Diet plans are a dime a dozen, and that's why choosing a good weightloss diet program can get really confusing for the average person. Because obesity has become such a huge problem in America, and is a growing problem in the world, maintaining a healthy diet is more important than ever. In fact, it's a life and death struggle for many people.

Trying to answer the question of what diet plan works best is difficult because everybody has different needs and lifestyles. There really isn't a "one size fits all" diet plan that works great for everybody. We each have our own unique metabolism that responds to whatever foods we eat and to other things like stress, illness and mental health.

Here are some common questions people have about dieting:

What is the healthiest diet?

This is a tricky one. Most diets floating around on the internet and in popular books and magazines will claim that they can work miracles for you if you cut out all the bad junk food. So, to start, you've got to cut way down on consuming snack chips and fried foods, or even cut them out of your diet completely.

Now things get complicated, because there's conflicting ideas about what combination of foods should be eaten to lose weight and still remain healthy. Determining what type of diets are good for the body should be based on whether or not the plan included proper nutrition that allows you to get through your day feeling good.

This should rule out starvation diets that may cause you to lose some quick water weight, but will make you feel drained, irritable and listless.

What is a balanced diet for weight loss?

Ideally, a balanced diet shouldn't deprive your body of any essential proteins and nutrients it needs to function at its best during the duration you are on the program.

According to the USDA, a person should eat something from the following food groups for optimal nutrition:

* Bread, cereal, rice and pasta
* Vegetables
* Fruits
* Milk, yogurt and cheese
* Meat, fish, poultry, beans, eggs and nuts

A good weight loss diet will show you how to combine foods from these groups in a healthy way for optimal fat burning results.

I have a bad diet, what should I do?

First of all, you're going to have to make a serious commitment to getting yourself back on track. Part of that is mental. You need to change the way you think about yourself and figure out why you eat the way you do.

Why are you eating that bag of potato chips after you've just had a big dinner?

Why are you eating a huge slab of chocolate cake at midnight?

Why are you ordering two double cheeseburgers, extra fries and a large soda at your favorite fast food place on a regular basis?

Why are these foods so comforting to you?

Can you change the way you think about these foods?

Answer these questions first. Then you can focus on replacing foods that are causing you to be overweight with healthier choices.

What happens if I don't get enough fat in my diet?

This is a good question. Many fad diets will advise you to cut out all foods containing fat on the notion that you will lose pounds rapidly. The cabbage soup diet, fast weight loss plan, is a good example of this. If you eat cabbage soup for a week, you will probably lose some weight, but at what price?

Your body will go into "starvation mode" and save every single calorie you consume to keep you alive (slowing down your metabolism). Also, you may experience headaches, moodiness and be very tired from not getting enough protein. These kinds of diets are quick fixes and you will gain the weight back rapidly. Not worth it, if you ask me.

So, what diets really work?

The only diets that genuinely work are ones that include proper nutrition, and are proven to be safe and effective in helping you to keep the weight off for good.