Diet fads will come and go, but will your weight remain the same?

When it comes to losing weight many people are confused by all of the advice on the market. It seems that there is a new pill, cookbook or "plan" around every corner. What to do?

Well, here is the cold, hard truth:

You are what you eat.

Even if you were to spend hours at the gym you would not get results without the help of a good, clean diet.

Have you ever heard the term, "skinny-fat"? This is what many of those dreadful, "naturally thin" people are! They look slim on the outside (thanks to winning the genetic lottery), they don't have to exercise and can eat whatever they want and never gain a pound! Jealous? Don't be. You can bet that their body composition (the percentage of fat vs. muscle, bone, and gooey stuff) is high in fat. Having a high percentage of body fat is dangerous because it can lead to a myriad of health issues including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. So, don't judge a book by it's cover.

By simply eating the right amounts of the right foods at the right times each and every day you can improve your health, lose weight and change the way you look and feel on the inside and out.

10 Tips For Dieters:

1. Set A Realistic Goal: If you want to lose weight and keep it off for good, say "so long!" to fad diets and quick-fix gimmicks such as diet pills or "detox cleanses". They don't work. Sure, you might lose weight quickly, but I guarantee that you will gain it (and more) back. So, get over the idea that you can transform your body overnight. Be honest with yourself. Do you want to lose 10lbs? 20lbs? More? If your diet is on track, it is realistic to aim to lose about 1 pound per week. That means you are looking at a good 2.5 months to lose 10lbs. In the big spectrum of life, that is no time! And remember, one pound of fat takes up a lot of room on your waistline. You might be surprised to find that you only need to lose five pounds in order to look your best.

2. Determine Your Caloric Needs: Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is an estimate of the number of calories your body requires in order to function based on your age, gender, height and weight. In order to calculate your BMR, check out this website: http://www.ketv.com/sh/idi/health/calcs/bmrcalc.html This is an estimate, of course. Each person is different. This will give you a good starting point to figure out how many calories you need to be consuming in order to lose weight or to maintain your weight. Your BMR is the bare minimum that you need to survive. Thus, your "dieting" minimum will be slightly higher.

3. Start a Food Journal: It has been proven that the most successful dieters keep a journal. Journaling is important for many reasons. First of all, keeping a journal forces you to be honest about what you eat. If you are not ready to be honest with yourself, you are not ready to lose weight. If you are ready to get serious, than start a journal today. I recommend using an online website such as fitday.com because it gives you an accurate assessment of how many calories you are eating and what percentage of those calories are fat/carbs/protein. You can also customize your foods if something you eat is not in their data base. I use this web site daily - even though I am at my goal weight. I attribute my journal to my success.

4. Portion Awareness: This goes hand in hand with your journal. Did you have a small bagel or a giant bagel? One ounce of cream cheese or half a cup? Learning to eat sensible portions is incredibly important in determining your calorie allowance each day.

5. Plan: If you want to successfully lose weight, you need to plan your meals ahead of time. You need to eat breakfast every day. You need to pack your lunch or have a healthy place to shop on your lunch break. You need to have back-up snacks in your car, purse, desk at all times. The worst thing you can do to yourself when you are trying to lose weight is fail to plan. Failing to plan will inevitably cause you to go too long without food which will result in low blood sugar (and your body will store fat) at best, OR a fast-food binge because you are so hungry you can't think straight, at worst.

6. Eat Less, More: In order to keep your blood sugar levels and your hunger in check - you should eat 5 to 6 times a day - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and 2 to 3 "snacks". You should be consuming the largest meals at breakfast and lunch and the lightest meal at dinner. Eating this way keeps your metabolism up which torches calories and melts away fat.

7. Think Balance: If possible, try and eat protein at every meal, and do your best to balance your snacks. A great snack for the office is 1oz. of raw almonds and an apple because you get healthy carbs for your brain from the apple and satiating omega 3 fat from the almonds. You can keep a tub of almonds at your desk, and bring an apple from home - easy and delicious.

8. Eat protein: The very act of consuming protein burns calories because your body has to work harder to digest it. Aim for a minimum of .5 gram per lb of your goal weight. People who exercise heavily can eat 1-1.5 grams per pound. Just make sure that you also follow number nine!

9. Drink a ton of water: This should be number one. It is crucial that you stay hydrated if you want to lose weight. Your body is almost 80% water and in order to metabolise the food you eat, stay hydrated, generate new cells, and...well, live, you must drink a ton of it. Aim for 16oz. at each meal and snack. It will help you feel full too. Often when you think you are hungry, you are really just thirsty. Staying hydrated will keep your appetite in check.

10. Cheat!: Give yourself one day to let up on yourself and indulge in something that is not on your daily diet menu. If you have been craving pizza, have a slice or two for dinner - but keep it moderate. If you use your cheat day to binge on all of the fat and sugar you crave, you will feel really sick and ultimately you will derail your diet. Remember, one pound of fat is 3500 calories. If you go over your daily allowance by 1000 calories (one pint of Ben and Jerry's) you set yourself back almost three days! Not only that, it can be mentally and emotionally destructive to over-indulge. Pick one or two cheat treats and eat a reasonable portion, then go right back to your healthy eating. Cheat day comes around once a week! If you didn't have it today, you can have it next time.

Most importantly, remember that in order to achieve your goal you will have to see this as a way of life - not a diet. In order to maintain a healthy weight, you must eat healthy. There is no magic bullet, no pill, no cleanse that will help you live your life at a healthy weight. Only good, sensible nutrition.