When thinking of dieting, most people are after a quick fix and that’s what the magazines and the websites are offering. Fast weight loss is possible with a short low calorie diet. Going on a diet like that means being extremely hungry for three-four-five days depending on the diet plan, but you will lose up to 10 pounds if you stick with the diet carefully.

But there is a catch. If you go back to your original eating habits after going off the short diet, you will soon notice that the pounds you lost during the diet have crept back up and you are back in the weight you started with or even heavier! This is the only result you will get, no matter which short diet plan you try. Just like a short period of overeating (let’s take the holiday period as an example) doesn’t make you gain weight for good, a short low calorie diet will not help you lose weight permanently. Instead of yoyo-dieting, you need to take a look at your daily eating habits. They are what made you gain weight in the first place and what matter the most when trying to control your weight.

How to lose weight fast AND keep it off? Start with observing what you eat. A calorie counter or a food diary are of great help here. Write down everything you consume and be honest about it! After a week you can try to find the biggest problems in your diet. Look for foods high in sugar and carbohydrates, because they are the foods behind fat accumulation. Another common problem is alcohol, especially beer. Once you have identified the problem, replace that food with something healthier. Make only one or max two changes at a time and stick to your decision!

As a conclusion, a short low calorie diet is the quickest way to lose weight but it is not always the best one unless you use it to get a longer weight loss project going. For permanent weight loss you must make permanent changes.