Dieting has a place in all of our lives. Whether we are only exposed to it via the media or if we ourselves are followers of diets. Diets can help us lose those last few pounds quickly.

BUT, dieting also holds in some dangers and you need to be aware of the precautions you need to take before going on a 7 day diet plan (even more so when you are dieting for longer).

That's why I have compiled this list of frequently asked questions about 7 day diets.

Let's look at the questions and explore some of the weird and crazy 7 day diets (like the 7 day soup diet, or even the 7 day cleansing diet) that are out there.

A 7 day diet is, just as its name suggests, a diet that you are on for 1 week. Some of these diets are usually repeated for another week.

It may contain foods from only one (or limited) food groups.

Most of these types of diets are fad diets and you have to watch out for these. Typical examples of these diets are the cabbage soup diet, liquid diets and the egg diet.

Dieting (especially fad dieting) is not a long term solution to weight management, as the results usually only last in the short term.

What usually happens on such diets is that you lose all the weight you want quickly, but as you go back to your old eating habits, all the lost weight you lost is picked back up again.

This can lead to relying on yo-yo dieing to lose weight. Not all diets have this effect and it also depend from one individual to the other.

But you have to be aware of the various risks and side effects before undertaking such a diet.

These diets are not as perfect as many want us to believe, they hold many of dangers and risks. You have to be aware of these dangers and evaluate whether it's worth it. Lets look at some of these threats and what they could mean for you:

• Damage to your metabolism - If you limit your calorie intake for an extended period of time (such for a week), you may cause some damage to your metabolism. It may even be that your metabolism may struggle to function at its previous levels and this may cause you to struggle with your weight in the future.
• Adoption of yo-yo dieting principals and unhealthy behaviors - As explained above you may learn to rely on yo-yo dieting and it also may cause you to pick up bad food habits. To avoid this, don't go on diets that often and try to lose weight the healthy way.
• Dehydration - Most of your weight loss with a 7 day diet meal plan comes from water loss. To avoid becoming dehydrated, drink lots of water and herbal teas to stay hydrated.
• Loss of muscle mass - The first thing your body wants to shed of when its calories are restricted is the heaviest thing to maintain - your muscles. So you may risk losing some of your muscle mass when you go on such diets
• Fatigue and malnutrition - Most fad diets (such as most 7 day diet plans) are unbalanced and don't contain the right amount of nutrients, building blocks and vitamins. To avoid getting tired, don't exercise too hard while on such a diet and don't stay on one for too long.

My first question would be if these diets are healthy.

I personally think that some fad diets are more healthy than others, but that most of them only concentrate on the results without worrying about the possible side effects.

But it is not about what I think. You have to decide for yourself.

Always check whether the diet is balanced and if it contains enough nutrients for your body to support itself.

You must look at the precautions you need to take before, while and after the 7 day diet. If you fail to take the necessary precautions, you may harm yourself and you may experience horrible side effects. To avoid this from happening, take in the following precautions you need to take and make sure you implement them:

1. Go see your doctor - Before attempting any new weight loss program, it is necessary that you go see your doctor. What works for one person might not work for another, and your doctor will be able to help with that.
2. Drink lots of water - to avoid becoming dehydrated while dieting, drink lots of water and herbal teas (not coffee or sodas).
3. Don't exercise too hard - to avoid getting tired and burned out, only do light exercise while on a 7 day diet
4. Stop if you have side-effects - If you are experiencing any horrible side effects, take a break from dieting and if the side effects still occur, stop your diet altogether.
5. Stay positive - be-aware not to develop unhealthy thoughts about your body or to develop unhealthy eating patterns in the long run.

Now that you are aware of the dangers and the precautions you have to take before going on a 7 day diet, let's look at the different diets that there are:

This diet is usually used to kick start your metabolism right before an actual diet. But this diet is also seen as a diet on it's own. It should never be used for more than 7 days.

What is usually included in these diets are fruits, vegetables and other food that have detox properties.

This diet involves eating nothing but cabbage soup for 7 days. It is claimed that you can lose up to 10 pound in 7 days if you follow this diet.

Losing that much weight in so little time can't be healthy. And I can't imagine the side effects (cabbage causes gas and bloating).

But if you want to give it a try, be my guest (let me know how it went).

If this diet sound too good to be true, you are probably understanding its title wrongly. You can eat anything, as long as you only eat fruits and vegetables.

In the first few days you may only eat fruit or vegetables, but luckily there is some meat included in the last few days.

In my opinion this is one of the healthier 7 day diets there is, As it is usually more balanced and also includes carbs and protein.

This is also one of the only 7 day diets that can be used for more than just 7 days.

I consider these types of diets easier to stay on, as you can have a day (or more) where you can include a cheat meal.

This would mean you can still indulge in strawberries and cream every now and then.  I think it is a great concept to help you control your intake of sweets and more unhealthy food.

Such diets will teach you that it is OK to eat "cheat" food every now and then. It will give you a sense of moderation and control.

7 day diets can probably be used to aid weight loss, if they are used correctly. You must always see your doctor before going on any new weight loss plan.

But 7 day diets can also be misused and if you decide to follow the wrong diet, it can lead to horrible side effects and you may also learn new and unhealthy eating patterns and habits.

I believe that the only way to lose weight is by a healthy balanced long term eating plan and not by dieting when it suits you. But if you need to go on a diet, please choose wisely and don't fall into the yo-yo diet trap.

But whatever you do, exercise regularly, eat healthily and stay motivated to achieving your fitness goals!