Rex Ryan on left with Jets' Kerry Rhodes. Photo via Flickr user bkrieger02.

It used to be that celebrity women were known for the diets they followed. However, with the recent likes of Rush Limbaugh and his success with Quick Weight Loss Centers, NFL’s Mike Golic on NutriSystem, and now New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan on a quest to lose some of the 340 pounds he has been carrying around, diets for men are becoming more interesting.

Since the NFL is known for its large players – the average NFL player weighs 245 pounds, 25 pounds heavier than their average weight in 1970 – it is no wonder that their coaches’ size is no different.

Ready to embark on an extreme liquid diet, Ryan is not shy at all about his health, obesity problem, or his recently diagnosed dyslexia. A self-proclaimed food lover, Ryan realizes how difficult this liquid diet may be, but he’s willing to stick with it in order to improve his health and stick around for his two sons and his grandkids.

The name of his diet has not been released, but it involves consuming a vegetable or fruit juice concoction for each of his daily meals. It is unclear as to why Ryan is  following the diet for only five days given the amount of weight he needs to lose in order to get into a healthier BMI range. Right now, he is classified as obese. And despite a health scare a few years back, the coach does seem to be quite an anomaly as both his blood pressure and cholesterol levels have checked out to be very normal.

DietsInReview.com will be sure to keep you posted on Coach Ryan’s progress and whether or not his 5-day extreme liquid diet inspired him to follow a more long-term diet program.

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Jets’ Coach Rex Ryan Follows Extreme Diet to Lose Weight

What it is: HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced during pregnancy by the cells that form the placenta. This hormone is detected in the blood around 11 days after conception; it is detected in the urine around 12-14 days after conception. While it is most commonly associated with pregnancy, it is present in both genders.

What it does in the body: HCG signals the hypothalamus (area of the brain that affects metabolism) to mobilize fat stores. In pregnancy, this helps the body bring nutrients into the placenta, fueling the fetus with the energy to grow.

The weight loss claim: The HCG diet (using daily hcg injections) will help you lose 1-3 pounds per day.  The HCG-diet combines the daily injections with a very low-calorie diet (500 calories per day).

500-calories per day is severely restrictive! In fact, it is not enough calories to support normal brain function. Your body will compensate by using stores of glycogen, protein (muscle) and some fat, which lowers your resting metabolism. Before you can lose true weight, you will be so irritable, lightheaded, and cranky that you’ll reach for whatever food you can get your hands on and have a field day.

Scientific evidence: There is no scientific evidence supporting HCG injections as a weight loss strategy. In addition, these injections have not been approved by the FDA for use in weight loss. In fact, since 1975 the FDA has required all marketing and advertising of HCG to state the following: “HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”

“HCG is a hormone extracted from urine of pregnant women. It is approved by FDA for treatment of certain problems of the male reproductive system and in stimulating ovulation in women who have had difficulty becoming pregnant. No evidence has been presented, however, to substantiate claims for HCG as a weight-loss aid.” via the FDA

HCG ban: The hormone was recently added to the list of “banned substances” in Major League Baseball, as it was becoming increasingly popular among steroid users. Athletes turned to this, among other “performance enhancing drugs” because it “mitigates the side effects of ending a cycle of steroids.”

Negative side effects: The common side effects include headaches, mood swings, depression, blood clots, confusion, and dizziness. Some women also develop a condition called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS); symptoms of this include pelvic pain, swelling of the hands and legs, stomach pain, weight gain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, vomiting/nausea, and/or urinating less than normal.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Weight loss is hard work and it won’t come in a potion, pill, or injection. The most “dangerous” thing you should be doing to your body is trying a new exercise that intimidates you like rock climbing or completing a marathon.

Sources:

Banned in MLB
HCG Side Effects
FDA
CalorieLab : “Weight loss is hard, and human pregnancy hormone won’t change that”
Associated Content : “HCG Marketed by convicted fraud, Kevin Trudeau”
Diet Scam Watch : “HCG Worthless as a weight-loss aid”

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HCG Diet: Look Elsewhere for Weight Loss

1. Have you ever followed a crash or fad diet? These are the ones that promise unrealistic weight loss, like 10 pounds in a week, or have you consume terribly low calories, like >1000 each day.

2. Skipped breakfast to stay on schedule? You can get where you need to be sooner and you’ll save yourself a few hundred calories, that’s what you’re telling yourself. However, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and you should make the time to eat it.

3. Mindlessly snack and forget the calories? A nibble here and a handful here can quickly add up to hundreds of extra calories a day – which turn into extra pounds.

4. Avoid snacks altogether? There is a happy medium. Scheduled snacks with healthy and low-calorie options keep your metabolism going throughout the day and fend-off hunger pangs.

5. Love low-fat food choices? To cut the fat from packaged foods, they had to save the flavor by adding sugar, sodium or other preservatives. Read the nutrition label and remember low-calorie.

6. Drinking too many calories? Soft drinks, juices, cocktails and lattes are all full of calories, and empty calories at that. Drink water (vitamin waters have calories, too) and get your calories from more satiating sources.

7. Staying hydrated a task? You need water. And lots of it. It fuels body processes, clears skin, gives energy and a host of other positives.

8. Not getting enough dairy in your diet? Calcium can help your body burn fat, and there are plenty of low- and non-fat dairy products perfect for snacking and meal time. Think yogurt, cheese sticks or a glass of skim milk.

9. Know the fast-food menu by heart? These meals-on-the-go are full of sodium, trans fat, calories and other food additives that a healthy body just doesn’t need. Not to mention oversized portions and the price tag. Plan meals ahead of time to avoid the drive-thru.

10. Stepping on the scale part of your daily routine? One to two pounds of weight loss weekly is a healthy rate. You’re giving yourself undue stress with daily weigh-ins. Also, keep an eye on waist inches as an indication of weight loss.

11. Setting goals that are tough to reach? Set small, attainable goals and as you reach each milestone, you’ll find you’re gradually moving toward that bigger goal.

12. Not finding time for the gym? It’s as simple as calories in, calories out. A combination of a healthy diet and then at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week will yield positive results.

See more about this list from WebMD.

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Avoid 12 Common Diet Mistakes

In DietsInReview.com’s 2008 Most Popular Diets of the Year list, there were some tried and true plans that made the cut, not surprising any of us. Then there were those that seem to have a more fad-feel that left us scratching our heads, and some of you likely yo-yoing. Here are the 25 Most Popular Diets of the year, one of which might be the solution for you in the new year.

1. Weight Watchers
A 45-year veteran of dieting that is one of the most proven plans on the market. They not only help you to lose weight, they teach you how to keep it off for life. With the new year they introduce their new plan, Momentum.

2. 21 Pounds in 21 Days
Made popular by Howard Stern sidekick Robin Quivers, the book introduces a fruit- and vegetable-based detox in which you consume primarily fresh juices to rid your body of toxins, lose weight and reset your metabolism.

3. Cabbage Soup Diet
A fad diet that became very popular for its quick weight loss claims. It’s a seven-day weight loss plan that comes with a strict, low-calorie outline for foods you can and can’t consume each day.

4. 5 Day Miracle Diet
This approach encourages you to change the times of day that you eat and eliminate starches, caffeine, alcohol and sugar. They claim when you do so, you’ll regulate blood sugar and the need to munch and binge.

5. Slim-Fast
Shake, shake, shake the weight off with delicious shakes that replace breakfast and lunch, then dinner is a healthy meal of your choosing.

6. Curves
It’s for ladies only, and their commitment to the finer sex shows as they continue to introduce innovative products and services to meet the demands of busy lifestyles.

7. Jillian Michaels
The Biggest Loser trainer gives you a choice in how you accept her aggressive approach to weight loss – online, meal delivery, books, DVDs and even via the Wii.

8. Cambridge Diet
Wildly popular in the U.K., it might look like a low-calorie fad, but its loyal followers sing its praises and ability to help them keep the weight off.

9. Biggest Loser Club
The reality of this program is that it truly helps people to regain their health and lives through its online membership, where you’ll learn to build a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise and advice from the show’s experts.

10. Jenny Craig
Queen Latifah, Valerie Bertinelli and Kirstie Alley have shown how the convenient meal delivery and counselor support helped them regain their figures and health.

11. LA Weight Loss
While they’ve been a go-to source for weight loss support, fewer people will be able to access their expertise as more of the chain’s locations close their doors.

12. Sacred Heart Diet
Another gem of the fad diet collection, that many people swear by for fast weight loss. Your diet will primarily comprise of a specific soup recipe, and will eliminate things like bread, alcohol and soda.

13. Juice Diet
Whether you call it a juice diet, juice fast, cleanse or something else, people swear by the weight loss effects of replacing food for a week with fruit and vegetable juices.

14. Medifast
Portion-controlled, calorie-balanced, nutritious meals delivered to your home to help you better manage your weight loss goals. Best of all it works.

15. Optifast
A medically supervised weight loss program that is ideal for significantly overweight or obese individuals, especially those pursuing weight loss surgery. The diet is comprised of meal replacement shakes and bars.

16. Fat Flush Plan
For a low-calorie plan, it strikes balance by encouraging food journaling, exercise fairly balanced diet. It’s a three-week approach that prepares you to manage your weight loss long term.

18. Mariah Carey’s Bleak Diet
The little she did eat was bland and tiny portions, but it helped the svelte songbird get into some of the best shape of her life.

19. 3-Day Solution
The expert author of this weight loss plan clarifies that “diets” don’t necessarily work. She teaches you to understand the underlying issues of your weight, and then sets you up on a diet and exercise plan.

20. Special K Challenge
The marketing to eat cereal in place of other meals seems to have worked. The Special K Challenge encourages women to replace lunch and dinner with their cereal, and see weight loss of six pounds in two weeks.

21. Rachael Ray Diet
This Food Network star eats whatever she likes, which is why so many people have followed her lead. Her on-air endorsement of acai’s nutritional benefits caused a wave of response in the supplement industry.

22. Atkins
The rigid low-carb diet is still a source of weight loss support for so many. The release of 2008’s Atkins Advantage updated the program’s diet and even introduced exercise.

23. Biggest Loser Meal Delivery Plan
Eat the way the show’s contestants do, and have it catered to your home. Designed by the Biggest Loser’s nutrition team, the food is prepared fresh, tastes delicious, and can be an effective tool in managing your weight.

24. Oprah’s Diet
Even in spite of the daytime queen’s recent 40 pound weight gain, we’re still pining to know how she was able to get to a size 12 and keep it off for so long.

25. South Beach Diet Supercharged
This popular low-carb diet also received a facelift by the doctor who authored the original diet plan.

Information based on highest viewed pages at DietsInReview.com during 2008.

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25 Most Popular Diets of 2008

Benefits of Carbohydrates

• When you eat a carbohydrate, your body breaks it down into a simpler form known as glucose.
• Glucose (for immediate energy) and its storage form glycogen (reserve energy) provide about half of all the energy muscles and other body tissues use (the brain depends 100% on glucose for its energy). The other half of the body’s energy comes from mostly fat.  We now know that carbohydrates aren’t all good or all bad. Some promote health while others, when eaten often and in large quantities, increase the risk for diabetes and heart disease.

Sources of Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are found in a wide variety of foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, cherry pie, milk, fruit, starchy veggies, and legumes.
• They also come in a variety of forms, most common and abundant forms are sugars, fibers, and starches.
• Carbohydrates were once grouped into two main categories:

1. Simple carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose).
2. Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more linked sugars. Complex carbohydrates were thought to be the healthiest to eat, while simple carbohydrates weren’t so great.

Common Misconception of Carbohydrates

• Many people mistakenly think of carbs as “fattening” and avoid them when trying to lose weight. Such a strategy may be helpful if the carbohydrates are simple sugars (soda, candy, etc.), but it is counterproductive if the carbs are complex carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes, etc.).

Click to see a brief list of foods on the Glycemic Index.

The Glycemic Response and the Glycemic Index

• Glycemic response, which is how quickly glucose is absorbed after a person eats, indicates how high the blood glucose rises, and how quickly it returns to normal. The Glycemic Index aims to classify carbohydrates based on how quickly and how high they boost blood sugar compared to pure glucose.
• Slow absorption is desirable, a modest rise in blood glucose, and a smooth return to normal (low glycemic response).
• Fast absorption is less desirable, a surge in blood glucose, and an overreaction that plunges glucose below normal (high glycemic response).
• Different foods have different effects on blood glucose.
• Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Low glycemic foods, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, causing a lower and gentler change in blood sugar.

Which Carbs Should You Eat?

• Choose whole grains and whole-wheat options
  
• Start your day off with whole grains. Hot cereal fan? Try old-fashioned or steel-cut oats.  Like cold cereals more? Look for one that lists whole wheat, whole oats, or other whole grain first on the ingredient list.
• Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks.
• Try brown rice or even “newer” grains like bulgur, wheat berries, millet, or hulled barley with your dinner.
  
• Pick up some whole wheat pasta. If the whole grain products are too chewy for you, look for those that are made with half whole-wheat flour and half white flour.
• Eat beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.

Check the label to make sure that whole wheat or another whole grain is the first ingredient listed.

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What Everyone Needs to Know About Carbs

The truth is, it could save you a few extra pounds to lose with your New Year’s resolution by not overdoing it right now and staying focused. Honestly, this is a rarity and too many of us fall into temptation. So, I want to help you remember a few things when trying to lose weight. My biggest advice would be to avoid fad diets. How do you know if you are falling into a fad diet?

How to Spot a Fad Diet

1. Ridiculous and unhealthy claims, or promising a quick fix (i.e. “lose 10 pounds in a week”).

2. Claims that sound too good to be true.

3. Detox diets (yes, you will lose weight and may feel a little better about yourself, but once you begin eating food and not just juices or fruit, you will gain the weight right back).

4. Highly restrictive calories. For most people, roughly anything below 1200 calories can be too restrictive and unhealthy.

5. Claiming only one food or a certain food group will be the answer to all your weight loss questions.

6. Avoiding a specific food or food group.

7. Portions will be skewed. They will either have you consuming absurd amounts of something or promising the tiniest amount will cure you.

It’s important to treat your body right by eating healthy and regularly exercising. Don’t take the (what appears to be) easy way out! You will be greatly disappointed when you gain back the weight you lost and possibly more. Stick to the basics – eat healthy, eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, and eat a variety! What you put into your body now will directly impact how healthy your body is later.

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Don’t Fall Victim to a Fad Diet – Know What to Look For