Paleo Diet
“Eating out at restaurants can be difficult for those who are not committed to the new way of eating.” —Allison Bojarski, 39, female
“It’s not super-convenient for travel or quick food on the run. It’s more expensive at the grocery store and I also miss biting into a fresh baguette or a big, gooey chocolate chip cookie.” —Chris Teig, 40, male
“It is tiring to explain at office parties, family functions, etc., why I am not having cake, beer, and deep-fried Oreos with powdered sugar and whipped cream.” —Trevor, 23, male
“I miss some sweets, but cravings seem to have decreased over time.” —Joshua Doeleman, 40, male
Weight Watchers
“The constant accountability is the worst. But that also probably helps the most. You always have to think about what you’re going to eat and plan ahead, but that’s what helps you lose weight. I have reached the point many times where I just didn’t want to think about it anymore.” —Kendra, 27, female
“Keeping up with points and calculating the points of a new recipe you may want to try can get annoying.” —Ashley, 25, female
“Accepting the fact that I will never be able to eat with abandon.” —Susan, 46, female
“It’s tough to go to nice restaurants and try to calculate the points of what I’m eating.” —Laura, 31, female
Would you recommend this diet to a food-loving friend? Why or why not?
17 Day Diet
“Yes, but I would allow oneself to cheat a little bit. I thought that it was very strict and unrealistic. For example, I thought that veggies should be allowed to be roasted with a little bit of oil and perhaps some veggie stock. Also I had coffee instead of green tea. And I think one should be allowed to have or two alcoholic drinks a week. This diet proved to be useful for me just more on the cutting back of sugar. I normally use honey a lot and didn’t throughout this time, and I sometimes eat candy, but didn’t while on the diet. I think it made me realize that just changing one or two things can really make a difference.” —Carolina Santos-Neves, 30, female
“It would depend. Do you love food more than yourself? If so, then this isn’t the diet for you. If my friend really wanted to lose weight and was willing to become more creative in the kitchen to make that happen, of course!” —Maggie, 38, female
Dukan Diet
“Yes—I would if they were open to pushing themselves to cook and get creative with what they’re eating. Otherwise, it’s too easy to fall back on what’s readily available cooked or pre-made at a grocery store or restaurant, which are foods that typically include a high amount of carbs. I also recommend doing the diet with a significant other or friend to share ideas, keep each other motivated, and have a buddy to brainstorm with when out to dinner or lacking ideas on what to make.” —Betty, 31, female
“No, I would not recommend this to a food-loving friend unless that friend already was primarily a meat, poultry, and seafood eater and eschewed vegetables, fruits, and grains. I missed the textures of vegetables and fruits: There was nothing crunchy, nothing really [naturally] sweet, nothing bitter, nothing! Zip. Zilch. It was boring. With the beef and turkey, I felt like I was always missing a side of carbs. Thankfully we would go out for sushi, but it’s really only sashimi and tofu that you can eat—although I sort of cheated and had broiled salmon and miso soup, both of which had way more salt that the diet allows. Even on the Cruise phase, it’s hard to eat seasonally because there are so many outlawed foods.” —E. E., 37, female
Paleo Diet
“I recommend this diet to anyone, including food-loving friends. While on the surface it seems like you’re sacrificing a lot of what you ’can’t’ eat, look at what you can: fatty meats, fresh fish and seafood, vegetables—whether leafy or starchy—fresh fruits, etc.” —Allison Bojarski, 39, female
“I would, although it’s probably not for everyone. I’ve had great results from it but it’s a pretty major lifestyle change and involves a lot of dedication.” —Chris Teig, 40, male
“Yes, I would, provided that food-loving friend also loved steak. This is a great way to put what you’re eating into focus. It challenges you to eat more vegetables and look to healthy foods as snacks—instead of grabbing a bag of chips, you’re encouraged to eat an apple. But this is not the right diet for you if you enjoy going out to dinner and socializing—and especially not for you if you love passed appetizers.” —Brie, 27, female
Weight Watchers
“I would definitely recommend this diet. It allows you to live your life without many restrictions or limitations and it works. You can still eat the foods you love, just in smaller quantities.” —Kendra, 27, female
“Absolutely! It taught me how to determine which foods really are good for me and which ones are just better to stay away from.” —Ashley, 25, female
“I would recommend Weight Watchers to a foodie because of the fact that you can save up your points to go out to dinner or cook something indulgent at home.” —Laura, 31, female
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