It is hard to get through a single day without seeing an advertisement on TV or in your favorite magazine that promises that you can lose 10 pounds in your first week or lose 20 pounds in one month without dieting. Sometimes, they promote some diet pill or supplement containing some exotic ingredient, sometimes they are promoting a new book describing a way to cleanse your body of the toxins that build up in your tissues over time, every time is something different, but it is always something completely useless and potentially dangerous.

Save yourself some money and potential health problems (hello clenbuterol) by skipping these fads. There is no magic bullet for weight loss. Healthy long term weight loss involves some hard work and self discipline. This can be easier if you focus on developing healthy habits as a part of your daily lifestyle. If you make a firm schedule to walk for an hour a day after work with friends or co-workers, for example, exercise becomes more of an opportunity for socializing than a dreaded chore.

Keeping healthy snacks around the house like carrot sticks instead of potato chips reduces temptations and makes it easier to keep your caloric intake under control. Did you know that the simple trick of using a smaller dinner plate can help you eat less while still feeling satisfied at the end of a meal? Eating less and exercising more is the real secret to effective weight loss.