How to Choose a Diet That Suits You - Part Three

Ensuring Dieting Success

1. 
   
   Avoid crash diets. Crash diets are extreme diets that promise to help you lose weight quickly, but the problem is that they rarely work. Often, they force you to starve yourself, which can be dangerous to your health. When dieting, try to avoid trendy crash diets such as:
   

   • Cleanses
   • Juice diets
   • Soup diets, such as the cabbage soup diet or chicken soup diet
   • Liquid diet
   • Grapefruit diet

   
   
   
2. 
   
   
   Do it with a buddy. Regardless of whatever type of diet you're doing, do it with a friend if you can. This goes double for any diet that is hard to stick to. Having someone is to keep you strong and hold you accountable may be just what you need to make it through.
   

   • This is why the programs, like Weight Watchers, are useful. But you often don't need a verified program to find support – talk to your friends and family because they may be going through the same thing!

   
   
   
3. 
   
   
   Combine it with exercise. Almost any diet will be complemented by exercise, be it aerobic, weight-training, or both (both is generally best). Whether it's a walk in the park or a 4-mile run, it's a good idea. And your weight loss results will be even more noticeable, making the plan easier to stick to.
   

   • Do at least 150 minutes of exercise a week for good health. If you want to lose weight, you should do at least 300 minutes a week.
   • This only should be avoided if your caloric restriction is severe – if you exercise on a perpetually empty stomach, there could be health implications.

   
   
   
4. 
   
   
   Go organic and whole grain. Again, regardless of the diet you're on, if you're eating food, choose organic when you can and whole grain when you can. The fewer processes your food has gone through, the more intact the nutrients are.
   

   • This is where dieting can get expensive. To make it cheaper, buy in bulk and shop at farmer's markets when you can. Host pot lucks, too, with friends who are also conscious of their eating.

   
   
   
5. 
   
   
   Make sure it's flexible and enjoyable. No diet will stick if it's not two things:
   

   • Flexible. There will be days when you decide to be social and go out to restaurants. There will be days when you have nothing to eat in the house but ramen noodles. There will be days when you just don't feel up to it. A diet that's flexible, where you don't blame yourself if you mess up, is the easiest to stick to.
   • Enjoyable. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that only drinking lemon-maple water for a week isn't fun. If it were, it'd be easier to stick to. Make sure whatever kind of diet you choose has some foods that you enjoy. Love meat? Try the Atkins diet. Can't get enough olive oil? Go Mediterranean. You have options!

   
   
   
6. 
   
   
   See your doctor for dieting advice. The only person who knows your body almost as well as you do and has an opinion you should trust is your doctor. Before you start any serious dieting regimen, it's important to consult him or her for advice. Every body is different, and some diets may not be suitable for yours.
   

   • This goes double if you're pregnant, a growing teen, a senior citizen, or if you have any health issues at all. The last thing you want is your diet to cause more health implications. Talk to your doctor about a couple of diets you're considering – he or she may have an even better idea!
   • Ask for a referral to a registered dietitian, who can help you come up with the right diet for your lifestyle and weight loss goals.

   
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