The latest trend for dieting is eating clean. Sounds good, so what possibly could be wrong with that? Nothing really, as long as eating clean, equals a healthy balanced diet that includes the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

Be careful of fad diets that just are not good for you. Many of these diets lack a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. They are highly restrictive of certain food groups and are just not nutritionally sound. Succumbing to these types of diets sets you up for failure or worse.

When you deprive yourself of a certain food group you run the risk of nutrient deficiencies. An imbalanced diet can lead to ketosis. Sound scary? It is! This is a condition that causes the body to break down muscle tissue. No! This is the last thing you want to do, as a matter of fact it’s a last ditch effort from your body indicating that trouble is brewing.

There are obvious differences between the female and male physique. But did you know that the nutrition and fitness requirements for women differ than those of a man? It’s true; women need fewer calories but more nutrients than men.

That is why women need a diet and fitness program designed for the unique needs of a woman’s body. We have to be especially careful eating foods that are high in calories but with little nutritional value because we need to get as much nutrition as possible from the foods that we eat.

Concentrate on portion control rather than engaging in boring fad diets. Eating one particular food all day long, completely avoiding certain food groups or having to eat foods in a specific order are lifestyles that few people can adapt forever.

Think about people whom you know or celebrities who have lost weight. Which ones have kept it off? Was it the friend that was on the grapefruit diet or the extremely low fat diet? Was it the celebrity who is endorsing the diet that’s guaranteed to work?

Many of these diets are extremely low calorie diets—no wonder people lose weight from them, but are they depriving themselves of needed nutrients, by eating such a small amount of food? Most importantly, is this a quick fix weight loss or one that will last forever?

The only way to achieve permanent weight loss is to find a diet plan that you can live with. If you love ice cream, fine! Just reduce your calorie intake by portion control or food choices but keep a balanced diet and stick with a regular exercise routine. If you find that you begin to level off or start to gain weight then you may need to re-examine the type and quantity of food that you are eating.