Diet Plan Types

There are thousands of diets from which to choose when a person wants to shed unwanted pounds. Some are healthy eating alternatives, while others are questionable in both practice and outcome. But, with a little help the mysterious world of dieting can be navigated, and understood.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is greatly influenced by the people of Crete, Greece, Spain, southern France, southern Italy, and in some cases Portugal. This diet is very natural and includes mostly foods that a grown fresh. Practitioners are recommended to eat fruit, beans, nuts, cereal, and seeds as their main source of energy. Yogurt and cheese are also permitted. The dieter is limited in meat options. Fish, poultry and eggs are allowed in moderate quantities, and red meat should be eaten only rarely. According to Medical News Today, "25 percent to 35 percent of the Mediterranean diet consists of fat, with saturated fats not exceeding eight percent of calorie intake."

Raw Food Diet

Raw Foodism is separated into four types of practitioners. The first is the raw food vegetarian. The second is the raw food vegan. Followed by the raw food omnivore, and lastly the raw food carnivore. Each of these groups believe that most of the foods they consume should be raw and unprocessed.

Most raw "foodists" are typically vegetarians, and they prefer foods that are both organic and plant based. There are however, a large number of raw food vegans. They refrain from eating or drinking anything that comes from animals including milk, eggs, and butter.

The Zone

The Zone diet focuses on bringing balance to every meal. The main focus is on keeping insulin levels in complete control. Practitioners believe that doing this will aid in successful weight loss and help the dieter keep they body weight under control after weight has been lost. According to Medical News Today, "The Zone Diet aims for a nutritional balance of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fats, and 30 percent protein each time we eat." Foods like olive oil, avocados and nuts, as well as unrefined carbohydrates, are foods that are welcome on the Zone diet.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers is a program that emphasizes the importance of a social network. The program encourages participants to lose weight by exercise and a healthy diet. Dieters can either count food points, a skill that the dieter learns at meetings, or participate in the Core or Flex plan that allows followers to eat only certain foods. Weight Watchers is available in local communities, as well as online. Weight Watchers online provides tools like menu planning, recipes, record keeping, as well as a large community of users for support.

The Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is used by people who desire to control insulin levels in the body. It limits carbohydrate intake, and encourages practitioners to eat a large amount of protein. Limiting carbohydrate intake encourages the body to use stored fat for energy. Weight loss is dependent on following the nutrition plan closely, and weight can return rapidly if the plan is stopped.