Will all the different diet plans available today, it can be difficult to choose and can be downright confusing! It seems that each year a new, a different diet is being hailed as the next greatest thing. Some of these plans quickly fade away after all the hype and advertising done to promote them. Some diets have withstood the test of time and in this article I'll discuss five of the most popular diet plans for women.

The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is about not only losing weight quickly, but completely retraining your eating habits. It does not eliminate "carbs", but instead focuses on "good carbs" such as whole wheat, grains and beans. This diet plan is divided into three phases, which slowly adds more breads, rice and fruit and it progresses. Most "veggies" are allowed from the beginning, as are some sugar free desserts. Nutrition counseling is also available by online dietitians. Phase One would be considered the most difficult as it's a very low "carb" phase with no bread, rice or fruit allowed. However, this phase lasts for only two weeks.

The Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet focuses on low "carbs", high protein and no restriction on fats. This diet leads to quick weight loss and is considered safe and effective for a short term. Vegetarians would find this diet to be very difficult as "veggies" are restricted as well during the first phase. The second phase does allow some vegetables to be added. Following this diet helps to reduce the carbohydrate cravings. Although some people swear by this diet, others find its too restrictive in the long run. And, you will be eating a very high level of proteins.

Jenny Craig

This is a weight loss program that combines a lifestyle change with exercise. A major benefit of the Jenny Craig diet is the individualized counseling and personalized meal plans. This is great if you need a strong support system in order to stick to a diet. Jenny Craig offers a variety of prepackaged meals, which is convenient if you don't have the time to cook. However, this diet can be very expensive.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers has been around since the 1960's. It focuses on low fat nutrition and portion control. You've probably heard of their "points system" called the Flex Plan, which assigns and counts points to certain foods. They also offer a "core" plan in which you choose from a list of foods. New, is their Points Plus System which stresses counting protein and "carbs" over calories. They not only provide online support, but also face-to-face meetings. Weight Watchers can be a bit pricey with their monthly fees. Also, some find the weight loss slow and diet hard to follow.

Nutrisystem

This diet also provides prepacked meals but is much less expensive than Jenny Craig. A month's worth of meals are delivered directly to your door. Nutrisystem also gives you the option of choosing your meals. This diet is based on "good" carbs such as whole grains versus white refined bread, pasta and rice. They also offer special diet plans women, diabetics and vegetarians. Exercise is recommended and phone counseling is available to those who need it. However, besides eating processed food, the weight loss can be slow.

A healthy diet will benefit a woman at any stage of her life, but is essential for a woman in pre menopause (perimenopause) and menopause itself. A diet including fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help to prevent or reverse the weight gain during menopause. And, greatly reduce her risk of bone loss due to osteoporosis.