Seems like every day there's a new miracle diet that comes out.

Have you tried one and failed?

Did you lose weight for a month only to put it back on and more?

Here's my take on fad diets. They can be great at first. Obviously. But what I want to say here that most won't say is that they can be great long-term too.

What?! Have I Iost my mind?

Let me explain.

If you lose 20 lbs. in a month you feel great, look better in the mirror and other people start noticing and telling you "wow, you look like you lost some weight." This is a good thing. Am I right?

So what's the problem?

The issue comes with what you do next.

Do you quit that diet? It was probably extreme and would be hard to maintain for life. But it provided you with a nice boost. A great starting point and got you feeling great.

What to do?

Have a plan.

The plan will outline what you will do AFTER you lose the initial weight. How will you transition back into a more normal way of eating that you can sustain long-term?

This is crucial.

Find someone who can guide you beyond the first month. Or a book/program that has a plan for how you continue losing fat and getting fit.

You don't want to go right back to where you were. So you can't eat like you were pre-diet.

Slow and steady wins the race. But it's also awesome to lose a ton of fat and feel your abs.

Fad diets can work, but you must have a plan that goes beyond a few weeks.