Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

For those of you who have made multiple attempts at weight loss, following the latest diet craze is hard to resist.  After all, even though other diets have failed, you may think the latest new diet might finally be “the one that works.”  Remember The Cookie Diet, The Grapefruit Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet or The HCG diet?  One diet even recommended eating cotton balls before meals!  These crazy ideas can be hazardous to your health.  Do you know anyone who went on a crazy diet, lost weight and kept it off?

Over the years I have met so many people looking for the elusive diet plan that’s going to work for them.  Out of desperation they will try just about anything.  Well, here’s something you ought to know:  Diets are setup to fail!  It’s not the person who fails at dieting, it’s the diet that is a total failure.  Most of these plans are high on promises, but low on sensibility or long-term sustainability.

If you are checking out the latest, greatest diet, here’s a checklist of things to ask before you start yet another plan:

• Does it promise a quick, easy solution or fast weight loss?
• Is it less than 1,200 calories a day?
• Does it have too many rules about what you can and cannot eat?
• Does it eliminate entire food groups?
• Does it have a rigid plan that does not include your food preferences?
• Does it neglect guidelines for how to make healthy lifestyle changes?
• Does it rely on testimonials to show how effective it is?
• Does it focus on the sale of a product, such as special food or exercise equipment, as the sole way to achieve success?

If you came up with an answer of yes for one or more of these questions, you have just found another fad (or very restrictive) diet that’s going to fail you again.  Today there are so many more diet books, diet plans, and diet supplements to lure people into a false hope for quick and easy weight loss.

As unappealing and unexciting as this may sound, the truth of the matter is that there are no quick or easy ways to lose weight.  It takes effort, it takes patience, and most of all it involves making healthy lifestyle changes that are achieved over a period of time!  If you want lasting results consider working one-on-one with a professional like a Registered Dietitian.

© 2012 Gretchen Scalpi. All rights reserved. You are free to reprint/republish this article as long as the article and byline are kept intact and all links are made live.