We've heard the claims before - quick weight loss diet plans promising fast results that are nothing short of unbelievable. Many people succumb into all sorts of quick weight loss diet plans, only to lose motivation and fail miserably halfway in following the plan. Thus, they may end up right where they started or even gain a pound or two afterwards. Read on to know how to pick the right weight loss diet plan, and how to stay on course.

The term 'plan' itself denotes preparing and goal setting. It involves a highly structured, well-organized schedule of meals and food combinations you must adhere to on a stringent basis; otherwise the quick weight loss diet plan falls apart. Diets, despite their variations, all have common ground upon which each of their systems is based.

Diet Plan # 1: Ditch the Junk Foods.

Junk food is the first to go. Think of the undertaking as a challenge to be met and overcome, rather than treating it like a prison sentence.

If you go on a diet halfheartedly, fretting over the things you will be forced to give up, you will only set yourself up for failure and disappointment. Instead, set a reasonable and attainable goal and timeframe, something you're sure to achieve, and then reward yourself afterward.

Having a sense of accomplishment is a great way to stay motivated and determined to see this through. For this, the ideal diet would be a more flexible one, like the Mayo Clinic Plan, which puts more emphasis on eating healthy choices - like having your fill of unlimited fruits and veggies - than eliminating unhealthy ones. This plan lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and cuts down the risk for heart, disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

Diet Plan # 2: Just Say No.

If you get sidetracked and find yourself indulging a wee bit more than usual (read: cheating), do not abandon your quick weight loss diet plan altogether, simply because you feel you are no longer consistent.

Just make up for your mistake by eating twice as healthily as before. Remove temptation from your life (and your pantry!). Do your grocery shopping on a full stomach so you do not feel compelled to grab every snack in sight. Stock up instead on healthier alternatives, like whole grain foods.

Know the difference between a craving and real, honest-to-goodness hunger. When you hear that jelly doughnut a-calling, imagine yourself eating some other kind of food, like chicken, for instance. If you're really hungry, you'll want to eat whatever food comes to your mind. If anything other than that jelly doughnut seems like a bad idea, then what you have is a craving that must be ignored.

Eat smaller portions more frequently, about every three hours, because when you allow yourself to get hungry, it will be that much difficult to suppress your appetite and you will have a tendency to overeat.

Diet Plan # 3: Take Your Pick.

If you prefer a more rigid and quicker weight loss diet plan, try the famous South Beach Diet. It has three phases, the first of which takes two weeks long and is the most restrictive. Its specific menus do away with most of the carbohydrates you know and love, like bread, pasta, sugar, and alcohol, making it a seemingly difficult diet to hurdle. The Atkins Plan, on the other hand, provides three meals and one snack a day. It focuses on eating lean meat and eggs, and like the South Beach Diet, targets carbohydrates first.

The ideal would be to shed one to two pounds a week. Anything more than that would be too risky as it isn't just unwanted fat you may be losing, but all-important muscle tissue as well. This is why exercise and physical activity are just as essential to quick weight loss as eating right, because building muscle helps to burn all those calories away.

There are many other quick weight loss diet plans in existence, precisely because there is no single diet that will work for everyone. Whether low-fat, low-carb, protein-rich, all-vegetarian, or whatnot, it is still up to you to decide which plan you think will suit you best. And remember, when in doubt, always consult your physician first.