Finding the perfect diet

Finding the perfect diet   Recent discovery of notion by the researchers that no two individuals can lose weight in the same way has chalked out a new individualized approach for the weight conscious people who could not lose weight on the year''s fad or frustrated from traditional diet plans. Now the diet experts believe that one diet plan can''t fit to all dieters. This is because potential to lose or gain weight depends on different indicators such as gender; since men tend to have an easier time losing weight due to the lean muscle mass, which helps them burning calories more quickly than women. Other factors include height, age, genetics, metabolism, muscle mass, ethnicity, willingness to exercise and attitude, which vary from person to person. The individualized approach to dieting has powerful proof at the Weight Loss Registry which contains 4800 members who are supposed to maintain a 30-pound weight loss for at least a year. The co- founder of Registry, James Hill, a director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center reported that their entrants adopted different ways to lose weight such as low-carb diets, low-fat diets, diets based on the food pyramid and the grapefruit diet. But one similarity among all dieters is that they all combined dieting with regular exercise. Gary Foster, PhD, clinical director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine compared low-fat and low-carb regimens in the query to answer what type of diet a person should choose. Foster found that after one year of adherence, the two diets offered equal benefits in pounds lost -- but those on the low-carb plan had greater improvement in some heart-disease risk factors such as cholesterol levels. 7 Tests for the Perfect Diet In order to help dieters in approaching their individuals plans, experts have suggested following easy self-exams based on physical and psychological factors:
The Glycemic Index :
If you tend toward abdominal fat, crave starches and sugars, and have a fasting blood- sugar count of more than 100 (measured in a routine blood test), says Callaway, you may be insulin resistant. You''ll probably respond best to a low-carb diet, because cutting back on simple carbohydrates -- especially sugars and starches -- can often help stabilize blood-sugar and insulin levels.
The Exercise Equation
Active people, says David Schlundt, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University who specializes in weight disorders, might consider a low-fat diet that includes complex carbs. "You need glycogen for athletic performance, and it''s harder for your body to take in a lot of protein and convert it to glucose," he advises.
The Meal Monitor
Skipping meals or under eating slows your metabolism and blurs the chemical signals for hunger and fullness. "You can stabilize your ''hunger'' chemical, by eating at least a third of your calories at breakfast and another third at lunch," says Callaway. Complex carbs are good, especially early in the day.
The Broccoli Barometer
What foods do you love and hate? You can''t disregard this factor or you''ll never be able to live with your diet. Vegetarians, for instance, will have a hard time following Atkins because of its reliance on meat. You''ll do better with a calorie-controlled, low-fat diet that allows for fruits, vegetables and complex carbs. On the other hand, if you''d rather give up pasta than steak, pick a low-carb option.
The All-or-Nothing Question
Some people do best depriving themselves of foods they crave, so they aren''t tempted, which may be why some bread and cereal lovers are converts to a low-carb plan.
The Stress Test
The person who feels hungry often and likes to snack, or tends to use food f