Weddingbee, I am on a new “restrictive eating” plan. Not a diet, but just changing what goes into my body and why. The other day I was reading something in Time magazine about the various diets and why some people fail. In the article called “A New Diet Equation“, it explains how where you gain weight determines what kind of diet you should be on.
For instance, I gain all weight in my middle, thus giving me an apple shape. This means that after eating, my body secretes a lot of insulin after eating a small bit of sugar. When our body breaks down what we eat into sugary energy-rich fuel, insulin causes the body to store the excess bits of sugar in our bloodstream into fat. This is due to the caveman days when we needed the energy for at least another day when we would find our next meal. Now that it’s a lot easier for us to access food, our body works overtime to process all the carbs and sugars we eat. With all the candy and sweets, our body can do such a good job of supplying insulin that it may spike the level of energy/sugars that we have, causing us to think we’re hungry again, resulting in overeating.
So, with my apple shape caused by an over secretion of insulin, and the pear-shape (weight gained in the hips) due to less excretion of insulin, this means we lose weight differently. As an example, if I restrict the simple carbs from sugary and starchy foods, I will lose weight easier than I would if I just went for restricting calories from fat. While this seems semi-complicated, this is a very interesting article, explaining why your body does what it does. So, I am cutting out the sugars and upping the exercise and hoping for some good results.
In the article, Atkins is said to produce the greatest short-term weightloss, only because dieters tend to fall off the wagon quickly, with all the restrictions put upon them. BUT, if you want to lose weight for a wedding dress, Atkins will have the quickest response time. Just a little science lesson for you. 
Great article! Thanks for the find. :]
good article
Like Iris, I also recommend South Beach. It weans you off sugars and overly processed carbs, reintroducing you to healther carbs after the first two weeks.
I have been on a diet made by “Medifast” where I have 5 small meals a day (produced by medifast, and pretty tasty too) and one meal of “lean and green” that is a piece of meat and some veggies. I have lost 15 lbs since Memorial Day! The diet has been written up by Johns Hopkins with good reviews. My grandparents are on it (they’ve lost between 30-45 lbs) and are now in the transition phase, successfully keeping the weight off. Google Medifast if you are interested. I might be too small for my dress now! (I know, wah-wah!)
Sorry kids….but insulin is insulin and where it ends up on your body is based on genetics, not the type of diet.
Trust the certified trainer here, it is as simple as calories in, calories burned. As far as a good lifestle eating plan, South beach is good because it is a good mix of lean proteins, fiber, carbs and fats and thus keeps insulin levels from spiking and rapidly falling, thus keeping you fuller longer so you’ll end up putting less calories in.
kelly, did I say that the fat is placed certain places because of a diet? I think I meant to say that where the weight is gained is determined by the way my body processes insulin. Which is what the article said. The choice of diet is regarding whether I’m a high insulin producer, therefore less sugar in my diet rather than less fat.
Miss Kiwi - I’m glad you are going about this in a healthy, informed manner. Now you just need to get some Philosophy bath products so you can still have your sugar and chocolate!
OK, I see your point. I’ll I’m sayin’ is while your body might produce more insulin than another person eating the exact same thing, where it ends up as extra weight is genetics. Now we just need someone to invent a pill to suppress insulin release 
Mrs. Kiwi, Los Angeles
Age and Occupation in 06: 27, Bookkeeper
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, P.E. Teach/Coach @ private schools in LA
Engagement Date: March 31, 2006
Wedding Date: November 3, 2007
Venue: Radisson Hotel
About Me: I'm a bookkeeper who failed high school algebra. I'm currently living in Los Angeles, literally a street over from where I grew up with Mr. Kiwi, my honey of three years. We have a jumbo mini-dachshund (seriously, he's huuuuge), and we're planning an autumn themed wedding on a shoestring, paid for by ourselves. The wedding date is my late grandma's birthday, I needed her there somehow, and that seemed like the best way for us. I can't believe I'm a Bee! I couldn't be more proud!
My mom’s a R.N. and is a big fan of South Beach — pretty much the same concept as Atkins scientifically but with more fruits/vegs/grains so those nutritional benefits aren’t lost. In her case, South Beach took off weight and reduced her cholesterol. So she advocates South Beach as a nice long-term lifestyle way of eating.