We have to be honest here – there are tons of dieting methods out there, and choosing 10 is such a monumental task. Still, we’ve managed to pick 10 of the more known or popular dieting methods that Pinoys have tried or are observing in order to get fit and healthy.
In a Nutshell: Low Carb, High Fat
Good for: Epilepsy, Diabetes
Pinoy on the Diet: Tim Tebow
Ketosis Diet or Ketogenic Diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet intended to help people lose weight and improve health. According to studies, this diet is great for those with diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s because it results to huge reduction in blood sugar and insulin levels. Though similar to Atkins and low-carb diets, the main principle of the Ketosis Diet is to reduce intake of carbohydrates, helping the body to come to a metabolic state called ketosis and enabling it to efficiently burn fat and convert it to energy.
For online help with Ketosis Diet, visit Keto Philippines.
In a Nutshell: Caveman/Stone-Age Diet
Good for: Weight Loss
Pinoy on the Diet: Liz Uy & Angel Locsin
Paleolithic Diet or simply Paleo Diet is based on the idea that Paleolithic humans were healthier and lived longer all because of the foods they ate, which are basically composed of vegetables, nuts, wild fruits, roots and meat, but not modern-day foods such as processed meats, dairy and coffee. Paleolithics were largely hunters and gatherers, and modern-day humans must therefore strive to adapt the Paleo lifestyle at least in the Paleo way of food choice.
Keep in touch with the local community of Pinoy Paleos at Facebook. If you want to order customized Paleo meals, contact Paleo Manila.
In a Nutshell: 800 Calorie Daily
Good for: Rapid Weight Loss, Diabetes, Obesity
Pinoy on the Diet: Ruffa Mae Quinto
Very Low Calorie Diet or VLCD restricts one’s calorie intake to 800 calories and below per day. The diet may be restrictive in terms of calorie, but the meals are especially formulated to provide adequate nutrition to keep the body healthy. VLCD works great for those who want to lose weight fast, but is difficult to sustain in the long-term.
- No Rice Diet
In a Nutshell: Simply Bid Rice Goodbye
Good for: Weight Loss
Pinoy on the Diet: Bianca King
Like most Asians, Pinoys are known rice-eaters, and this diet can be a real torture for true-blue Filipinos. Still, rice accounts for the bulk of our carb intake, and things can go from bad to worse if we prefer white rice over healthier alternatives like brown rice or whole wheat.
For online support, check out No Rice Diet FB community (though their last post was more than a year ago). Alternately, you can visit The Fit Pinoy.
- Boiled Camote Diet
In a Nutshell: Boiled Camote All the Way
Good for: Weight Loss
Pinoy on the Diet: Two friends of author
Camote or sweet potato is a famous root crop in the Philippines, so if you’re on a diet and would want a substitute for rice and other carbs, go for boiled camote. According to a friend, she ate boiled camote to her tummy’s content everyday for some time and she lost several pounds, going from chubby to sexy. My sister’s boyfriend who was a law student back then had boiled camote and white part of boiled egg to stay fit and ready for the 2015 bar exams, and it worked wonders for his body (and he passed the exams, too).
For some inspiration, check out this Australian guy turned potato-addict.
- Lemonade Diet
In a Nutshell: 10-Day Cleansing and Fasting
Good for: Detoxification
Pinoy on the Diet: Lucy Torres-Gomez
Also known as Master Cleanse or Beyonce Diet, Lemonade Diet is drinking or eating mainly a special lemonade concoction made of fresh lime or lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper 12 times a day for 10 days. Laxative tea is taken twice a day. No food and other drinks allowed. This diet became so popular after Beyonce admitted publicly of drinking lemonade for at least 10 days and losing 20 pounds in the process.
For more information about the Lemonade Diet, check this out.
- No Fried Foods Diet
In a Nutshell:
Good for:
Pinoy on the Diet: Jericho Rosales
Although Echo is the face of Kuya J’s Restaurant now, the moreno hunk told reporters he try avoiding fried food in order to maintain his buffed figure. It can be really challenging to follow this method since Filipinos love oils and fats in their menus. Think French fries, sautéed vegetables, fried chicken, and even pritong isda (fried fish). Anyway, the purpose of this diet is to cut down oil intake, which supposedly contributes to unwanted flabs.
In a Nutshell: No More Food After 6PM
Good for: Weight Loss, Proper Metabolism
Pinoy on the Diet: Christine Jacob
Our body needs a few hours to fully digest the food we ate, hence, the Before/After Six Diet or the Six O’Clock Diet was developed. According to this diet, it’s okay to eat full meals and snacks before six in the evening, but there should be no more food after six pm. That way, the body can have ample time to process all food intake throughout the day. This diet also supports the belief that bangungot or urom (dying in your sleep, but more like pancreatitis) is caused by going to bed with a full stomach (undigested food).
Get to know the Six O’Clock Diet better by knowing its pros and cons.
- All Organic Diet
In a Nutshell: Only Certified Organic Foods
Good for: Detoxification
Pinoy on the Diet: Mariel Rodriguez
If there’s a diet-based business thriving in the Philippines that’s worth mentioning, it should be organic farms and organic food market. (We even made a top ten list of organic farms in the country, so do check that out.) Many Pinoys are going gaga over organic food in spite of the apparent higher price tags mainly because of the notion that eating organic and free of chemicals is healthier. Perhaps it may be so. However, organic food does not guarantee to trim down your waist, unless you go for more veggies and fruits. Remember that going organic also permits organic lechon, which, by the way, still has high levels of cholesterol, fats, and more likely sodium.
In a Nutshell: Veggies All the Way
Good for: Weight Loss
Pinoy on the Diet: Geneva Cruz, Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, etc.
Vegan Diet (total vegetarian) is much stricter than the basic Vegetarian Diet or its other variations (lactovegetarian and lacto-ovovegetarian), but we clumped the two together for one purpose – to present the bulk intake of vegetables (and fruits) in the diet. Plant-based foods are some of the most nutritious food items, no doubt, and nutritionists recommend eating large portions daily and for a good reason – they’re packed with vitamins, minerals, even protein and other essential nutrients. Plus, vegetarians can have a nutritious meal without “harming” an animal (well, except maybe the carabao used for tilling the soil). All in all, going vegetarian is a lot like going for organic diet as the two encourage people to do backyard gardening, and eating fruits and veggies, in lieu of animal-based and processed foods.
True, there’s no single dieting technique works for all. No matter how much dieting you do and which method you use, there’s always the all important thing to remember – diet goes hand in hand with rest, exercise and positive outlook – that is, if you want to truly live a healthy, happy life.
Do you have dieting tips and stories to share? Feel free to write them in the comments section below. To share this list with your friends, simply click the appropriate icons posted here. Viva!
