Let’s say you are going to attend a special event in 4 weeks and you are panicking because you need to lose that extra weight in a short period of time. It can be overwhelming and frustrating at the same time to come up with a diet plan to successfully lose weight.
There are plenty of diet programs you can choose from to get that desired weight you’ve always wanted fast. Here are some of them to help you decide which to choose:
The 7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet
This diet program claims that you can lose up to 10 pounds in just 7 days. This diet has been around for ages though the origin is unknown. For a week, you eat almost nothing but cabbage soup. You can also have other foods each day such as fruits, skim milk or vegetables. The Cabbage Soup Diet is quite low in calories. Your body ends up burning more calories than what you are eating, resulting in a rapid loss of weight. It is also one of the cheapest diet plans because the ingredients are inexpensive.
However, the diet is not to be done for more than 7 days. It is meant to jumpstart your journey to losing weight. If you want to continue your weight loss journey, you can proceed to a diet plan that is long-term and more balanced.
Although the Cabbage Soup Diet will help you lose weight, most of it will likely to come back as soon as you cease the diet. The weight you lose in this diet is more likely water weight and muscle mass because it has very low protein. Exercise is also not recommended with this diet because of its low-calorie content.
The Non-Starving 7-Day 1,200-Calorie Meal Plan
With this diet, you can do simple and sensible exercises combined with a meal plan that is designed to help you lose up to 20 pounds. You can add calorie-free beverages if desired. You can also take multivitamins and a calcium supplement daily.
1,200 calories is about as low as you can go without jeopardizing a healthy nutritional status and losing muscle mass. It is commonly recommended because it prompts weight loss for the average person who needs 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day to maintain weight.
When doing this kind of diet plan, you should avoid skipping meals. This can lead to hunger, which will cause you to go beyond the 1,200-calorie goal per day. You can go for 400 calories for breakfast, lunch and dinner; 350 calories for each of the three meals with one additional 150-calorie snack; or 300 calories for each meal plus two 150-calorie snacks. The options make this diet plan flexible and tailored to what you want for that day.
You can have about 1 to 3 ounces of protein, a cup of vegetables and 1 to 3 ounces of whole grains for each full meal. Protein intake helps to keep you satisfied. You can also do a little exercise every now and then. You can also aim to consume at least 3 cups of low-fat dairy and 1-½ cups of fruit.
There are certain foods you should avoid such as sweets, alcohol and soft drinks for they are very high in calories. When you consume these, you might go beyond 1,200 calories ruining your diet plan.
The 2-Week Rapid Weight Loss Plan by Dr. Oz
This diet program is an excellent kick-start on your journey to weight loss or to conquer a diet plateau. The program lets you load up on healthy food such as low-glycemic vegetables and minimal portions of protein, which can help curb your cravings.
However, there are things you need to eliminate while on the diet program:
- No wheat (except ½ cup brown rice)
- No artificial sweeteners
- No white sugar
- No alcohol
- No dairy (except Greek yogurt)
- No caffeine
- No additional exercises
- No meals between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Here is a list of what you can eat:
- Start the day with a cup of hot water and ½ lemon
- Breakfast smoothie
- Organic green tea
- 6-oz of chicken, turkey or fish per day (protein)
- ½ cup of cooked brown rice per day (carbohydrates)
- Good fats such as olive oil and avocado
- 1 cup of 2% plain Greek yogurt per day (dairy)
- Unlimited low-glycemic vegetables
- Hummus, nuts and pickles for snacks
While on this plan, you can also take probiotics in the morning, multivitamins (½ in the morning and ½ in the evening) and take a detoxifying bath (soak with Epsom salt (2 cups )and baking soda 1 cup)).
Stick to a diet program you can finish
Choose a plan you think believe you can stick to, so you can maximize its benefits. There is one common denominator with these diet plans: Eat healthy. Healthy foods always help us shed those extra pounds.