Team Cosmo India Tried 4 Popular Diets...

​Everyone's talking about these popular diets, so we actually put them to the test!

The Raw Food Diet

Karishma Rajani, Freelance Writer and Blogger

​"I'm not someone who'd try a fad diet, but I'm totally in favour of the Raw Food Movement. As one might think, it does not require you to snack on celery and cucumber sticks all day! A plant-based diet, raw foodism focuses on food in its most natural state so as to optimise on the nutrients. It's all about the enzymes, baby! Cooked food is also allowed as long as it is prepared below 49°C. So I signed up for Antidote's seven- day plan, which involves a set of four cold-pressed juices (a mix of fruits and veggies) for the first four days; three juices and almond milk on the next three. On a typical day I would consume three to four servings of juice at two-hour intervals.​

Before/After:

Since dairy and grains are a no-no, my meals consisted of salads or veggies roasted in olive oil. Surprisingly, I wasn't as hungry as I expected to be. I felt pretty full after a bowl of veggies, yet light and energetic! Were there any challenges? Hell, yes! I craved chocolate a lot, and finally succumbed to a couple of dark squares. But on the whole, I feel it's a lifestyle change I want to adopt. Bonus: I lost a kilo, was more energetic, and felt confident about slipping into a bodycon!"

The Juice Cleanse

​Zunaili Malik, Stylist

​"Juicing is a huge trend in Hollywood and while the celebrities do it for quick weight loss, I simply wanted to try it out of curiosity. The Juice Cleanse involves only vegetables and fruit juices, and you're not allowed any solid food. I took up the MyGreens Cleanse package and they advised me to do it for no more than four days. For someone who loves food, four days seemed like four months! But I was up for the challenge. I was given a combination of juices for all three days. The first day was okay, but post that all I could think of was food. The nutritionists at MyGreens designed my diet to gently purify the system and flush out toxins. During my trial, I found myself a little low on energy but surprisingly 'lighter', and at least two people mentioned that my skin was glowing. I consumed a lot of water along with the juices to keep myself hydrated.​

Before/After:

Since Indian food is rich in carbs and fats, I think it's good to go on a juice cleanse once a month to replenish the body's minerals and vitamins. As for weight loss, I lost a little over a kilo. I feel it's a great diet to kick-start a weight loss regime as you get quick results. My verdict: do try the Juice Cleanse at least once!"

The Atkins Diet

​Amandeep Kaur, Fashion editor

​"Since Atkins is a celeb favourite, I decided to try it out to see whether it actually works or not. The diet has four phases: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance, and lifetime maintenance. I got on the induction phase which lasts for two weeks. During the same, your carb intake is limited to less than 20gms per day, and you're allowed a selection of vegetables, fat and protein. I'm a complete foodie and Atkins seemed like the most doable diet for me. Since I eat meat and love salads and fruits, the diet wasn't too punishing. But my biggest challenge was to eat properly through the day, as I travel a lot for work and often end up missing meals.​

Before/After:

I started my day with five boiled eggs and a cup of coffee. I added my carbs for breakfast with a handful of dry fruits or honey flavoured muesli. Lunch was usually a big bowl of salad, and mid-day snacking consisted of fruits and roasted nuts. Dinner was grilled cottage cheese or a grilled chicken steak, and sautéed vegetables in olive oil. That's how I survived for two weeks and lost 1.5kgs. Since I work out regularly, I believe that also played a vital role in my weight loss. What I learned from this diet is how to get my eating habits in order, which, frankly, were pretty awful!"

The GM Diet

​Meghna Sharma, Assistant editor

​"The past few months of reckless eating had started showing on me. Since I'm not somebody who can sweat it out in the gym, I decided to try the GM Diet—which seemed like an easy-peasy way to lose some extra weight quickly! The GM Diet is a seven-day program, which includes a different diet plan for each day. The first three days are all about fruits and vegetables. The diet allows you to eat to your heart's content (only according to the plan, though!), so I had no cravings! Everything was hunky dory till day four came along— which included only bananas and milk! By afternoon I was ravenous...and I finally gave in to my stomach's wailing by eating a slice of brown bread with a glass of milk for dinner.​

Before/After:

The final three days were much easier as you're allowed a mix of protein and carbs, and I curbed my cravings by sipping on several cups of green tea. Being a vegetarian, I substituted chicken with low-fat cottage cheese. Along with the diet, I did yoga everyday and by the end of the week, I lost about 1.8kgs and nearly an inch around the waist. My body looks more toned and I noticed that my skin has become clearer."

#CosmoTip  It's okay if you want to try the latest diet in town, but make sure you check these important points!

• It includes breakfast.
• It tells you to take it slow.
• It eliminates sugar, not fat.
• It includes regular meals.