What are some popular weight-loss diets?

There are more weight loss diet options available than personally I can keep track of. And this comes from someone who has tried many of them! What finally worked for me is to forget about quick fix options that I can only sustain for a period of time, usually while on a given diet, and begin to make healthy changes with regard to my nutrition and my exercise that I can incorporate and sustain long term. I suggest as you consider this as you determine the strategy you will take to work towards your weight loss goals. 

New weight loss diets are popping up every day.  The most common include Atkins, Zone, South Beach, and a renewal of the hCG diet from the 1950's.  These diets may help you lose weight in the beginning, but most people regain the weight once they go off the diet.  The best thing to do is make lifestyle changes.  If you are not active, become active.  If you are active, move more.  Pay close attention to portion control.  The real key to losing weight and keeping it off is to include your favorites foods in your diet, but eat everything in moderation.  Burn more calories than you consume each day for weight loss and burn the same amount of calories you consume in order to maintain your weight.

If you are unsure about portion sizes and how much of certain foods types you need, check out the new Government guidelines at http://www.choosemyplate.gov or make an appointment with a registered dietician.

There are many popular diets available, particularly for achieving weight loss, and they often give conflicting advice. For example, cardiologist Robert Atkins recommends a high protein, low carbohydrate regimen that includes considerable saturated fat. Other popular low carbohydrate diets include The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, Protein Power, Sugar Busters!, The Zone and Get Skinny on Fabulous Foods. By contrast, Dean Ornish, M.D. -- an outspoken critic of low carbohydrate diets -- advocates an ultra-low fat vegetarian diet. Cyndi Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a nutrition expert at the University of Arizona, says, "We have millions of dollars being spent on these diets, and everyone is throwing rocks at each other over what is the best diet." The United States Department of Agriculture is conducting scientific studies of popular diets -- such as the Atkins and Ornish regimens -- at their nutrition research center at the University of California, Davis.

An expert panel convened by U.S. News & World Report scored the most well-known diets on a scale of one to five, with five being best. Here's how they ranked:

1. The Dash Diet (4.8). A diet designed to prevent high blood pressure, DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It's endorsed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It's low in saturated fat and salt.
2. The TLC Diet (4.7). The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet was developed by the National Institutes of Health. Designed for those with heart disease or at high risk for it, the TLC diet is low in saturated fat (less than 7% of calories) and high in fiber and calcium.
3. Mediterranean Diet (4.6). Healthy and satisfying, this eating plan includes plenty of fresh produce, whole grains, heart-healthy fish, and olive oil. You can also throw back a glass or two of red wine with dinner.
4. Mayo Clinic Diet (4.5). This plan promotes eating energy-dense food, so you feel fuller on fewer calories. Recommended foods include whole-grain carbohydrates, lean sources of protein such as legumes, fish, and low-fat dairy, and heart-healthy unsaturated fats.
5. Volumetrics Diet (4.5). Volumetrics, like the Mayo Clinic plan, is designed to promote satiety through low-density foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nonfat dairy, and lean meats.