• What to look for in a dietscale image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
  
  It seems that almost every month some new diet is coming out that promises to be the latest and greatest in weight loss. Some of these are genuinely weird, like the baby food diet, and others are merely tweaks and adaptations on existing diets. Though all of them have good intentions, not all of them necessarily are helpful. There are, however, a few dietary laws to keep in mind when looking for a diet.
  
  

Don't Think of It as a Diet

• If you are serious about weight loss, you can't approach it as a temporary diet. You must think of it as a lifestyle change. Eating healthy isn't something you're only going to do for six months. That's not the path to weight loss. So look to dietary changes that you know you're going to be able to maintain for the long haul. Commercial fad diets that seek to eliminate certain food groups and overemphasize others obviously aren't going to be something you can live with for life.
  
  

Exercise

• Dieting simply isn't enough. You must exercise but not just because exercising burns extra calories. It also makes whatever diet you choose more effective. The human body burns calories just by existing. Even sitting in front of the TV, you're burning calories. The muscles in your body burn more calories than fat does. So increasing the size and density of your muscles by exercise will help your body burn even more calories when you're sitting at your desk or watching TV. Don't think that you have to go into full-on bodybuilder mode, though. Simply doing light reps with hand weights daily, as well as push-ups and sit-ups, will help build muscle mass.
  
  

Ease Into It

• Don't seek to change your diet in one fell swoop. It not only shocks the body, which can be unhealthy, but also shocks your mind and could cause you to quit the diet just as quickly. If you're used to drinking a six pack of soda a day, start replacing those slowly with a glass of water or juice. Replace snacks from the vending machine at work with fresh fruit or healthy granola mixes. Slowly and consistently start replacing your unhealthy foods with healthy equivalents.
  
  

Treat Yourself

• Denying yourself and your sweet tooth can be dangerous to your diet. One slip and you may feel like all is lost and end up kicking the diet. First, remember that this isn't true but also schedule in treat days. For instance, every Saturday treat yourself to one splurge meal for a week of dieting well done. This gives you a reward to work toward and look forward to. As well, learn what healthy sweet snacks exist, such as frozen yogurt.