The biggest roadblock in the way of a person new to weight loss diet plans is choosing from the already large variety of diet plans in practice today. While some focus on the proportion of the food, others put strict limits to the servings that you can take from each food category. Nevertheless, the wise thing to do before starting on a particular diet plan is to consult your doctor on the pros and cons with respect to your individual needs.

Weight Watchers Diet

Weight Watchers is the brainchild of Jean Nidtech and this diet program focus on moderation rather than restriction. Each food is weighted on a point system based on how much calories it provides, along with its fiber and fat content. Thus, while you are free to choose what you eat, you will need to keep an eye on the total points that you are using up for the day. Based on that, you will have to compensate or moderate on the consequent meals so that the total points for the day are not exceeded. Basically, the Weight Watchers program lays emphasis on low fat and high protein foods as well as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the weekly member interaction meetings help people discuss and improve their diet strategies by learning from one another.

Atkins Diet Program

Developed by Dr. Atkins in the 1970s, the diet program relies on incorporating the low-carb approach to various diets. The idea behind the Atkins Diet plan is that since the body uses carbohydrates first before burning fat, a lower carbohydrate intake will automatically push the body to burn more of the fat. This means that as a person cuts out the carbohydrate content, he relies more on a protein rich diet and may unknowingly fall into eating more fats. Hence, if you are following this diet plan, then concentrate on pro-heart fats instead of bad cholesterol fats. The plan works by restricting carbohydrate intake to 20 grams daily for the first phase of the plan and consequently, liberalizing the intake in later months.

South Beach Diet Program

While this program aims to cut out carbohydrate from the diet, unlike the Atkins diet it does so in a more natural way. The first phase is similar to Atkins Diet where a person cuts down heavily on the carbohydrate intake. However, later, they can go for select carbohydrate sources such as cereals, pastas and whole grain breads. As such, it is much easier for a person to stick to the South Beach diet owing to the higher variety of food products that are allowed for consumption.