How to Find a Diet That Works For You

Your perfect diet might nvolve specific fruits or vegetables.

If you have tried dieting before, you probably realize that not all diets work for all people. Your best friend, for example, might have lost 20 pounds on the South Beach diet, while you actually gained weight on it. One way to improve the chances that a diet will work for you is to choose -- or create -- a diet that takes into consideration your personal dietary requirements.

Instructions

1. Visit a nutritionist to determine your dietary needs. Factors that will affect your needs include gender, age, body mass index (BMI) and health. If you consume more calories than your body can use, you will gain weight.

2. Avoid diets that claim to bring results to everyone who tries them. If the diet isn't flexible enough to fit in with your lifestyle, it might not work.

3. Ask friends, family and colleagues with similar body types and of the same age and gender to share their experiences with diets. Analyze each diet for potential benefits and drawbacks. Pay attention to the advice of those who are losing weight.

4. Seek sustainability and long-term benefits instead of overnight weight loss. Cutting carbohydrates completely out of your diet, for example, might result in a drastic fat reduction, but you'll gain it all back when you start eating them again. Avoid diets with restrictions you don't think you'll be able to uphold over long periods of time.

Tips & Warnings

• No matter which diet or diets you choose, make sure exercise is a part of your daily routine. In addition to its calorie-burning and muscle-building potential, regular exercise can help in digestion, raise your energy levels and help you get accustomed to routines, including the regimented eating schedules that often accompany diets.

References

• National Institute of Health: Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight Loss Plan
• FDA: Food Labeling Guide

Resources

• National Institute of Health: Weight Loss and Nutrition Myths