Fad diets that work? Huh? Isn’t it an oxymoron? Some claim that indeed, there is such a thing as fad diets that work. Others, on the other hand, say that there is no such thing as fad diets that work.

The latter group argues that there is no such thing as fad diets that work because, well, that is why they are called fad diets. They do not work by their very own definition. Fair enough.

What do I think? I think that the whole subject of dieting is a mess. Of course fad diets do not work, if we are talking about juice fasting or some other inane form of dieting. The problem is that good diets are often lumped together with bad diets. When that happens, all diets are labeled as “fads” and people end up with an incorrect perception that there are no diets out there that work at all.

So fad diets that work do exist, if we are talking about a low-carb diet, for example. Another example? How about a calorie shifting diet?

Now some people are convinced that dieting only works with exercise, but is it true? Can you lose weight if you follow a quality diet and do not exercise? Yes, you can.

According to a new study from the University of Missouri, it does not matter whether you exercise or not. The amount of calories that you consume daily does matter, however. Researchers concluded that even if you exercise vigorously but your caloric intake is higher than your caloric expenditure, you are unlikely to achieve your weight-loss goal.

The bottom line on “fad diets that work” It is really simple; there are some rare exceptions, but as a general rule, stay away from diets that are unnecessarily restrictive (think cleanses, detoxes, fasting, etc) – learn about healthy eating habits and change your eating habits to reflect what you have learned.