What Is the Best Diet Plan

Deciding What Is the Best Diet Plan

Weight loss is as personal as hair care or fashion. A hairstyle that flatters your friend's round face may very well look horrible on your long, angular face. It's the same with dieting. To effectively lose weight-- and keep it off-- you need a plan that works for you. When determining which plan or program is best for you, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you need a lot of structure or do you function better with flexibility?
• Do you enjoy cooking or do you prefer convenience foods?
• Do you eat the majority of your meals at home or on the run?

Plans to Avoid

While you are looking for the best diet plan, there are some plans you should avoid. Fad diets, such as the grapefruit diet, promise fast weight loss, but are hard to stick with. Even worse, weight lost on a fad diet often returns just as quickly as it left. In general, avoid diets that:

• Promise extreme weight loss in a short time
• Focus on one food, such as cabbage soup or tuna, as a magical weight loss tool

Best Diets for Those Needing Structure

While many people claim that diets don't work and that learning healthy eating habits is the way to go, the fact remains that some people need rigid rules in their diet plans. Ideally, these rigid rules and structure teach the dieter healthy habits as they help with weight loss. In the long term, nutritious eating and exercise are the only real ways to keep weight off, but structured plans can be quite effective in the weight loss phase. If you need a diet that tells you what to eat and when, consider:

• Medifast
• 1st Personal Diet
• Best Life Diet

Diets Offering Flexibility

Some people get bored with structured eating plans that require the same or similar meals day after day. If you desire flexibility and have a bit of discipline, it could be that you don't really need a specific diet. Try eating healthy--lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables--and exercising. While you might not lose 20 pounds per month, you will lose weight at a safe, steady pace. If you prefer to follow a specific diet, there are diet plans offering flexibility. These include:

• Weight Watchers
• Dr. Oz Diet
• Supermarket Diet

Diets for People Who Like to Cook

If you love spending time in the kitchen, trying new recipes and creating culinary concoctions of your own, one of these plans might work for you:

• 1st Personal Diet
• The Sonoma Diet
• Mediterranean Diet
• Best Life Diet
• Supermarket Diet

Diets Focusing on Convenience Foods

If you eat most of your meals on the run or simply don't have the time or inclination to cook, a diet plan based on convenience foods might be for you. While the food on these plans do need to be mixed or heated, most can be prepared in a microwave or shaker cup. Consider these plans:

• NutriSystem
• Jenny Craig
• Medifast Diet

In the end, only you know what is the best diet plan for you. Let your likes, dislikes, eating style, and lifestyle guide you.