Unlike the Atkins Diet, which emphasis low carb, the Pritikin Diet swings to the opposite end of the extreme: high carbs are the way to go. The famous regimen was originally designed for people with heart problems, high cholesterol, or diabetes (who use his menus to normalize their blood sugar without insulin).

The Pritikin diet springs from “The Calorie Density Solution”. Supposedly, you shouldn’t be counting the total calorie consumption, but the total calories per pound of food. Fruits like apple and oatmeal are not calorie dense, so you can eat a lot and still not gain a lot of weight. Compare that to something that’s small and sweet, like a chocolate chip cookie. Binge on five, and you reach your calorie count for a day and still feel hungry.

Pritikin developed several charts that give the caloric density of different foods. A pattern clearly emerges: the more processed the food, the more calories it has per pound. Corn starts at 490 calories per pound, but a corn tortilla chip has a shocking 2,450 calories per pound.

The Pritikin Diet advocates eating food that makes you feel full, so you don’t experience that sense of deprivation that makes diets so depressing. Drink lots of water, take fiber, and eat vegetables, fruits, beans and unprocessed grains. A typical breakfast would include hot or cold cereals, peaches or bananas, egg white omelette, fresh yogurt or cottage cheese, and non fat milk or fresh fruit juice. On the other hand, a typical dinner would be gazpacho soup, chunky potato skins, steak with creamy macaroni, and strawberry shortcake. Yes, folks, no deprivation here!

Pritikin was also one of the first to strongly recommend dieting with exercise. He gave the ideal figure—get out those trainers—as 30 miles a week.

• TheVerdict: It is true that empty calories are a dieter’s downfall, and you’re better off taking a nutritious, filling meal like a whole wheat sandwich versus a slice of sugar-encrusted apple pie slathered with ice cream. The benefits of lower cholesterol are a big plus.
• The Category: long term, low maintenance, personalized, bod
• Feedback: “You don’t lose weight dramatically in the Pritikin program, but it’s easier to stay on the diet because you still get to eat good food. You just eat healthily, stay active, and always chose fresh over processed. It’s really easy to follow and as long as you’re not rushing your diet, you’ll be very happy.” – Grace, (STATE).