The march to health and fitness is raging and plenty of people are getting in on it. Some people do it in order to have a beautiful body, some people do it because they are embarrassed about their body as it is now, while others do it just to remain fit and healthy. As such, there are thousands of fitness programs on the Internet, in gyms, spas and fitness centres all over the world. Some are very – so expensive that you will lose weight quickly, just because you have to work hard to earn the money to pursue these fitness programs.

You may not have to go to the gym or the spa or any fitness centre and spend much just to slim down and obtain that desired sexy body. There are many books available in the bookshops offering diet programs that seem easy and free. However, the books are not cheap though. These diet plans are gaining immense popularity due to their publicity, testimonials and reviews and you might be confused as to exactly which one to follow. So before you choose which weight loss plan to follow, try reading the following precis of the most popular diet programs around today.

Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Dr. Atkins: This weight loss program promotes a high protein diet with a restricted carbohydrate consumption. You can dine heartily on vegetables and meat, but must not eat bread, rice or pasta. You are not restricted with your fat consumption so it is OK to pour on the (right) salad dressing and freely spread on the butter. However, during the diet, some people may find themselves short on fibre and high on fat and cholesterol. Grains and fruits are also strictly restricted.

The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet by Drs. Heller. This diet programme also recommends a low carbohydrate diet. It suggests eating meat, vegetables and fruit, dairy and grain products. however, advises against consuming too many carbohydrates. So-called “Reward Meals” can be rather high in fats and saturated fats.

Choose to Lose: by Dr. Goor. Restricts fat intake. You are given a “fat” budget and you are given free reign on how to spend it. It does not pressure the individual to watch his carbohydrate consumption. Eating meat and poultry as well as low-fat dairy and seafood is no problem. You may also consume vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta. This weight loss plan is quite healthy, because it recommends healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables and saturated fats. Watch your triglyceride levels though. If they are high, trim down on the carbohydrates and eat more unsaturated fats.

The DASH Diet. Recommends eating a fairly moderate amount of fat and protein yet a great deal of carbohydrates. It was primarily created to reduce blood pressure. The diet plan follows the pyramid food guide and encourages a high consumption of whole wheat grains and fruit and vegetables and low-fat dairy. However, some dieters think it advocates too much eating to create a significant weight loss.

Eat More, Weigh Less: by Dr. Ornish. Mostly vegetarian fare and strictly low-fat. Warns to watch out for non-fat dairy and egg whites. This diet plan is low in calcium and restricts the consumption of healthy foods like seafood and lean poultry.

Eat Right for Your Type: This diet is really unusual because it bases its recommendations on your blood type. For example, it advises plenty of meat for people with the blood type O. However, diet plans for some blood types are nutritionally imbalanced and very low in calories. Furthermore, just for the record, there is no proof that blood type can affect dietary needs.

The Pritkin Principle: It is focused on trimming the number of calories by eating watery foods that make you feel full. Eating vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, pasta, soups, salads and low-fat dairy is fine, although it restricts protein sources to lean meat, seafood and poultry. It is healthy because it provides low amounts of saturated fats and large amounts of vegetables and fruits. However, it is low on calcium and limits lean protein sources.

Volumetrics: It provides for eating fewer calories. It recommends the same foodstuffs as Pritkin but restricts fatty or dry foods like popcorn, pretzels and crackers. This program is fairly healthy given the high amounts of fruit and vegetables as well as being low in calories and saturated fats.

The Zone: It is fairly low on carbohydrates yet fairly high on proteins. It recommends low-fat protein foods like fish and chicken plus vegetables, fruits and grains. It is also a healthy plan but short on grains and calcium.

Weight Watchers: They advise high carbohydrate meals, but are moderate on fats and proteins. A fairly healthy diet plan and very flexible too. It allows the dieter to devise his own meals rather than offering recipes, although there are Weight Watchers’ TV dinners in the supermarkets.