Nearly everyone who has tried to lose weight has experimented with diets. Some folks have even developed reputations for skipping from one diet to the next in an effort to find a quick, effective weight loss fix. However, if you are trying to lose weight, you should know that fad diets are not always the best long-term solution. Instead, look for diets that promote simple and subtle lifestyle changes.

There are a number of reasons that many diets don't work, but the number one reason that they fail is that they are simply not sustainable for an active and healthy lifestyle. For example, there is a fad juice diet, whereby dieters invest in some juices that they consume. The juices cleanse their bodies, according to the diet developers, and help them to drop many pounds in a short amount of time. But can you really live off of juice alone? Would you want to? No. Not unless you have some fundamental issues with your body image that need to be addressed through counseling.

If you are trying to lose weight, find a diet that will help you to modify your habits gradually. In rare cases, doctors may recommend rapid weight loss programs for the morbidly obese, but the average person should make a goal of losing about 2 pounds each week.

First, find a diet that lets you incorporate all food groups, such as grains, fruit, vegetables and dairy. These diets should also let you include some dessert rewards. There are a number of diets that start with an intensive 'detoxification' period that can last up to two weeks and limits your calorie intake and types of allowable food, but in general, you should think about incorporating all food groups in order to be healthy.

Next, look for a diet that has materials to guide you. Many diets will have recipe books and resources that will help to keep you on track. If you can find a diet that truly helps you sustain your weight loss through a support mechanism, you are more likely to stick with the diet and lose weight than a fad diet that has no support.

Make sure that the facts put forth by the creators of the diet align with your knowledge and your doctor's knowledge of health and nutrition. For example, years ago, there was a grapefruit trend, whereby the diet makers suggested that a grapefruit a day would help to burn fat in your body. There was no proof of the grapefruits effectiveness in anything but filling your stomach, therefore, the diet was not sustainable for the long-term.

Always talk with your doctor if you are considering making some serious lifestyle changes revolving around a diet. There are many diets that promote healthy living and weight loss, but there are also many diets that can be considered dangerous to the average person. Therefore, it is essential that you know what you are getting into before you move forward with your diet. Keep in mind that if it feels uncomfortable, it's probably not good for your body. The good diets will invigorate and inspire you.