Diet Wars: The Top Weight Loss Programs With Real Results

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With the countless number of diet programs popping up everyday, it becomes nearly impossible to know which ones actually work and which ones are going to scam you out of your hard-earned cash. Luckily, Consumer Reports took the guess work out of it for you with their latest study on diet ratings. It looks like Valerie Bertinelli got it right, because Jenny Craig was rated the number one way to lose weight.

In a two-year study, 92 percent of the 332 participants stuck with the Jenny Craig program for the full two years. The diet plan combines personal counseling with pre-made, portion-controlled foods. Jenny Craig also includes the Volumetrics plan - which was rated number one in Consumer Reports' last diet rating study four years ago - based on eating high-bulk, low-calorie food.

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But Jenny isn't for everyone... just ask Kirstie Alley. According to Dr. Kathleen Melanson, associate professor of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island, "If you're forcing yourself on a diet you hate, it's going to be really hard to stick with long-term." So what are your other options? Here are the other top diet plans the study found:

  1. Jenny Craig (Valerie Bertinelli, Sara Rue, and Queen Latifah)

  2. Slim-Fast (Rachel Hunter, Kathie Lee Gifford and Whoopi Goldberg)

  3. Weight Watchers (Jenny McCarthy, Jennifer Hudson and Sarah Ferguson)

  4. The Zone diet (Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker and Rene Zellwegger)

  5. Tie between Dr. Dean Ornish's Eat More, Weigh Less and the Atkins diet

Want to Lose Weight? Then Get Skinnier Friends...

WHAT TO CONSIDER:

  • "To lose weight, you have to burn up more calories than you take in, no matter what kind of diet you're on... Protein is the most satiating nutrient, followed by high-fiber grains, fruits, and vegetables." - Dean Ornish, M.D


  • "Refined carbohydrates promote weight gain and type 2 diabetes through their effects on blood sugar and insulin." - Eric C. Westman, M.D.


  • "A low-ish carbohydrate diet that's high in vegetables and lean protein, including dairy; moderate in fruit; with unsaturated fat from sources such as olive oil, nuts, avocados, and fish [is your best bet]." - Michael L. Dansinger, M.D.


  • A good emotional support system is key. "Most people think they're going to have the hardest time with that support group, and yet it's the secret sauce that makes the diet sustainable." - Dean Ornish, M.D


Sara Rue Photo: Jenny Craig


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