Weight loss: don't go for a gimmick
The vast majority of diet plans don't succeed because they are based on some sort of gimmick. Yes, it is true that these gimmicks, which frequently advocate totally eliminating a food or food group, can briefly change an individual's body weight, because most of these diet plans quickly deplete the body's water balance, which does cause the scale to go down. Your goal is to shed fat, not water. Once you eliminate the gimmick, the weight returns as the water returns. It was water that was shed, not fat. Remember all the times you recall losing five pounds in a brief period of time and gaining it back just as quickly? What you lost was water, not fat. Such weight-loss gimmicks never succeed in permanently keeping weight off.
Second, most diet plans are predicated on incorrect information. Here is an example. A bestselling weight-loss book claims carrots will make you fat. Now, mind you, there is not a single shred of scientific evidence that supports this theory. In reality, the fact is that carrots have very few calories, are packed with vitamins, and in no way contribute to the so-called spiking of one's insulin level. I repeat, there is one serious bit of scientific research that points to carrots as the reason why Americans are overweight. Yet I constantly see people pick carrots out of their salads. Are carrots the culprit? No, but the individuals picking those carrots out of their salads should reconsider the salad dressing, which usually contains hundreds of calories, that they've put on top of a few harmless carrots. Eat all the carrots you want without dressing. Trust me, you won't gain a pound.
Keep in mind, this is just one of the nutty weight-loss theories out there. There are so many others. Don't forget the "Hollywood Miracle Diet" that claims you will lose ten pounds in two days, the "Cabbage Soup Diet," the "Grapefruit Diet," and the "Eat All You Want and Lose Weight" diet - right! "Eat All You Want and Lose Weight" is a great marketing phrase. Can it happen? You tell me.
Furthermore, few if any of the current weight-loss programs realistically address weight loss as a life-long plan. To be comprehensive and successful, weight-loss plans must incorporate proper eating, effective exercise, and, most important, the belief in your ability to succeed. To change your relationship with your body, you have to think about it before you can do it. As you are thinking about it, start believing that you can succeed.