Finding an effective weight loss program isn't hard.It's sticking to one for a long enough time that is hard. The trick is to find a diet which You can master instead of a diet which rules YOUR life. This article describes a few of the popular weight loss programs out there like South Beach and Atkins and describes the author's experience.

The South Beach Diet is all the craze these days. Folks are using it because it takes a completely different approach to weight loss. The diet is not based on low-carb intake or low-fat intake. Rather, it relies on a mixture of the right carbohydrates and fats.

With the new year approaching, many of us struggle with a resolution to lose weight that is rarely followed through. It can be daunting trying to find a good program to lose weight with when so many different options are out there. How do you know which one will actually work?

The South Beach diet is a diet plan started by Miami, Florida, area cardiologist Arthur Agatston which emphasizes the consumption of "good carbohydrates" and "good fats". Dr. Agatston developed this diet for his cardiac patients based upon his study of scientific dieting research. The diet first appeared in a book of the same name published by Rodale Press. The official website of the diet can be found at South Beach Diet Online.Dr. Agatston believes that excess consumption of so-called "bad carbohydrates", such as the rapidly-absorbed carbohydrates found in foods with a high glycemic index, creates an insulin resistance syndrome—an impairment of the hormone insulin's ability to properly process fat or sugar. In addition, he believes along with many physicians that excess consumption of "bad fats", such as saturated fat and trans fat, contributes to an increase in cardiovascular disease. To prevent these two conditions, Agatston's diet minimizes consumption of bad fats and bad carbohydrates and encourages increased consumption of good fats and good carbohydrates.The diet has three phases. In all phases of the diet, Dr. Agatston recommends minimizing consumption of bad fats.