Decide what comes first – health or weight loss?
For many of us, weight loss is something that we'd like to see happen overnight, almost magically. For this reason, many dieters are willing to try any diet that offers the possibility of losing weight fast.

Unfortunately, fad diets can have negative implications for long-term health. Depriving yourself of important nutrients, such as essential vitamins and minerals, can increase your risk of developing illnesses later in life, such as osteoporosis, cancer, and heart, liver or kidney diseases.

So, before you decide to radically reduce calories or eliminate certain foods from your diet, think carefully about the consequences for your long-term health. A sensible eating plan that you can stick with for life will be better for you in the long run than the latest fad diet.

Cutting calories is the key
You'll find that, on most of the diets we've examined here, a reduction in overall calories is the key to losing weight. Despite the different theories behind each of the plans, the simple fact remains evident: consume less calories and you will lose weight.

Sticking with someone else's rigid diet program for more than a week or two can be incredibly difficult. We recommend a plan that can be customized to fit with your food preferences and your lifestyle – that way you're more likely to stick with it for more than a few days.

Don't forget to exercise!
Very few of the diet plans we've looked at include regular exercise as part of the program. You can lose weight by dieting alone but exercise helps things along a great deal.

A regular exercise program has health benefits beyond encouraging weight loss. Regular exercise has been shown to decrease the risk of many health conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease. It will also help you to sleep better and is a great way to deal with stress.

The ideal weight reduction diet should:

• Be well balanced nutritionally, providing all the nutrients to maintain good health, including protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Only the calorie content should be less than your body's requirements, not the nutrient content.
  
• Minimize excessive hunger and fatigue. Having three meals daily, each with some foods high in protein and fiber, will help.
  
• Follow the normal family eating pattern as closely as possible. It should allow for your food preferences and fit the family budget.
  
• Be easy to follow whether at home or away.
  
• Form the basis of how you will eat for a lifetime. Your weight maintenance should simply involve the addition of a few extra foods to your dieting plan.
  
• Encourage regular physical activity.

The CalorieKing.com program includes well-balanced meals that are moderate in fat and carbohydrate content, low in calories and include adequate protein, vitamins and minerals. An emphasis on daily physical activity is part of the CalorieKing.com weight loss program, as is adopting healthy lifestyle habits. Our outlook is focused on controlling weight and improving health over the long-term, rather than taking a short-term approach.