Here's how to battle that four-letter word

“You just can't stick to a diet. Here's how to battle that four-letter word:”

You're on a diet, you're off a diet. On. Off. On. Off. Almost everyone who has lost weight for the long haul has discovered an important fact about trendy diets: they usually don't work. If you're on a "diet" that has you eating by your blood type, consuming only liquids, or a very lopsided pyramid of food choices, you might as well save yourself the agony. You may be able to lose weight by suffering through the program, but how do you think you're going to maintain it? You have to realize that this isn't a diet plan, it's the rest of your life. A real "diet" should arm you with the tools to learn which foods are healthy, which foods need to be limited, and maybe most critical, portion control. Once you uncover a menu of foods that will both aid in your weight loss and that you like, you'll be on the road to eating healthier and never thinking of it as a diet at all.