When setting out on a weight control strategy, checking out some diet reviews is a good first step. While this is the starting point for many people, this step is often not understood well enough.
Product reviews are always written from a particular perspective. Some reviewers may focus on low-carbohydrate diets, while others may focus on reduced calorie type diets. Still other reviewers may focus on the effectiveness of various dieting pills. The possibilities seem almost endless.
So, it follows that one of the first things for you to consider is what types of diets are available. Many people, especially those for whom this is not their first diet, do get to this step on their own. Unfortunately, they are not broad enough in their research.
When people think about types of diets, they tend to think about things like:
Some Common Diet Types
* Diets Focusing on Fast Weight Loss
* Diets Focusing on Low Calorie Intake
* Diets Focusing on Fat Reduction
* Portion Control
* Food Exchange Diets
* Diets Focusing on Fixed Menus
* Pre-packaged Meal Diets
* Prepared Formula Drinks and Bars
* Diets Focusing on Exercise and General Fitness
Some More Unusual Approaches
* Diets Utilizing Pharmaceuticals
* Diets Utilizing Supplements
* Herbs
* Affirmations
* Attitude Change Through Hypnosis
* Attitude Change Through Subliminal Messages
Perhaps a Little More Radical
* Surgery
* Psychological Therapy
While there are certainly more options out there, this is nonetheless a fairly expansive list. The items on the list lead us away from the real issue. The list is the real issue.
When we think about diets in this way, we tend to behave as if they were simple preferences--"would you like the red one or the blue one?"
Selecting a diet is more like selecting perfume. It is the combination of your chemistry and that of the perfume that creates the final scent. That is why you put some on your skin rather than simply smelling the perfume in the bottle.
The same is true of diets. It is you and the diet that determine whether it will work. It is important to realize that product reviewers typically don't consider the dieter, only the diet.
A better approach to deciding on a diet is to take a bird's eye view first. From here you can group diets by their common features. Then you can focus on what is most important to you. There is certainly more than one way to define groupings, so let's just try one of these ways to see how this might work.
Here's one way I use to group diets:
1. Counting, logging and Journaling (Tracking Calories, Carbohydrates, etc.)
2. Physical Activity (Various exercise programs.)
3. Food Strategies (Using food characteristics to advantage.)
4. Chemistry (Pharmaceuticals, Supplements, Herbs, etc.)
5. Behavioral Modification (Affirmations, Hypnosis, etc.)
6. Professional Intervention (Therapy and Surgery.)
Let's assume that arithmetic and paperwork are among the worst punishments you can think of. And that you'd rather have a heart attack than to have to keep a journal or a diary.
Being aware of your great love for numbers and paper-shuffling, it would be safe to say that diets in group 1 are not a safe bet for you. Choosing something out of group 3 or group 2, or even both may work out better. No reviewer's opinion will change these basic facts.
We can't go into great detail in a small article like this. But the main thing is to make sure that the diet reviews you look at are for diets in a category compatible with your natural way of being in the world. - 15343
Product reviews are always written from a particular perspective. Some reviewers may focus on low-carbohydrate diets, while others may focus on reduced calorie type diets. Still other reviewers may focus on the effectiveness of various dieting pills. The possibilities seem almost endless.
So, it follows that one of the first things for you to consider is what types of diets are available. Many people, especially those for whom this is not their first diet, do get to this step on their own. Unfortunately, they are not broad enough in their research.
When people think about types of diets, they tend to think about things like:
Some Common Diet Types
* Diets Focusing on Fast Weight Loss
* Diets Focusing on Low Calorie Intake
* Diets Focusing on Fat Reduction
* Portion Control
* Food Exchange Diets
* Diets Focusing on Fixed Menus
* Pre-packaged Meal Diets
* Prepared Formula Drinks and Bars
* Diets Focusing on Exercise and General Fitness
Some More Unusual Approaches
* Diets Utilizing Pharmaceuticals
* Diets Utilizing Supplements
* Herbs
* Affirmations
* Attitude Change Through Hypnosis
* Attitude Change Through Subliminal Messages
Perhaps a Little More Radical
* Surgery
* Psychological Therapy
While there are certainly more options out there, this is nonetheless a fairly expansive list. The items on the list lead us away from the real issue. The list is the real issue.
When we think about diets in this way, we tend to behave as if they were simple preferences--"would you like the red one or the blue one?"
Selecting a diet is more like selecting perfume. It is the combination of your chemistry and that of the perfume that creates the final scent. That is why you put some on your skin rather than simply smelling the perfume in the bottle.
The same is true of diets. It is you and the diet that determine whether it will work. It is important to realize that product reviewers typically don't consider the dieter, only the diet.
A better approach to deciding on a diet is to take a bird's eye view first. From here you can group diets by their common features. Then you can focus on what is most important to you. There is certainly more than one way to define groupings, so let's just try one of these ways to see how this might work.
Here's one way I use to group diets:
1. Counting, logging and Journaling (Tracking Calories, Carbohydrates, etc.)
2. Physical Activity (Various exercise programs.)
3. Food Strategies (Using food characteristics to advantage.)
4. Chemistry (Pharmaceuticals, Supplements, Herbs, etc.)
5. Behavioral Modification (Affirmations, Hypnosis, etc.)
6. Professional Intervention (Therapy and Surgery.)
Let's assume that arithmetic and paperwork are among the worst punishments you can think of. And that you'd rather have a heart attack than to have to keep a journal or a diary.
Being aware of your great love for numbers and paper-shuffling, it would be safe to say that diets in group 1 are not a safe bet for you. Choosing something out of group 3 or group 2, or even both may work out better. No reviewer's opinion will change these basic facts.
We can't go into great detail in a small article like this. But the main thing is to make sure that the diet reviews you look at are for diets in a category compatible with your natural way of being in the world. - 15343
About the Author:
Stephen Bartlay is a writer, researcher and also reviews weight control products . Stephen has a keen interest in diet approaches. And over the years, he has come to some unique insights of his own. Many of these insights are not included in typical diet programs. You can find more information and weight control product reviews at http://WhyWeight.info/ProductReview.