Don't know what diet to choose (I don't mind rigorous diets)

Before you start this diet, consult with your doctor.

HMR stands for Health Management Resources. It is a diet plan that helps dieters lose weight with a combination of dieting and meal-replacement drinks. You can follow this plan at home, or you can pay to be in a medical clinical environment where diet counselor works with you one-on-one. HMR has more than 40 clinics across the US.

When it comes to calorie intake, this diet is very restrictive. It is designed for those who have more than 40 pounds to lose. HMR provides a few programs that enable you to reach your desired weight with special attention given to long-term weight loss and weight maintenance.

When you start HMR program, you begin a six-week liquid diet that consists of HMR shakes and then start a low-calorie diet, under medical supervision, that includes various special HMR products (bars, shakes, soups etc.).

The HMR program is arranged to be followed for a minimum of six months and for as long as two years. It all depends on how much weight do you need to lose. For more information visit HMR program.

Before you start this diet, consult with your doctor.

Biggest Loser is a popular reality show that started in 2004 in which obese contestants lose weight by following Biggest Loser diet. With the Biggest Loser Club, the official weight loss program of the Biggest Loser, you can adopt the same diet and fitness plans like the contestants in the show.

Biggest loser diet encourages users to consume carbs that come mostly from fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products. White food(sugar, white flour, white rice, white pasta, etc.) should be completely removed from the menu or at least severely reduced. Proteins should come from lean meat, fish, and low-fat dairy. Fats should come from seeds, nuts, and olive oil.

You can use The Biggest Loser Cookbook for 125+ recipes designed for this diet.

Vegetarians and vegans can easily adjust this diet to their preferences. People with high cholesterol, heart condition or diabetes will benefit from this diet.

For more information visit biggestloserclub.com.

Before you start this diet, consult with your doctor. Even though this diet has many health benefits (you avoid all processed food), many experts consider it unsafe and nutritionally deficient because it excludes entire food groups (legumes, grains, dairy products), making it hard for dieters to get all the nutrients they need.

The Paleolithic Diet consists only from food that was consumed by our ancestors living in Paleolithic era over 10,000 years ago. The Paleo Diet advocates claim that our bodies are designed to survive and flourish on the diet that was available to our early Paleolithic predecessors. The backbone of Paleolithic Diet are meat, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and basically anything that was available in the Paleolithic era. Foods that were not available in the Paleolithic era, and therefore are not allowed, are  grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. Followers of this diet believe that modern day food is to blame for the obesity epidemic, as well as the increase in weight-related health conditions.

For more information buy the Paleo diet book or visit thepaleodiet.com.

Before you start this diet, consult with your doctor.

The majority of Medifast customers use a “5&1” plan that contains six meals a day. Five of those meals are Medifast products – various shakes, bars and soups. The sixth meal, which you can have at any time, is a meal  you prepare yourself. It should contain around only lean protein  and non-starchy vegetables. When you reach your desired weight, you slowly start replacing Medifast products, and progressively reintroduce starchy vegetables, whole grains, fruit and low-fat dairy products in your diet. Medifast has a special assortment of products designed for weight maintenance.

For more information visit Medifast.

Before you start with this diet, consult with your doctor.

Slim-Fast became popular with meal-replacement shakes. Currently, it has grown into a complete weight-loss program followed with an assortment of products. Calorie limit in this diet is set to 1200 calories a day. You can get them from three snacks, (it can be a piece of fruit or a Slim-Fast bar), two Slim-Fast meal replacements and a single 500-calorie meal that you prepare. 

Slim-Fast is mostly suited for people who want to lose about 20 pounds, which shouldn't take longer than 8 to 10 weeks. Most dieters will have a hard time following this program longer than that.

For more information visit Slim-Fast.

Before you start with this diet, consult with your doctor.

Successfully losing weight can be simpler if you don't have to bother with meal management chores. Nutrisystem regulates portions, prepares and delivers your meals, tells you what to eat and when to eat. You still. have to go to a supermarket every now and then. You’ll have to buy your own fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products of your own choice to supplement Nutrisystem’s products.

All of the Nutrisystem meals are low on the glycemic index and have a healthy balance of carbs, good fats, and protein. The women's program contains about 1,200 calories and the men’s contains about 1,500 calories per day, but these numbers can vary from person to person and is dependent on multiple factors (age, weight, level of activity, etc.)

For more information visit Nutrisystem.

Before you start this diet, consult your doctor. Even though successful on a short run, it is highly controversial. Many health experts claim it has a multitude of negative effects on your health, especially if you follow it for longer than a couple of months. For a more nutritionally balanced and healthier diet, you can try the Atkins 40 diet which is similar to classic Atkins but with more food variety and fewer restrictions.

The Atkins diet has four phases:

1. The first phase lasts for two weeks in which you should avoid carbohydrates and all foods containing them (even in small quantities).We also should avoid fruits and leafy vegetables and a person on a diet should use a variety of supplements to compensate for the vitamins and minerals.
2. The second phase is slowly introducing carbohydrates when you are allowed to consume 15-40 g of carbohydrate per day, depending on the body weight of the patient.
3. The third phase allows consumption of large amounts of carbohydrates that are regulated so they don't affect your weight.
4. The fourth phase lasts for the rest of your life. A certain amount of carbohydrates you can consume is defined and you should stick to it if you want to maintain your desired weight.

For more information visit the Atkins diet.

Before you start this diet, consult with your doctor. With this diet, certain vitamins and minerals could be deficient if meals aren't planned carefully and there is a danger of getting food poisoning from contaminated undercooked or raw food.

There are many versions of the raw food diet and it is up to you to decide which one to follow. No matter what version you choose, 70-80% of your daily food intake will fruit and vegetable heated to a maximum of 115 degrees Fahrenheit(46 degrees Celsius). Only handful of people follow a 100% raw diet. Most raw food fans are vegans, but some of them choose to eat raw animal products, such as raw (unpasteurized) milk, cheese made from raw milk, and certain kinds of raw fish and meat. You’ll consume various fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds and nuts.

All pasteurized dairy products, processed foods, refined sugars and flours are off limit. Table salt and coffeine as well. No more pasta, any kind of baked goods, junk food and most store-bought juices.

Vegetarians and vegans can easily adjust this diet to their preferences. People with high cholesterol and heart condition  will benefit from this diet.

For more information visit the best of raw food diet.

Before you start this diet, consult with your doctor. Even though Dukan diet can help you lose weight, many experts consider it unhealthy, not effective in the long run and nutritionally deficient.

Dukan diet is created by Dr. Pierre Dukan and it is comprised of four phases that cycle the types of protein and carbs you consume. The reason for this cycling is to reach into fat reserves for energy and trick the metabolism to effectively burn excess fat.

The four cycles are:

• Attack Phase: You are allowed to eat lean meat, fat-free dairy products, and fish. You are advised to drink an abundance of water. This phase is designed to be followed no more than 10 days.

• Cruise Phase: This phase is all about alternating days when you eat only protein, and days when you eat protein and non-starchy vegetables. Using any kind of fat for preparing meals is strictly forbidden. Drinking lots of water is still required. You should follow this phase for a long as it needs you to reach your desired weight.

• Consolidation Phase: Protein from lean meat is still your main calorie source. But in this phase, you can also eat one portion of fruit, two slices of whole wheat bread, and a piece of cheese (1.5 ounces).Twice per week you can add a small portion of starchy carbs like potato or rice. You can also have two days in a week when you can eat a cheat meal that includes dessert. But then the following day you can only eat protein. For every pound you lost, you should add 7 days to the duration of the consolidation phase.

• Stabilization: You can start eating normally, but one day per week should be a protein-only day.

For more information buy the Dukan diet book or visit dukandiet.com.

Before you start with this diet, consult your doctor.

The diet is designed to be followed in three phases. But, if you have no more than 10 pounds of excess weight, you can start with phase 2. Each phase becomes gradually less restrictive. The focus is on removing bad carbs and fats from your diet and instead start consuming good carbs and fats. Your typical days will consist of three meals, two healthy snacks, and a dessert with a high percentage of protein.

• Phase 1: You have to endure for two weeks without starchy food like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. Fruits, milk, yogurt, honey and baked goods are also off the table. Sugar is strictly forbidden. Emphasis is on lean meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and non-starchy vegetables.

• Phase 2: You gradually reinstate fruits, pasta, and bread(whole grain only). You'll pick only one type of carb and combine it with one meal each day for one week. You are advised to wait a couple of days and if there are no noteworthy effects, implement one more healthy carbohydrate. Continue this until you're able to successfully have two or three healthy carbohydrates each day. Phase two will last until you reach your desired weight.

• Phase 3: In this phase you maintain your desired weight that you reached in phase 2. Phase 3 is designed to last for life. No food is forbidden. Instructions recommend eating 3 pieces of fruit daily, 3 to 4 servings of starchy vegetables, and no more than 2 tablespoons of healthy fats, such as olive oil.

For more information visit southbeachdiet.com

Ornish diet was invented by Dr. Dean Ornish, a well-known cardiologist. Originally, Ornish diet was developed  to prevent heart diseases and to help people who already suffer from heart diseases. Except making your heart healthier, this diet will also lower your cholesterol and make you lose weight. 

Ornish diet severely limits animal fat and cholesterol and focuses on getting nutrients from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Only low-fat dairy products are allowed and alcohol and simple carbs are strictly forbidden. Dr. Ornish proposes that your diet contains 10% fat, 20% protein and 70% carbs. It is almost completely a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarians and vegans can easily adjust this diet to their preferences. People with high cholesterol, heart condition or diabetes will benefit from this diet.

For more information visit Ornish diet or you can order Ornish diet book.

TLC stands for Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes and it's a program created primarily to lower your cholesterol, but it can also help you lose weight. If you want to follow this diet, you will have to seriously trim your consumption of saturated fat.

Your daily intake of saturated fat should not be higher than 7% of your daily calorie intake which means you will have to get rid of high-fat dairy products and processed meat as well as pork and other fatty meat. You are allowed only skinless chicken and turkey or fish. Your daily cholesterol intake is limited to 200 mg which means you will have to do some counting to figuring out how much cholesterol a certain food has.

Vegetarians and vegans can easily adjust this diet to their preferences. People with high cholesterol, heart condition or diabetes will benefit from this diet.

For more information visit TLC diet.

Before you try this diet, consult your doctor.

Supporters of the alkaline diet claim that some foods increase the level of acid in your body and cause you harm and weight gain while other foods decrease it making you healthy and causing you weight loss. This claim is not entirely correct because nothing you eat can significantly change Ph level of your body. But if you stick to this diet, you will most likely lose weight because you are encouraged to eat healthy and nutritionally balanced meals.

The alkaline diet promotes eating lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, soybean and some legumes. Dairy products, most grains, eggs, meat and processed food of any kind are strictly prohibited. Alcohol and coffee are also not allowed.

Vegetarians and vegans can easily adjust this diet to their preferences. People with high cholesterol, heart condition or diabetes will benefit from this diet.

For more information visit alkaline diet.

Before you try this diet, consult your doctor.

Several celebrities made this diet very popular. It has very simple rules. You eat 14 jars of baby food (any kind you want) a day and you are allowed to have only one "real" meal a day that includes lean meat and lots of vegetables. Everything else is banned. And that's it.

This diet is meant to be sustained for no more than 7 days. It is not a diet one would consider balanced or nutritionally sound, but it may help you lose some weight since it is highly unlikely you will eat too much, thanks to the portion control and boring taste. Most people will get sick of baby food after one or two days.

Will all that in mind, it this diet is rather difficult to follow and most people will find it hard to sustain for more than a couple of days. But since it is low in fat, sugar, and salt, it can help you clean your body from toxins and jump-start your weight loss.

Vegetarians and vegans can easily adjust this diet to their preferences.

For more information, visit baby food diet.

Before you try this diet, consult your doctor.

Flat Belly diet is one of the few diets that advocates increased fat intake as a way to lose weight. Of course, we are talking about healthy fats (monounsaturated fats) you get from olive oil, seeds, nuts, and other plants that high in fat. Saturated fat you get from fatty meats and processed food should be avoided.

You are supposed to eat 4 meals a day, every 4 hours. Meals should have around 400 calories which add up to 1600 calories per day. Every meal should include healthy fats.

For the first 4 days, this diet's main goal is to decrease bloating of your body and  is somewhat rigid since it bans all processed food, vegetables that makes you gassy (onion, legumes), and carbs like bananas, pasta, bread, etc. That can be challenging for most people, but fortunately, it lasts only 4 days.

After that, you switch to more casual diet (but still are not allowed to go over 1600 calories per day and must include healthy fats in every meal) that very much resembles Mediterranean diet.

It is considered healthy for people with high cholesterol, blood pressure or heart disease.

For more information visit the Flat Belly diet.

Before you try this diet, consult your doctor.

This is one tough program. It requires lots of exercise (6 times a week, 3 days cardio, 3 weight lifting) along with fairly rigorous diet plan. You will mostly eat carbs and proteins with very little fat distributed through 6 small meals. One day per week you are allowed a "cheat" day when you can indulge in food that is prohibited during the rest of the week.

And the following is prohibited: fatty and processed meats, high-fat dairy products, processed sugar or any kind of junk food.

This diet is meant to change your lifestyle. Even though you might lose some weight quickly, it is designed to work in the long run. As mentioned before, it could be hard to follow, especially if you are not used to exercising this much. But if you stick to it, results should be satisfying.

For more information visit the Body for Life.

Before you try this diet, consult with your doctor. This diet could lead to malnutrition and mineral and vitamin deficiency. It should not be followed for longer than a week. It won't help you in the long run. It is not suitable for people with diabetes.

The Cabbage Soup diet is a quick weight-loss diet and its supporters claim you can lose 10 pounds (4.54 kg) in a week. It can be used to lose a couple of pounds before some important event or it can be used as a measure to jump-start your weight loss and then switch to a healthy and balanced diet.

As its title says, you will mostly eat cooked cabbage. You are allowed to add tomatoes, peppers, onions and some other ingredients in your cabbage soup. There are many recipes out there. Each day you will be allowed to eat something other than cabbage soup. Some day it will be a piece of lean meat, other days it will be fruit or low-fat dairy product. Vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended.

This diet will give you only 1000 calories per day,  which is only half of recommended calories for most adults which means you will be hungry all the time and you might struggle with following this diet. Exercise is definitely not recommended while following this diet because your body simply won't have enough fuel.

Before you try this diet, consult your doctor.

Want to start a diet, but can't imagine life without carbs? This might be a diet for you. The Carb Lover's diet allows carbs, but not just any carbs. It encourages you to eat carbs rich in resistant starch such as whole grains, legumes, bananas, brown rice and some other. They should be included in every meal you eat. Processed food, white flour, refined sugar and other low-fiber carbs are banned.

The first week is rough because you are limited to only 1200 calories, but after that, you switch to 1600 calories. 1600 calories limit is also pretty low for most adults, but this diet rich in fiber and complex carbs will make you feel full most of the time and keep your blood sugar in balance which will tame your cravings for unhealthy food. It is designed to be followed for 30 days but since it is healthy and balanced, you can stick to it much longer and maybe add 200-300 more calories per day if 1600 is too low for you.

For more information visit the Carb Lover's diet or you can order the Carb Lover's book.

Vegetarians and vegans can easily adjust this diet to their preferences. People with high cholesterol, heart condition or diabetes will benefit from this diet.