Find a diet that will help you shed the pounds — and keep them off.

Summer tends to bring out the insecure in us. We can’t it especially when we start seeing swimsuits in shopping display windows. So we do the next best thing: we crash diet. But losing weight shouldn’t mean losing judgment on what’s right and what’s not. Here are the pros and cons of three popular diets.

South Beach Diet

How does it work: The diet has three phases, and the first one aims to reverse insulin resistance, reduce cravings, and let you lose weight fast by banning starchy and carbohydrate-laden food. Phase 1 will ask you to avoid dairy, fruits including fruit juices, bread, and other baked goodies.

Foods to enjoy: All types of beans, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplants, leafy greens, lean proteins like lean cuts tenderloin, skinless chicken, all types of fish and shellfish, peanut butter, pecans, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil.

Pro: You can lose weight without counting calories, weighing food portions and missing any meal. It even allows snacks! And in the first two weeks you lose 8 to 13 pounds, mostly from your belly.

Con: Because you lose weight fast, you can gain it back just as fast if you don’t adhere strictly to the rules. Besides, the ideal weight loss per week is about 2 pounds to avoid any potential health hazards. It also doesn’t address dieters who have problems with dairy. You also need to be concerned about muscle loss. Consult your doctor as well if you have kidney problems.

Atkins Diet

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Most women have been on diets at some point in their lives. It’s common to meet up with a friend and start talking about the newest diet craze or miracle pill which promises to get rid of unwanted fats and result to a healthier you. In today’s society where the sizes are getting smaller and we’re getting more and more bombarded with visuals of how a woman ought to look like, it’s quite understandable to get frustrated when you try out a diet and not get the desired results. Good thing, then, that we are living in a day and age where information is disseminated on a wider scope, at a faster pace. This is certainly a plus for all of us who are searching for what works. After all, there is always a new take on ways we can achieve that healthier state — and one of those ways just happens to be the Hibernation Diet. In a nutshell, it utilizes the health benefits of honey (one to two spoonfuls per night), while relying on your liver to get your metabolism up and running while you sleep.

What happens when one of the top dieting principles we are familiar with gets challenged? For the longest time, we’ve heard people swear by the After Six Diet (one does not eat anything three hours before bedtime) and having intensive workouts as frequently as possible. And here’s another one: the classic Calorie Count Diet (which is, put simply, taking note of the calories of every food and beverage you consume and making sure that you do not exceed a targeted daily total calorie intake), a diet that goes by the principle of cutting back on the goods and is also more effective when coupled with exercise. Oftentimes, we hear of women who start losing weight then hit a plateau (weight doesn’t budge even though the regimen is being followed religiously) after some time.

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It’s definitely not “ecstasy” though its euphoric effects are so much better and safer. Neither is it “exhibitionism” but this “e” might induce you into doing just that. Everyone has it on his or her lips. Billboards of lean sexy bodies proclaim in out loud. Your doctor has probably prescribed it to you one time or another. It’s neither a pill nor a drug. From the outdoors to hole-in-the-wall spots to mega clubs, it is widely sold but not widely taken. It’s the only “e” that matters — exercise!

But of course, you’ve heard it before and you’re probably into it. But what really goes on in exercise? How should you exercise? Whether you’re a newbie who wants to get into an exercise program or a seasoned veteran wanting to change your programming, deciphering the exercise code is the key to truly understanding the workout.

Whether it be cardio, strength, flexibility, or a combination, the four (4) key factors in exercise are Frequency (F), Intensity (I), Time (T) and Mode (M) or simply known as FIT(M).

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We have heard about it in night clubs and party bars. We have seen it in an American film. Heading all the way to the center tage, geting all the attention of the big stars and shining its glamour in the fitness area. Enjoy a workout experience with pole dancing!

Pole dancing is a combination of art and exercise that requires strength, stamina and skill. It is one form of erotic dancing, which can be used as an aerobic workout, depending on how you are going to execute the movements or perform the steps. But generally, it was designed to improve one’s muscle tone, establish upper and lower body strength and burn more or less, 250 calories per session.

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Do you feel like you never have the tie to exert extra effort to move and eat right during he day because of work? We are featuring three career women who are determined o attain their lifestyle and weight loss goals in at least 3 months. To assess yourself for this program, answer the questions to the readiness test below and see if you are most likely to succeed:

1. Is my motive for my health and fitness goal not externally influenced by a particular event or a person?

2. Am I willing to restructure my daily schedule and devote time to exercise at least 3 hours a week?

3. Am I willing to gradually modify my food intake by choosing healthier options and applying portion control?

4. Am I willing to give time for stress management by having at least 6-8 hours of sleep daily and pampering myself with something that I like to do or buy at at least once a week?

5. Am I emotionally healthy and free of mental disturbances that might aggravate my condition within the duration of the program?

6. Am I willing to consult a medical professional if I have a history and/or am currently experiencing a medical problem before I start the Busy Women’s Exercise Program?

If you answered YES, to all of the items, then you are ready to do this!

Busy Women’s 10 Workout and Food Intake Considerations

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