I have a friend who is starting the Special K Diet Challenge this week. She was at her ideal weight about a year and a half ago, mostly because she was hardcore about eating very little and exercising very regularly. She’s since gained a steady boyfriend, more responsibilities at work and about about 15 pounds in the process. So for the summer, she vows to get the weight off by severely limiting her intake and then adopting a more “sensible” diet once she’s kick-started her metabolism.

My question is, does this tactic actually work? There have been times where I’ve said… “Okay I’m not putting another thing in my mouth until I can fit into this dress.” And 15 minutes later I’ve probably put another thing into my mouth. And if we are disciplined enough to limit ourselves for several weeks at a time, will the weight just come back once we’re sick of the same old corn flakes?

Let’s talk lifestyle change. Changing the ways we think about food and address our hunger can be life-altering.  Thinking about a piece of chicken breast or a pile of vegetables as pure nutrients that will satisfy my body’s needs just seems more substantial than “well, if I want to squeeze into those jeans from high school…” Let’s change our attitudes, people! Food is our friend. In moderation, of course. Shredded wheat and raw carrots are fine, but let’s not eat them for the wrong reasons! That is all.

We’ve reviewed quite a few diet plans at FaveDiets to sort out the good and bad. From our research, we’ve found what we think are the most popular diets out there today. Click on each diet to read more about the diet and a summary of pros and cons.

1. Atkins- The Atkins Diet is probably the most popular diet of all time, inspiring numerous other low-carb diets, including Hamptons Diet and Protein Power Diet.
2. South Beach- The South Beach Diet is quite the pop cultural icon now, with numerous diets products in most major supermarkets.
3. The Zone- Based on a 40-30-30 balance of carbs, fats and proteins, this diet has been popular for awhile.
4. Weight Watchers- The most successful part of Weight Watchers is likely the support-network created during weight loss.
5. Mediterranean Diet- This diet is baked by scientific evidence which says that the Mediterranean Diet is the healthiest in the world.

The popular diet food delivery program NutriSystem is now offering an option for diabetic customers — customized for men and women. While NutriSystem previously offered menu alterations for those with diabetes, they now offer a complete diabetic-friendly menu needing no dietary changes. The NutriSystem meal plan offers 150 “restaurant-quality” meals that will keep customers looking forward to eating, with all options deliciously low on the glycemic index and offering good carbs and fiber. Have some pancakes for breakfast, cheesy mashed potatoes for lunch, beef tacos for dinner and a decadent fudge brownie for dessert. Not bad! For more information, you can check out the NutriSystem Website.

Being away from home can make it tough to stick to your diet, especially if you are a frequent business traveler. When you spend your days trekking through airports and sitting through long meetings, you are often stuck eating whatever is available to you. Here are a few tips on how to stay healthy while traveling. And even if you aren’t a business traveler, more than one of these tips can be used when you are on vacation or even just enjoying a dinner out.

Top 5 Ways to Eat Healthier While You Travel

1. Don’t skip breakfast. Eating breakfast will not only provide the necessary energy to get you through the day, but it will prevent you from snacking on those calorie-packed doughnuts and pastries often provided at morning meetings.

2. Skip the bread basket. Filling up on rolls from a restaurant’s bread basket just means empty calories and unecessary carbs. This is a good tip to remember for all your meals out.

3. Be smart when ordering. Because you will likely eat most of your meals at a restaurant, take care in what you order. Go for entrees that balance lean proteins with vegetables and carbs. Salads are always a good option, but steer clear of salads topped with fried foods and heavy dressings.

4. Ask for a doggy bag. Ask to have a portion of your entree wrapped up before you even dig in. Most restaurant portions are huge, and many hotel rooms are equipped with mini-fridges for your leftovers.

5. Bring snacks. Be sure to bring some healthy snacks along. Low-fat granola bars, fruit and raw veggies are good snacking options. This way you can control your hunger and avoid the Cinnabon stand at the airport.

How do you stay healthy when you travel?

A diet that requires a commitment of about 3 minutes per day and allows you to eat whatever you want and still help you lose weight. Sound too good to be true? Well according to Michael Dow, creator of The Pen and Paper Diet, it isn’t. The Pen and Paper Diet is an easy plan that requires dieters to write down everything they eat and keep a log of how many calories they consume. Once they are used to maintaining a journal, The Paper and Pen Diet book will help determine an appropriate calorie budget for their weight loss goals. Dieters are then encouraged to try healthy foods and exercise, but are still permitted to eat whatever they want, as long as they stay within their calorie budget. Dow believes that making small changes – lowering your calorie intake a little bit at a time – is a realistic way for most people to lose weight.

Interested in learning more about The Pen and Paper Diet? Click here.

The Raw Food Diet is an increasingly popular choice for people wanting to lose weight and be healthier.  On the raw food diet, at least 75% of your food is uncooked, with the exception of dehydrated foods made with a home dehydrator, which blows hot air on the food but never raises the temperature above 116 degrees F.  Proponents of the raw food diet believe that cooking processes destroy most of a food’s enzymes and nutrients and make it harder for the body to digest food. They believe raw food is not only easier to digest, but can help prevent illness and even cancer.

Raw food is said to increase your energy levels and naturally maintain your weight. As a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and other low-fat foods, this is not surprising. These same raw foods are also said to improve the appearance of your skin. For another benefits, raw food is also popular with those looking to decrease their carbon footprint by using less energy to prepare food and eating un-processed foods. Before you launch into a raw food diet, here are some things to consider:

• CON- While cooking can destroy some nutrients, such as Vitamin C, cooking also HELPS the body to absorb different nutrients, such as the carotenoids in carrots or the lycopene in tomatoes.
• PRO- That tasty, charred taste on grilled or blackened food may cause cancer in the long-run. Fresh, minimally prepared foods are healthier overall.
• CON- The diet can easily cause dietary deficiencies, such as calcium or iron. As a source of calcium, unpasteurized milk and other dairy products can be dangerous.
• PRO- The diet is definitely high in fiber and potassium, and low in sodium and saturated fat, making it generally very heart-healthy.
• CON- Plant enzymes are still destroyed by stomach acids, meaning they are not necessarily that beneficial to human digestion. Many raw plants can even be poisonous, such as sprouted kidney beans and rhubarb.

Overall, many nutritionists recommend a balance of raw and cooked foods to avoid any nutritional deficiences and maintain a healthy but enjoyable variety of foods in your diet. My opinion? I believe life is too short not to be able to enjoy the occasional BBQ.

As a chocolate addict and huge cookie fan, I was intrigued when I first read about The Cookie Diet. Losing weight and eating cookies: What could be better? It has even been rumored to help famous faces lose weight, including Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson and Mandy Moore.

What I didn’t know is that the cookies are special “diet cookies” that are designed to replace meals with cookies that have a smaller calorie count than a typical meal. The diet gets mixed reviews from doctors and dieticians, and after reading more about it, I’m not so sure I’m ready to swap my lunch out long term for a cookie. Sounds like a quick fix. Take a look at this report from ABC news and judge for yourself.