by Sandra Parker

Created on: August 17, 2009   Last Updated: August 18, 2009

With the American population bursting at the seams, it's no wonder that we are constantly being bombarded with diet pills, programs, and exercise memberships. The problem is that most of us have tried one or more of these things before and have had little or no success with them. More often than not, when it comes to weight loss strategies, most of us try to go it alone, most of the time with disastrous side effects. When deciding on your next diet plan, take a peek at the list of ten worst ways to lose weight and try to avoid them at all costs.

1. Starvation- The science behind weight loss is pretty simple, burn more calories than you consume. But did you know that not consuming enough daily calories will actually stall out your weight loss attempts. Plus it will make you irritable and feel terrible. So, instead of starving yourself, just reduce the number of calories you consume per day by 500. You will lose approximately 1-2 lbs a week.

2. Binge and Purge- Okay, this is not healthy (or attractive) either. It is NOT okay to eat large quantities of food then vomit to get rid of it, no matter how you look at it. Not only will you end up with a severe electrolyte imbalance, but the enamel on your teeth will erode, your esophagus will erode and your breath will smell horrible.

3. Crash Diets- Just as the name suggests, you shock your body into losing weight quickly, but in the end, you will crash and either find yourself back where you started, or worse, or you will cause yourself some major medical problems. Leave these to the celebs who get paid millions to gamble with their health.

4. Surgery- This one should be a no-brainer. Not only is the surgery itself risky, but most surgical patients find themselves right back into the same boat they were in before. This is because the surgery will cure the immediate problem, it doesn't address the reason the patient became obese in the first place, leaving the patient to become obese again later.

5. Diet drugs- No matter where you look, there has never, ever been a pill invented that helps users lose weight and keep it off without two things happening: the weight comes back when the user stops using, and there are usually unpleasant side effects associated with their use (from uncontrollable bowel movements to heart attacks and strokes). Leave the drugs to the pharmacists, unless you are using a prescription under the direct supervision of a licensed physician.

6. Fad Diets- These are the same as crash diets, yet the crash usually takes a bit longer. The medical communities is still out about the effectiveness of some such diets like Atkins and South Beach, and until proven scientific research concludes that these are safe and sustainable, leave them alone.

7. Hypnosis- The jury is out on this one, too. Hypnotherapy is usually only successful if the subject believes it will be successful. If you believe it will be successful, you will be able to believe that a diet will work as well, and won't have to spend the money to get the same results.

8. No Exercise- Diet management alone is not sufficient to help someone lose weight and is definitely not practical when it comes to keeping it off.

9. Too Much Exercise- Conversely, exercise alone cannot undo the damage caused by overeating and eating junk.

10. Trying to Follow a Too Strict plan- Let's face it, we're human and cakes, cookies and ice cream taste good. The idea of never eating these things again is just not sustainable and will cause the dieter to fall off the wagon, sometimes for good.

The best way to lose weight is to follow a sensible eating and exercise plan with a partner who will motivate and support you.

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