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The Diet Deal: Created by Dr. Barry Sears, The Zone is a calorie-restricted diet based on the idea that eating a balanced ratio of 30 percent proteins to 30 percent fats to 40 percent carbohydrates can control levels of insulin to the bloodstream. The diet includes three small meals under 500 calories and two snacks under 100 calories a day. 

Celeb Fans: Jennifer Aniston and Cindy Crawford

What We Love: According to Wellness Expert, Dr. Chris Mohr, The Zone is a well-balanced diet and consists of a solid breakdown of nutrients. "Most people are inactive. Even if they do workout 30 to 60 minutes a day, the rest of the day is behind a computer, so a diet of 40 percent carbohydrates is sufficient," says Mohr. Another benefit is that it can save you time. If you're not a big cook, The Zone Diet's food delivery system can save you a lot of energy in the kitchen.

What We Don't Love: "The downside is it is complicated to figure out the breakdown of your specific meals, making it challenging for the long term," says Mohr. So, if you dine out frequently this can present quite a challenge. Also, this diet has been criticized for its restrictions of plant-based foods like starchy vegetables. 

The Diet Deal: Macrobiotics is a "low-fat, high-fiber diet, which is essentially vegetarian and pushes the consumption of whole grains and vegetables," says Sari Greaves, RD and nutrition director at Step Ahead Weight Loss Center in Bedminster, New Jersey. The diet structure includes 40 to 60 percent whole grains, 25 to 30 percent vegetables and 10 percent beans. It also suggests one to two cups or bowls of soup per day. 

Celeb Fans: Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna

What We Love: This diet has been proven to be very beneficial to women, says Greaves. "It's low in saturated fat and high in phytoestrogens, a group of chemicals found in plants that can act like the hormone estrogen, which is useful to balance hormones when menopause sets in or premenstrual syndrome begins. Phytoestrogens are also believed to be helpful in prevention against breast cancer and endometriosis."

What We Don't Love: "The restrictions tied to the diet have brought criticism by nutritionists and doctors, who believe the macrobiotic lifestyle is lacking in certain nutrients, such as protein, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium and calcium," says Greaves. Also, if you have a sweet tooth, this may not be the best diet for you because it's completely sugar-free.   

The Diet Deal: This diet is very self-explanatory and comprised of only raw foods. "At least 75 percent of your meals and snacks are not heated above 116 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is chosen because the diet’s creators believe that the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables wither away when cooked at high heats. While on a raw diet you can expect to eat vegetarian or most likely vegan. That means no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no animal ingredients and most important, no processed foods," says Greaves. 

Celeb Fan: Demi Moore 

What We Love: The key ingredients in this diet (fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, dried fruit, and seaweed) have huge nutritional benefits and are high in vitamins and low in trans and saturated fats. "A diet consisting of these ingredients can result in better digestion, reduced risk of heart disease, increased energy, clearer skin and, of course, weight loss," says Greaves. 

What We Don't Love: Although the foods in this diet are all raw, the juicing and preparation of meals can become time consuming. In addition the diet is not a healthy choice for many people. "Switching to a raw food diet might not be the best choice for children, pregnant or nursing women and people with anemia or at risk for osteoporosis, since research has found that people on the raw food diet often have lower bone mass than those who do not follow a raw diet," says Greaves. 

The Diet Deal: Weight Watchers is a diet based on a points system. Each food or meal is assigned a certain amount of points based on its calories, fiber and fat content and you are allotted a certain amount of points per day. In addition there is online support and/or weekly meetings to help you reach your goal.

Celeb Fan: Jennifer Hudson

What We Love: There are no restrictive foods on this diet. If you want dessert you can have it, as long as it fits in your points budget for the day. Also, a lot of restaurants and food companies have paired up with Weight Watchers and created branded meals and snacks that make it easier to dine out or eat on-the-go. According to Greaves, "it's a five star diet in that it teaches you balanced eating and encourages physical activity, which is essential to weight loss. It's also not a quick fix diet and encourages a slow steady amount of weight loss, which is better in the long run." The support groups it offers are also a big pro to this diet. "Studies show that people are more successful with their weight loss with the support of their peers," says Greaves. 

What We Don't Love: "It requires a time commitment and some people feel overwhelmed by the tracking system. It's also very easy to abuse your points. For instance some people may not eat the healthiest foods because they are saving up their points to drink alcohol that night. This could set you up for a poor eating pattern," says Greaves.

The Diet Deal: This diet plan was created by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietician Marie Almon and was intended to help people lose weight by regulating their blood sugar. It focuses on striking a healthy balance between "good" carbohydrates and fat and is divided into three phases. The first phase, which lasts two weeks, consists of a diet that limits most carbohydrates from your diet such as bread, pasta, fruit, rice and cereal. In the second phase you can begin to slowly reintroduce these foods into your eating regime and in the third phase the diet becomes even less restrictive. 

Celeb Fans: Nicole Kidman and Kim Cattrall

What We Love: "This diet is very good at teaching people the difference between healthy and unhealthy carbs and is slightly higher in lean protein than a traditional high-protein diet. It also gives people a higher sense of satiety and helps you to retrain your palate, so you may start to enjoy whole grains a lot more and crave less sugar," says Greaves. 

What We Don't Love: "The first phase (no whole grains or fruit) can be confusing to people and is also very restrictive which may send the wrong message. This can set someone up for unhealthy eating in the future. Also, common complaints of a low-carb diet can be fatigue, poor concentration and feeling sluggish, " says Greaves. 

What is it? Jenny Craig is a comprehensive weight management program that emphasizes portion control along with physical activity. Prepackaged, low-calorie meals are delivered right to your door and support is offered in person and/or online. 

Celeb Fans: Valerie Bertinelli and Tina Fey

What We Love: You can eat the foods you love as long as you do so in moderation. "Portion control is a good thing, which is the one benefit to this diet," says Mohr. Jenny Craig also offers a ton of support, weight loss tools, recipes and exercise programs to help you stay on track. If you need help staying motivated, this may be the best diet for you because they offer you a consultant who helps you monitor your weight loss. 

What We Don't Love: "On the downside, it's not realistic to think someone is going to live off frozen meals for the rest of their lives. Will you bring these meals to parties, dinners, and feed them to your entire family day in and day out? Hopefully not, it's not a realistic lifestyle solution. And outside of simple portion control, we also need to look at the quality of the foods ... not just quantity and there are certainly better quality foods out there that will help folks lose and maintain their weight loss," says Mohr. 

The Diet Deal: Like its name, this diet is inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle of physical activity and a diet based on small portions of plant foods, olive oil as a primary source of fat, dairy, fish, poultry, and fruit as dessert. Little consumption of red meat and red wine in moderation are also aspects of this diet. 

Celeb Fan: Brooke Burke

What We Love: "The Mediterranean Diet is a great option. Loaded with healthy fats, lean protein, fruits/veggies and high fiber grains, this is the approach we take with our clients," says Mohr. It really focuses on the foods you can eat, rather than the foods you cannot eat, which is an simpler mental approach for many people. Not to mention, wine and cheese are not off limits. So, if you love having a glass of red wine at night this may be the diet for you. Also olive oil, which is a main staple in this diet, offers many heart-healthy benefits.

What We Don't Love: "What's difficult is the variety for a lot of people, not from a benefit perspective but from a time perspective in terms of prepping some of these foods. Unfortunately not many people are comfortable in the kitchen, but hopefully that's not a deterrent because it's required for long-term success," says Mohr.

Always remember to consult with your doctor before trying any diet. For more great weight loss advice check out iMag's Food Page.