Want to shed 10 pounds overnight? Need to drop a dress size before the big event? Odds are, the thought has recently crossed your mind along with many others'. This is no wonder when recent studies show that 60% of Americans are overweight. Let's face it; more than half of us need to lose weight and because we're Americans, we feel like we need to lose it fast.

Within the past few years, "fad" diets have exploded throughout America. Usually originating in or around Hollywood, these diets promise to help you lose an unbelievable amount of weight within a short amount of time. Sound too good to be true? Most likely, it is.

Because these diets are short-lived, your body will immediately gain its original weight back and sometimes, even more once you stop dieting. The logic behind this is your metabolism coincides with how much energy you are taking in and how much you are using. If you eat more calories than you use, your metabolism will slow down. The result: weight gain. On the other hand, if you use more energy and suddenly eat less, your metabolism will slow down as well. This is a defense mechanism your body uses in times of food shortage. When your caloric intake is far greater than your expenditure, your body will slow down in order to store as much energy it needs. As soon as you begin eating normally, your body is still in storage mode and instead of using the same amount of energy as before, it uses less. Your metabolism will first gain the weight back and then store extra because it has not yet recovered. The result: rapid weight loss during the diet and rapid weight gain after.

These diets are not meant to become a lifestyle. Who would actually want to drink 10 gallons of a special weight loss formula a day for the rest of their lives? If the malnutrition doesn't kill you first, the expense surely will.

The only surefire way to shed those unwanted pounds and keep them off, is to find a healthy diet and exercise plan stable enough to continue throughout life without any detriment to your own lifestyle. You will still have to adjust to different eating habits if you are not used to a balanced diet (lie off the fast foods and expand your veggie horizons) and balance your food intake with some form of moderate exercise you enjoy and can do for the rest of your life. If followed correctly, you will actually be able to speed up your metabolism which will help you keep those pounds off and leave you feeling more energized.

For most people, developing and organizing a successful diet and exercise plan takes a lot of work. Fortunately, there are plenty of options and pre-developed plans online which will help you stick to a healthy lifestyle. Beware of fads. The idea of loosing your weight fast may seem tempting, but in the long run, a healthy diet plan will pay off much better than the latest craze.

Take your time, don't exercise too much or eat too few at first, you won't be able to keep that habit and will lose the battle quickly. Surround yourself with support. Diet along with some friends or with your spouse, the accountability and motivation will help greatly. Keep your confidence up. You may not see results right away, but once you begin to see a difference and feel more energized better about yourself, you'll question why you didn't start this sooner.

Briana Liebmann is a regular writer of original content articles for http://www.youseekit.com, where you can find original content on a variety of topics.

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