People are either talking or writing about dieting nearly everywhere. While someone is discussing the pros and cons of dieting, some are extolling the virtues of another type of diet. Nutritionists are warning about the fatality of unplanned dieting, dieticians are giving you numbers of calories to follow from your next meal. Physical fitness experts are driving home the importance of exercises in your daily life while diet pill manufacturers are claiming that simply popping those magic pills can actually do the job - without having to step out of your home. Messages, confirmations, affirmations and warnings have flooded the weight watchers' market round the world. But come to think of it, unless it is medically warranted, why does some one want to go on a special diet? Let us examine some of the motivations behind this mad race:

1) Weight loss

2) Weight gain

3) Build muscle

4) As a follower of fad diets, celebrity diets, etc.

5) Improving one's appearance.

6) To get more accepted by friends/spouse.

7) To feel good mentally

8) To prepare for a big event like wedding, job interview, sports competition, school or university reunion, etc)

9) To bring about a major change in lifestyle like turning vegetarian, having only organic foods, etc)

10) To change a mindset or follow a resolution etc.

If you watch these common motivations, you would notice that most of the people are trying to bring about some change in their lives. Perhaps the underlying belief is that dieting could be the means to a goal which they are seeking to achieve. So, can a diet be planned with the goal in mind? For example, if the person is planning to go on a diet to appear attractive at the job interview, can a special diet be planned for this purpose in mind?

Thus it might be important for you to first assess what you would like to be and design a diet to enable you to reach that goal. Which in other words would mean that you need to change the way you eat to bring that critical change in your life which you are aiming to achieve. Along with the diet to put the change in the right perspective, you might have to also change your mindset, get more educated about dieting and exercise or even change some bad habits which is now part of your lifestyle. All this could help you achieve your life goals also. Of course health experts would argue that maintaining a healthy diet would always help a person mentally also as you feel and look good every morning.

So regardless of your desire to change life, it is perhaps best to design the healthiest diet and physical exercise which you are most comfortable with. If you are fit and healthy physically, many of the apparent social or cosmetic barriers simply evaporate even without bring any drastic change in your food habits.