There is a wide world of options out there when it comes to ways to lose weight. Many of these options are offered specifically to women. There are various diets, exercise programs, and even surgical options all aimed at a woman's desire to lose weight. You may feel overwhelmed as you try to sort them all out in an effort to decide which ones are right for you. We're here to help. For now, we're going to focus on diets. We'll take a look at the various diets that are out there and consider their pros and cons in an effort to help you decide which one might be best for you.

The DASH Diet

The DASH diet can be particularly effective for older women. Because it's one of the healthier and safer options, people with heart disease or high blood pressure that want to lose weight are often encouraged to pursue this particular option. The basic idea behind the DASH diet is that you should consume fewer calories than you burn. There are resources to help you track this, so you don't end up with surpluses or deficits. If you follow this diet, you will also be reducing your intake of sugars, salt, red meat, and fat.

The Slim-Fast Weight Loss Program

This is a pretty famous option, thanks to the extensive television campaign that has been used to advertise. It has proven quite effective for many people, and it's best suited for women who need to lose more than twenty pounds. Based on a 1200 calorie diet, this program features products which you consume in lieu of two of your daily meals, leaving you free to consume up to five hundred calories for dinner. Medical professionals have evaluated this diet and deemed it both healthy and safe.

The Seventeen Day Diet

Similarly to the slim-fast weight loss program, the seventeen day diet is commercially available. This program is finite, and is geared simply toward weight loss, as opposed to a permanent lifestyle change. Its name is a bit of a misnomer, as it actually consists of four phases, each of which last its own seventeen days, for a total of sixty-eight. The seventeen day diet's phases are called “cycles.” This diet is not for everyone, but it can be followed by a majority of women without any major problems. It's best to consult a physician before you begin any diet plan.

There are a number of other considerations when it comes to weight loss besides just diet. This is true of both men and women. Diet is the most pertinent factor, and it's what most people think of first when they initially begin considering weight loss options. The second one most people think of is equally important, and that's an exercise regimen. If yours has so far been an inactive lifestyle, you're going to want to change that. For most people, finding a diet plan that works for them along with an exercise regimen they can commit themselves to will be all it takes to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.