Diets to Lose 5 Pounds

Sometimes you want to look your best for friends and family, colleagues or job interviewers. Even if you are not obese, when a favorite pair of jeans or a shirt fits tight, it affects your morale. The diet industry has many quick weight loss programs that work for a disciplined or motivated individual. Follow the rules and five pounds will disappear but remember that quick weight loss is often temporary without permanent lifestyle changes. Like any dieting plan, talk to a doctor before starting, especially if you have preexisting conditions.

5-Day Miracle Diet
The 5-Day Miracle diet limits the amount of calories and carbohydrates that you eat and focuses on portion control. The goal is to reduce food cravings and stabilize blood sugar levels. Breakfast is an egg with a slice of toast 30 minutes after awakening. Snacks include a nectarine, half cup of grapefruit, raw carrots or cauliflower eaten two hours later. Lunch is at 1 p.m. with a protein, fresh vegetables and fruit, followed by another snack three hours later. Dinner is vegetables, any protein (2 to 4 ounces) and bread. Men can eat three starchy foods every day but women can only eat starch every other day. The diet advises you to drink lots of water.

Cabbage Soup Diet
The cabbage soup diet requires you to eat nothing but cabbage soup for seven days. It is not for pregnant women, children, the elderly or anyone with gastrointestinal disorders. The diet is simple and easy to remember, with a focus on one main food--cabbage soup at lunch, dinner, and for a snack. It is a low-fat, high-fiber diet plan that works for temporary quick weight loss.

Grapefruit Diet
The Grapefruit diet is for people in good health who want to lose weight fast. It is a fad diet that has been around since the 1930s when Hollywood made it popular. The diet is a low-calorie plan that is easy to understand with three meals per day and a daily snack. With each meal, the dieter eats half a grapefruit or half a cup of unsweetened grapefruit juice. This is a strict diet for successful weight loss but there is no behavior modification so some people regain the weight they lost.