People always ask me how they can lose a lot of weight in a few weeks. They want a quick fix for a long-term problem. So, let me say one more time; fad diets don't work. You may be able to lose weight quickly on some diet by eating foods of a certain color, eating no carbohydrates, drinking only shakes, or whatever the latest fad maybe. But, I guarantee you'll get tired of eating the same way after a few weeks and as soon as you return to your normal diet you'll regain the weight and probably more.

Fad diets don't because they are not a way of eating that you can stick with for the long-term. The only way for permanent weight loss and maintenance is developing an eating style and healthy habits that you can incorporate into your daily life.

The key to eating healthy over the long-term is balance and moderation in the foods you consume daily. You can eat any food you desire as long as it is in moderation and balanced with the rest of the foods you consume. For example, I love brownies, so when I have a brownie for dessert, I only have one. I also balance the carbohydrates in the brownie by not having bread with my meal.

The first step in learning balance and moderation in your diet is knowing how to classify foods into their basic source of protein, carbohydrates, and fats and knowing how they are used in your body. The second step is mastering portion. Knowing how many calories you consume from each food source and what your serving sizes are will enable you to balance your meals. Eating this way can be easily incorporated into your lifestyle, it's a plan you can stick with over time.