It would be a carb lover's dream -- a diet rich in bread, pasta, rice and other foods you assumed you had to swear off to lose weight. All whole grains, of course. It is the anti-Atkins. This plan actually tells you to eat up to 12 pieces of bread a day for women and 16 for men.

Olga Raz, author of the Bread For Life Diet, explains that by eating carbohydrates you increase serotonin levels, thereby reducing cravings and hunger pains. The most beneficial part: the Israeli nutritionist says you will lose between 10 to 20 pounds in two months.

The science behind it goes something like this: the carbohydrate content of bread causes the body to release, tryptophan, an amino acid which helps produce the chemical serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that curbs food cravings, elevates your mood and boosts energy levels.

For the carb fanatics, the diet sounds like the nicest thing since sliced bread, which can be topped with butter, cottage cheese or cream cheese. Along with bread, followers get one serving of fruit a day, three or four eggs a week, two to three tablespoons of olive oil daily and water. Dieters will also eat as much lean meat and fish as they want for three meals during the week. However, carb intake should be reduced by two to four slices that day.