The common thread between all of those diets is they require paying careful and constant attention to what you eat. Calorie counting can have a similar impact.

The common thread between all of those diets is they require paying careful and constant attention to what you eat. Calorie counting can have a similar impact. It's very easy to just eat "whatever" and fall into bad routines. But no matter how precise and intentional a diet, I don't think it can ever provide the euphoria that aerobic exercise provides.