Fad diets are appealing because they usually promise slim and trim figures with very little effort.  Most fad diets work in the beginning, but diets that restrict certain food groups or promise unrealistic results are difficult and/or unhealthy to sustain over time.  When you go back to your usual eating patterns, the weight comes back on and sometimes with extra pounds.  This is called the “yo-yo effect” of losing and regaining weight.

The trick to losing weight and keeping it off is to find an everyday eating plan that takes and keeps the pounds off while providing a right balance of calories and nutrition.  This combination requires a lifestyle change.

A fad diet that results in quick weight loss early on, if followed for a long period of time, may result in potential health problems.  Losing weight effectively involves:

• Eating an appropriate number of calories from a balanced diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free dairy products
• Cutting back on nutrient-poor foods
• Physical activity

You will know it is a fad diet if it:

• Promises magic or miracle foods that burn fatRequires you to eat unusual quantities of only one food or food type
• Requires rigid menus of a limited selection of foods to be eaten at specific times and days
• Requires you to eat specific food combinations in certain sequences or combinations
• Promises rapid weight loss of more than two pounds per week
• Has no warning for those with diabetes or high blood pressure to seek medical advice before starting the diet
• Does not include increased physical activity as part of the plan

The best way to fight cardiovascular disease is a healthy diet with an exercise routine lifestyle.

Follow these simple steps as part of your healthy lifestyle:

• Burn at least as many calories as you take in:  Keep a record of how many calories you should be eating and drinking to maintain your weight.  Don’t eat more calories than you know you can burn up every day.  Increase the intensity of your physical activity to match the number of calories you take in.  Set a goal of at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week.  For best results, aim for at least 30 minutes every day.
• Eat a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups:  Even though you may eat plenty of food daily, if it is not a variety from all the food groups, your body still may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy.  To get the nutrients you need, choose foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products most often.
• Eat fish at least twice per week containing omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, trout and herring
• Eat less of the nutrient-poor foods:  Limit foods and beverages that are high in calories but low in nutrients.  Limit how much saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium you eat.  Read food labels carefully.  The food labels will tell you how much of those nutrients each food or beverage contains.
• Drink at least 8 eight-ounce glasses of water each day.  Watch the food labels on bottled water.  Some bottled water contains high amounts of sodium; others contain extra calories and sugar.  Look for bottled water with “0” calories, fat, sodium, and sugar.

Base your eating pattern on these recommendations daily:

• Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fats
• Select fat-free, 1 percent fat, and low-fat dairy products
• Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet
• Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugar
• Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt.  Keep sodium amounts at less than 2,300 milligrams per day
• If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation:  One drink per day if you are a woman and two drinks per day if you are a man
• Don’t smoke tobacco and stay away from tobacco smoke

Source:  American Heart Association