Every loser wins

THE turkey is finished, the last Baileys bottle drained and the last chocolate tree decoration has been surreptitiously polished off. Yes, the season of festive excess is over, to be replaced by a short-lived gym membership,and an even shorter attempt at alcohol abstinence. For those looking forinspiration, Emma Cowing has a guide to some of the diets – from thepractical to the downright weird – that are set to be popular in 2010.

Alternate Day Diet

WHAT IS IT?

As the name suggests, it's a diet that works on the premise that one day you gorge yourself, and then the next day you severely restrict your calorie intake.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

On a "down" day you eat only 500 calories, and on an "up" day you can eat as much as you like. Research suggests this triggers a "skinny" gene which encourages the body to burn fat, while making the body far more aware of exactly what you're putting into your body.

WHAT CAN I EAT ON IT?

In theory anything, as long as it's on an "up" day. On "down" days however, expect to find yourself staring at some empty plates and feeling hungry – the diet creators say you should embrace the hunger as part of the dieting process. They also reckon that after a couple of weeks, you'll be less likely to pig out on the "up" days too.

HOW MUCH WILL I LOSE?

A ten-week trial of the diet at the University of Illinois in Chicago reported that all 16 participants lost between 10lb and 30lb. It is also believed, according to other studies, to help ease asthma symptoms, fend off heart disease and reduce blood sugar levels.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES?

The "down" days are tough. And you'll be in real trouble if any social events (weddings, Christmas etc) aren't scheduled on an "up" day.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

Alternate-Day Diet: Turn on Your "Skinny Gene", Shed the Pounds, and Live a Longer and Healthier life by James B Johnson and Donald R Laub (Perigee Books, 12.99)

Harcombe Diet

WHAT IS IT?

The big buzz diet of 2010 – the book is settling it around the top of the Amazon bestseller list and the programme is already being tipped to be bigger than the Atkins or the Southbeach diets.

HOW DOEST IT WORK?

Formulated by British nutritionist Zo Harcombe, who had both anorexia and bulimia as a teenager, the diet is based round what Harcombe claims are the three main causes of food cravings and weight gain – candida, hypoglycaemia and food intolerance. She claims that traditional diets can trigger all these things, which is why her alternative is based on eating big portions of real food with plenty of carbs and protein.

There are a number of different stages to the diet – including a five-day "kickstart" programme, which attempts to introduce it as a wholesale lifestyle change rather than a quick fix.

WHAT CAN I EAT ON IT?

The emphasis here is on not starving yourself but instead filling up on nutritious, healthy food. Think breakfasts of bacon and eggs or porridge, salads and stirfries for lunch, and lamb chops and veg or salmon and rice for dinner.

HOW MUCH WILL I LOSE?

Claims are made that some people will lose between 5lb and 10lb in the first five days (yes, really), and more than a stone in five weeks.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES?

It can be tough at the start, with most dairy foods and sugary things banned.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

The Harcombe Diet: Stop Counting Calories and Start Losing Weight (Accent Press, 7.99)

I Diet

WHAT IS IT?

A diet full of fresh food and veg devised by Ready Steady Cook regular and I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! winner, chef Gino D'Acampo.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

D'Acampo clearly had this book waiting in the wings when he went on to I'm a Celebrity…, which makes the phrase "cash-in" feel almost inevitable. The "I" here stands for Italian, so the emphasis is on following a Mediterranean diet, with meal plans and menus devised by a dietician to enhance D'Acampo's flamboyant cooking style.

WHAT CAN I EAT ON IT?

Fresh meat and veg, lots of olive oil, and simply prepared Italian meals. As hinted on the front cover, there are lots of tomatoes involved.

HOW MUCH WILL I LOSE?

The I Diet is careful not to make any huge claims for weight loss, promoting the diet as more of a healthy lifestyle change, but the chances are that eating a low fat, high energy Mediterranean diet will result in some weight loss. Whether you need to buy this book to do it though is a moot point.

ANY DOWNSIDES?

D'Acampo's recipe for rat risotto, which got him into trouble with the RSPCA when he whipped it up while in the Australian jungle in I'm a Celebrity…, is strangely absent.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

The I Diet, by Gino D'Acampo (Kyle Cathie, 12.99)

Kind Diet

WHAT IS IT?

A vegan diet formulated by Hollywood actress Alicia Silverstone.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Silverstone has long been a darling of the vegan movement, and spoken vocally about vegan issues in the past. Now she has moved into the world of diets as veganism becomes more popular among young women thanks to books such as the Skinny Bitch series.

In her own book, Silverstone advocates a step-by-step approach to veganism, first of all cutting down on meat and dairy (which is cutesily relabelled "flirting") before moving to a fully vegan diet that will also keep you healthy.

WHAT CAN I EAT ON IT?

Less and less meat and dairy – be in no doubt, the aim of this book is to turn you into a carrot-munching vegan. And if that's what you're after, then go for it.

HOW MUCH WILL I LOSE?

No weight loss claims are made, but the inference is that if you don't eat meat or drink milk, then the pounds will drop off.

ANY DOWNSIDES?

There's something a bit patronising about being told how to live your life by a Hollywood starlet, however well-meaning she might be. Also, if you are a confirmed carnivore, this probably isn't the diet for you.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet by Alicia Silverstone (Rodale Press, 12.99). Silverstone also keeps a blog at www.thekindlife.com

Tapeworm DietWHAT IS IT?

Perhaps the most ludicrous and dangerous diet fad yet. Apparently, a growing number of people out there think swallowing a giant worm will help them lose weight.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Well, first of all, you must swallow a giant worm – some treatment centres have even sprung up in countries where tapeworms are not banned, such as Mexico. After that, trusting that you've not swallowed one of the lethal types of tapeworm (pork and beef tapeworm are best, apparently), the idea is that the tapeworm will take up residence in your intestinal tract, making digestion of food less efficient by eating the food itself, thus meaning you can consume more calories.

WHAT CAN I EAT ON IT?

Well, other than the thing itself, pretty much anything, as long as your tapeworm approves, of course. Get rid of the worm though, and you'll immediately start putting on weight again.

HOW MUCH WILL I LOSE?

Other than your dignity and your digestive health, the chances are, not enough to warrant swallowing a giant worm.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES?

Tapeworms can cause health problems including diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal pain and digestive infections.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE? www.nhs.uk/conditions/Tapeworm-infections has some sobering facts.