Sizing up weight loss plans

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This time of year many people are focused on losing weight, either as a New Year's resolution or because they overate during the winter holidays. We take a look at some of the most popular diet and weight loss plans.

JENNY CRAIG: HOW IT WORKS: It's a balanced, calorie-controlled diet with weekly consultations in person or by phone.SAY GOODBYE TO: Your money. Jenny's Cuisine gets expensive. Also, participants may tire of the prepared meals and may not learn how to count calories outside the program.

WEIGHT WATCHERS: HOW IT WORKS: Foods are assigned point values based on their number of calories, grams of fat, and grams of fiber. Eat anything you want, but stay inside your daily point limit. SAY GOODBYE TO: Five-course tasting menus and supersize McDonald's meals.

ATKINS DIET, created by Dr. Robert Atkins HOW IT WORKS: The body metabolizes carbohydrates first; cut down on carbs, and your body will burn fat. So you can eat all the protein and fat you want and shed pounds. SAY GOODBYE TO: Sugar and carbs. After a stringent regimen the first few weeks, gradually up your carb intake and ease into a diet low in trans fats, sugars, refined flours, and processed foods.

SOUTH BEACH DIET: HOW IT WORKS: Replaces "bad carbs" and "bad fats" with "good carbs" and "good fats.SAY GOODBYE TO: Potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots, and corn for the first two weeks. After that, most of these foods remain strongly discouraged.

THE ZONE:HOW IT WORKS: Balance the basic food groups: 40 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, 30 percent protein. SAY GOODBYE TO:Caffeine, artificial sweeteners, one-dimensional meals.

SUGAR BUSTERS DIET: HOW IT WORKS: You are allowed to eat red meat, poultry, fish, olive oil, dairy foods, and nuts, as well as certain fruits and vegetables. SAY GOODBYE TO: Simple carbs such as pasta, white bread, and white rice, potatoes and most sugars.

RAW FOODS:HOW IT WORKS:Cooking food destroys its nutritional value: Enzymes begin to degenerate; the body has to use its own enzymes to digest food, hastening aging and sapping energy. SAY GOODBYE TO: Anything heated past 118 degrees.

MACROBIOTIC:HOW IT WORKS: Eat only when you're hungry, chew slowly, and divide your daily proportions along these lines: 10 percent brothy soup; 30 percent veggies, 10 percent beans and sea vegetables, and 50 percent whole grains-plus a bit of seafood, fruit, and nuts. And lots of twig tea. SAY GOODBYE TO: Meat, dairy, artificially or chemically treated foods, and caffeine.

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JENNY CRAIG: HOW IT WORKS: It's a balanced, calorie-controlled diet with weekly consultations in person or by phone.SAY GOODBYE TO: Your money. Jenny's Cuisine gets expensive. Also, participants may tire of the prepared meals and may not learn how to count calories outside the program.

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