It is hard to turn on the television, read a magazine, or even surf the internet without coming across an ad for the latest diet trend or secret. Unfortunately due to busier lifestyles, the overwhelming number of fast food restaurants, and lets face it... pure laziness... as a society we are getting fatter.

Due to those same busy schedules, people are looking for a quick fix; an easy and fast way to lose weight without a lot of effort or time required. Needless to say, creative companies have found ways to capitalize on this weight loss infatuation by selling bogus diet programs and products with no documented medical benefits. Even worse that are the diet pills that go unregulated because they claim to have natural herbals which do not have to be tested by the FDA. Not only do they not promote weight loss, but they can also have unexpected side effects or reactions because they have not been tested.

Often with these diet pills and natural supplements, they explode on the scene with expansive marketing campaigns, sell millions, and then disappear just as fast once people realize that they don't really work. You also have the extreme end of the supplement line, such as Ephedrine, which can actually result in complications and death.

Taking these so-called weight loss pills is like taking your life into your hands. Some of the fad diets can be just as harmful as the diet pills. Eating just one type of food, such as the grapefruit diet, can rob your body of essential vitamins and minerals. While they may lead to some immediate weight loss, in the long run they actually result in gaining more excess body fat. So if fad diets and diet pills don't work, what are the options?

Study after study shows that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is a fundamental change in your diet and regular exercise. Most people rely on what manufacturers tell them about the products they are selling, to determine if a particular food product is healthy or not. This is one of the biggest mistakes that people often make when trying to lose weight. So-called health bars can actually lead to additional weight gain!

Most people also try to cobble together their own workout program at the gym, which only leads them to disappointment and frustration when they don't see results. Without proper guidance, the average person will not see the results they are looking for and will just end up spending excess time in the gym.

Proper guidance is out there if you really look for it. I found a great program that not only gave me a workout program that I could use in and outside of a gym, but it also gave with a nutritional guideline that helped change my eating habits. It is a book called The Truth About Abs (don't be fooled by the name). While it does show you how to get a slim waste with ripped abs, it is much more than that. The author is a certified nutritional specialist and certified personal trainer, so he combines the best of both worlds. The program showed me how to not only lose the weight, but it also showed me how to keep it off.

There are plenty of other programs similar the one that I used, but it may require some research. Before you decide to take the easy way for a temporary solution to your weight loss needs, put some research into a program that combines a balance of diet and exercise.