I commonly get asked which Weight Loss Diet will be best for me and which will best suit my Weight Loss goals.
At Capalaba Natural Health I typically use 3 main diets for Weight Loss. Each are excellent but they also have their own unique strengths and weaknesses and suit peoples goals differently.
Below I have briefly summarized each diet for you, given you it’s strengths and weaknesses plus given a few examples of which diet I feel is best considering different weight loss goals.
The HcG Diet
The HcG diet is the main Weight Loss diet that I use in the clinic. Personally I think it is an awesome diet which consistently delivers great results week in week out for my clients. Most people on the diet feel energized, reduce their pain levels due to it’s anti-inflammatory effects and typically lose 1kg of fat per week.
The HcG Diet is a mechanism based diet. We raise HcG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) in the body using homeopathic drops. Once raised over a few days we reduce your calories to 500 calories per day. Now I know that this sounds very low, and it is, but you will be surprised how much you get to eat. It’s a really clever and successful diet.
The structure enables you to eat 5 – 6 times per day. The main benefit of increasing HcG in conjunction with a low calorie diet is that it suppresses your appetite and then makes your body burn fat for energy instead of food. You are essentially eating yourself. Remember that fat is just stored energy and that this diet is excellent at burning your fat stores for energy. It’s the equivalent of you doing 5-6 hours of cross training at the gym every single day … without you doing any. How cool is that.
This is the diet that I recommend most of my client to do as it delivers the most fat loss per week of any diet I have worked with and I have found very few people who it doesn’t work well for.
The only weakness of this diet is that you can’t do much exercise while on this diet due to the low levels of sugars in your muscles. If you do too much exercise you will get tired quickly and start craving sugars … and then break your diet. My recommendation is to use the diet to lose weight and then exercise afterwards to help keep the weight off and to increase muscle strength and tone.
The Shake It Diet
The Shake It Diet is also a mechanism based diet. It is called a ketogenic diet because we reduce your intake of foods that contain sugar or that break down to sugar. When there is not enough sugar around, the bodies primary source of energy, the body will flick a switch and start burning your fat stores instead. This is because fat is the secondary source of energy in the body. Burning fat for energy is known as going into ketosis.
The Shake It Diet consists of a protein shake for breakfast, that also support liver function, and then portions of nuts, lean meats, fish or poultry protein and vegetables throughout the day. It is a very healthy diet and very similar to a healthy eating diet plan, though strict enough to become an active weight loss diet. Most people typically lose around 0.5kg of fat per week on the Shake It Diet.
While not a weakness per se the main weakness of the Shake It Diet is that most people typically lose weight at 1/2 the rate of the HcG diet. Though the wider variety of food, larger quantities and ability to do more exercise however does suit some people better.
The Integrated Detox Diet
I believe that detoxification is a very important part of modern life and should be done 1 – 2 times per year. I typically do a detox at the start of spring which is in line with the natural cycles of nature and my body. I also do a detox in January as a means of starting the year healthier and to support my mind set that I want to be as healthy as I can for the year ahead.
After performing a 4 week detox I find that my energy levels have increased, my mind is sharper and that I have lost between 3 – 4 kg of weight. I also use detox as mean to support clients digestive health and those with aches and pains, autoimmune conditions and inflammatory conditions such as Arthritis.
An integrated detox includes eating lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and lean protein. You also eliminate substances such as dairy, wheat, processed foods, coffee, tea and alcohol. In addition to the diet you also take supplements designed to remove bad gut bacteria and parasites, repair your gut lining, support and detoxify your liver and to increase your friendly protective gut bacteria.
Some people will experience a headache and detox symptoms for 2 – 3 days at the beginning of this diet. This is normally due to the removal of caffeine from your diet. An integrated Detox Diet is an excellent way to feel healthier and to give your body a spring clean plus to lose some weight as well. You won’t lose 20 kg on this diet but it is excellent for achieving the right goals.
So … Which diet should you choose?
If your goal is to lose 5kg plus then I would start with the HcG Diet. You should lose 1kg a week and this diet consistently delivers great results plus increases your energy levels too.
If however you want to lose weight but don’t want to reduce your exercise then I would suggest that you do the Shake It Diet. This will allow you to lose around 0.5kg per week while maintaining moderate exercise levels. As stated previously, personally I would still do the HcG Diet and then restart your exercise after you have lost the weight.
If you have a very busy social life then the wider variety of foods available on the Shake It Diet might suit you best.
If you want to lose 1-5kgs of weight quickly, for argument sake for a wedding or special event, then the HcG Diet will achieve this for you. It’s the quickest and most consistent diet I know.
If you wish to lose 1-5kgs over a 4 week period and improve your overall health and well being too then an integrated detoxification is the way to go. You’ll lose weight plus feel significantly energized and sharper in mind and spirit. It also reduce aches and pains too and supports digestive health.
Other diets that I use in the clinic, primarily for weight maintenance include The Paleo Diet, The 5:2 Diet, Blood Type Diet and Food Intolerance Testing.
If you are still unsure which diet is best for you and your individual circumstances please feel free to call the clinic on 07 3823 3103 and I’d be happy to chat to you further.
This article on ‘Finding out which Weight Loss Diet is best for you’ was written by Award Winning Naturopath and Weight Loss Specialist Tony Daniel from Capalaba Natural Health. Click here for more information on the diets.
