One option is to just stop eating for a while. But the cravings could drive you crazy and the health consequences are grim. Not a good approach. You might try diet pills, and some do work to a degree at least for a while. But the side effects are something to look out for and they can outweigh the benefits.

Many people will naturally gravitate toward one of the popular 'name' diets among the variety of weight loss plans such as the Zone Diet or South Beach Diet. Certainly, they have their positives and the approach they take may work well for some, less well for others. One could say the same about many low fat or low carb diets. There's a bit of truth in all of them.

Others prefer a traditional approach, guided by the USDA Food Pyramid, old or refurbished. It does contain a lot of sound advice about the types and amounts of different foods to eat or avoid. It can be confusing, but those who persist will find a lot of useful information there.

It contains guidelines and information on fiber, fat, carbohydrates and other foods to consume. They give good advice on essential vitamins and minerals and make it easy to understand why cholesterol and fat isn't always bad. It also explains how to keep the bad type of cholesterol down and the good type up.

And then there are the traditionalists and those on the leading edge that pay close attention to fluid intake. Dehydration can do more than just reduce maximum workout performance. It can cause health problems long before you feel thirsty.

There is also a lot of excitement about the potential benefits of organic foods. From a good supplier, they can offer nutritional value that is less often contained in the average major grocery store product.

Phytonutrients is also showing some promise. These compounds, found in highly colored fruits and vegetables, promise to optimize nutrition and lower the odds of disease. Those interested phytonutrients will also have a natural interest in finding out all about omega-3 fatty acids available in fish or supplements.

Then there are those who just plain find it difficult to diet. Diet programs and weight loss clinics like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers can help. Their programs encapsulate a simple to follow set of recommended diets or prepackaged meals and support for sticking to one's diet goals. They'll help adjust the dieter's attitude in a way that can prop up the commitment to long-term lifestyle change.

There are definite health advantages (and a few precautions) to dieting. There is definitely a large variety of weight loss plans, but whatever type of dieter you are there is ample information available to assist you in getting the pros and avoiding the cons. After all, dieting is hard enough. Knowing how to diet doesn't have to be.