Lots of people need to shed weight, and lots of folks are always searching for diet plans that work. The trick isn't really finding a diet plan that works, but rather beginning a diet to which a person can stick. The 46.8 billion dollar diet industry (as of 2005) depends not on people staying healthy and staying thin, but rather on people taking an endless ping-pong ride between health and fat. Because repeat business brings in the cash, the focus is naturally on the yo-yo reality of un-healthy living followed by short stints of diets and health programs.

Here's a diet that sheds pounds. Drink only water, eat only 1000 calories each day, and combine it with 30 minutes of aerobic activity 5 times a week. That diet will result in shedding weight. Only two small problems. #1 cravings will likely ruin the diet. 1000 calories and all that exercise will eventually lead to big hunger and binge eating. First it's a potato chip or piece of cake, then it's an extra hot dog and the whole bag of snacks, and then the diet is kaput. #2 the diet eventually ends. You soon go back to eating the identical old way. Next spring, or next fancy dress occasion, or next family trip, or simply the next time you glance at a looking glass on the way out of the gym it will be once again be diet time.

The best diet is a permanent diet. More and more people are coming to realize that to lose weight it's best to change lifestyle, including healthier eating habits and more exercise. The Sonoma Diet, created by Connie Guttersen, focuses on 10 "power foods." These are almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes and whole grains, eaten in conjunction with the diet of the Sonoma country, which includes Asian, Latin American and Mediterranean foods and dishes. The diet is full of real food, and real portions, combined into enjoyable dishes to help encourage someone to stay with it .

Want a diet that works? Move your mind from a short term diet to a long term style that's part of an overall healthy and active lifestyle. That way you won't gain the pounds in the first place.