormones that target the energy held in your stored fat cells. This energy floods your bloodstream with 2000 to 4000 calories. This is why, during the very low calorie diet (VLCD) you will be following, it does not leave you feeling hungry or lethargic. In fact after a few days of adjusting you will feel great. Once you lose the weight you move into the maintenance phase, increase your calories to the normal range for your height and weight and enjoy eating healthy foods while your metabolism resets. The next phase is eating healthy for life and enjoying your new trim and healthy body.

PROS: Lose weight FAST, create healthy habits for life and maintain your weight loss
CONS: Hard to find a reputable supplier of this program. The Trim N Healthy Detox Program has been operating in Australia since 2012.

Blood Type Diet

The idea behind the blood type diet is that you follow a diet and lifestyle that suits your blood type which will help you reach your ideal weight, make you healthier, and even slow down the aging process. This diet type has been widely discredited with researchers finding there is no support for the blood type diet claims that adherence could improve health and lower the risk of chronic disease. After analysing surveys from 1,455 study participants they found that while some people benefited from sticking to a particular diet, this was actually independent of their blood type.

PROS: Slows down the aging process! Worth a shot right?
CONS: Scientifically discredited

The Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is usually recommended for weight loss. It is a high-protein, high-fat diet that restricts carbs to 20g per day and gradually adds them back in, based on personal tolerance. The main reason low carb diets are effective is that the reduced carbs and increased protein intake mean you have a smaller appetite, eating less calories without realising.

PROS: Lose weight! Winning!
CONS: Over the long term, studies show that diets like the Atkins Diet are no more effective for weight loss than are standard weight-loss diets and that most people regain the weight they lost regardless of diet plan (MAYO Clinic, 2018).

Vegan Diet

The vegan diet has become quite popular in recent years for either ethical, environmental or health reasons. Variations include: the whole-food vegan diet, the raw-food vegan diet, the 80/10/10, the starch solution, the raw till 4, the thrive diet, the junk-food vegan diet. Vegan diets have been found to be effective for weight loss in both short-term and long-term studies, effectively lowering your BMI and blood sugar levels. In addition, they may help protect heart health. Vegan diets have been criticised for being unbalanced and extreme as they contain no animal products on the other hand gain kudos for helping our environment.

PROS: Lose weight, make a difference in the world and fix global warming! Legend.
CONS: Did you say steak? This diet can be quite limiting and if you are a fan of meat / cheese / a balanced diet, it can be really hard to commit to.

Lemon Detox Diets

This diet works by cleansing your body of toxins, working to ease and improve overweight conditions. Basically you drink a mix of water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and a syrup derived from several palm species eight times a day. This concoction is ingested in conjunction with laxative tea and saltwater flushes which strips the weight right off (lose 3-6kg in 10 days)! Unfortunately, because you’re not eating any solid foods while on the diet, it can severely impact your metabolic rate and due to it being extremely low in protein, it can result in loss of muscle mass. The 14-day detox retails for around $160.00 and has a significant following of believers but it is imperative that this diet is seen as a “kick start” to healthy living only.

PROS: Lose weight VERY fast
CONS: Starve for 10 days, expensive.

Ketogenic Diet

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. When your body doesn’t have carbs to burn and switches to ketones, you’re in a state called ketosis. The keto diet works by lowering levels of insulin and shifting your primary fuel source from sugar to ketones. These compounds are made from fatty acids, and your brain and other organs can burn them for energy. However, unlike the Atkins and other low-carb diets, keto diets don’t gradually increase their carbs. Instead, they keep carb intake very low to ensure followers stay in ketosis.

PROS: Keto diets are effective in losing weight and lowering risk factors for disease.
CONS: Carb intake is kept low meaning an ongoing unbalanced diet.

Paleo Diet

The paleo diet (AKA the Paleolithic diet, caveman diet or stone-age diet) is based on the food types that were eaten by early humans. The diet consists mainly of meat, fish, vegies and fruit: excluding dairy, cereal products and processed foods.

PROS: The paleo diet is a balanced, healthy way of eating that eliminates processed foods and encourages its followers to eat a wide variety of plant and animal foods.
CONS: Paleo has been classified as a fad diet because it restricts many foods, including dairy, legumes and grains. In addition, critics have pointed out that it isn’t practical or even possible to eat the same foods that our prehistoric ancestors did.

The Water Diet

The water diet is currently trending: there are heaps of variations but the bottom line is they’re all pretty extreme. Mostly, you don’t eat (or eat VERY little) and drink only water. A glorified name for ‘fasting’.The water diet is ok for a short amount of time. It is safest when combined with a normal diet, and can be dangerous when combined with fasting. The water diet may not be safe for everyone. When doing a water fast, you risk symptoms of low blood sugar like dizziness and fatigue, not to mention constipation, dehydration, and an intolerance of cold temperatures. If you know you struggle with low blood sugar, the water diet may not be for you.

PROS: Lose weight fast!
CONS: This diet tends to be a “yo-yo” diet, meaning that once you lose the weight, as soon as you go off of it, the weight comes back.