It's hard to believe fad diets are bad when so many people say they have positive results. The internet does not help in the matter either. Countless websites claim that fad diets show significant weight loss in just a couple of days.

That is always temporary. It's usually 90% water which will be put straight back on as soon as your body rehydrates, which it must do or else you'll suffer severe health problems or die.

Some popular fad diets are not what we call crash diets. These diets have been around for a while and what they try to do is to part you and I from our hard-earned money and make their inventors rich.

At best, these are good nutrition plans which will help you lose weight, but which you could probably have gotten for free from your doctor. At worst, they prove too difficult to follow that you will give up after a week.

Why are fad diets so bad? Read on.

1. Here's the fact about weight loss programs that promise you a quick fix. They require you to eat certain types of food. Following those programs means that you're not getting a balanced diet.

These programs usually recommend supplements. The problem here is most of the times, the supplements they offer can't be absorbed into the body unless you eat foods that are not allowed by the programs themselves. If you're faithful enough to stick to your diet for several weeks, you may notice some changes, feel tired and weak due to nutritional deficiency.

2. Boring and restrictive, fad diets always are. Start a fad and you'll see. Forget about happy eating, the fact is you will not enjoy your meals. If that's not bad enough, food cravings will kick in. You will break your diet, feeling guilty and frustrated as you did not lose any weight.

3. Most fad diets do not follow recommendations of the American Heart Association and similar bodies. The promoters may argue that you'll just follow the diet for a short time. But if you do not reach your desired weight in that time, then what? You either continue with a plan that is not good for your health, or stop and probably gain back what you've lost.

4. Fad diets, unfortunately, do not include enough consumption of fruits and vegetables in your weight loss plan, nor do they allow you to consume what your body needs.

5. Quick weight loss diets are just a temporary solution and do not help you to make permanent changes to your eating habits. Permanent changes are the only way to maintain your target weight once you reach it.

The effects of fad diet are like a roller coaster of weight loss " weight gain, which is bad for your health, not to mention your self-esteem. You would be better off staying overweight all the time.

The only way to lose weight for good is to follow a healthy and moderate diet, exercise regularly and stay away from fad diets. If you come across a fad, run as fast as you can and don't look back.