1. The “Detox” Drink Diet

There are a variety of these diets on the market today, but they all do the same thing. You drink a nasty “natural” juice every hour for two days and it is supposed to cause all of the toxins to flee your body. Supposedly, this will make the way clear for the pounds to start melting off as your body functions properly again. In truth, all this diet does is leave you dehydrated, exhausted, and overwhelmed with a nasty case of diarrhea.

2. The “Cabbage Soup” Diet

This is one of the oldest routines known to desperate women. If you eat plain cabbage soup as your only nutrition for two weeks, you will supposedly become the incredible shrinking woman. While you will drop weight on this diet, it won’t last and as soon as you eat solid food again, you will gain it all back.

3. The Carnivore Diet

There are several variations of this diet on the market today, but they all have one thing in common. You eat unlimited amounts of animal based proteins such as meat, cheese, and eggs. You just avoid all traces of carbohydrates, even those found in fruits and whole grains. This diet is a horrible choice and will leave you a few pounds lighter with high cholesterol and no energy.

4. The Low Fat Diet

Low fat diets were all the rage in the 90’s, but they don’t work for most people. The major downfall is that people assume they can eat unlimited quantities of low fat foods. This is a myth! Often, the lower fat foods contain more sugar and you will actually gain weight as your insulin levels spike.

5. The Cookie Diet

There is a rumor circulating that you can lose weight eating only cookies. This is based on a plan developed by a doctor that insisted his healthy “cookies” were the secret to lasting weight loss. In reality, the cookie diet is a short term solution for a long term problem. It is not a balanced option and so you should avoid it!

6. The Lazy Diet

This theory suggests that you can lead a completely sedentary lifestyle as long as you cut your calories to an extreme limit. By reducing your calories, you can still lose weight without exercising. While it might work for awhile, you will quickly plateau and your weight loss will come primarily from lost muscle rather than fat.

7. The Raw Diet

Many people swear by a diet that consists only of raw foods. While this is a good idea in theory, it can lead to extremes that are unhealthy. You need protein in your diet to sustain muscle mass and keep you healthy. Raw food diets usually have a serious lack of this key nutrient.

No matter what kind of diet you choose, you need one that is balanced and includes a healthy portion of fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and lean proteins. What other horrible diets have you encountered in an attempt to lose weight?

Top Photo Credit: Katia Antz