People who need to lose weight are constantly seeking diets that work. It's not really hard to find diets that work, but finding a diet a person can stick to is the problem. The diet industry is huge. With books, diet food programs, trainers and nutritionists, spas, and all the other elements of the health and diet industry a lot of money, over 46.8 billion dollars in 2005, is made not from people becoming healthy or losing weight, but rather from people attempting to become healthy or lose weight. Because repeat business brings in the cash, the focus is naturally on the up and down reality of bad living followed by short periods of diets and health programs.

So you want a diet that works? Here's one. Drink only water, eat only a thousand calories each day, and combine it with 30 minutes of aerobic activity five times each week. It's a sure bet you'll shed pounds. Only two small things. #1 cravings will likely ruin the diet. 1000 calories and all that exercise will eventually lead to massive hunger and binge eating. One piece of cake, or just one bag of chips, or one extra hamburger will soon cause you to ending the diet. The second issue is what happens after the diet ends? What happens when the weight is lost? What, you'll return to eating the same way you ate prior to the diet? Guess what, then the weight will return. Next beach season, or next fancy dress ball, or next family trip, or simply the next time you glance at a looking glass on the way out of the bathroom it will be time to return to a diet to lose the unwanted pounds.

The best diet is a permanent diet. More and more people now understand that to lose weight it's best to make a whole lifestyle change, including healthier eating habits and more physical activity. The Sonoma Diet, created by Connie Guttersen, focuses on 10 'power foods.' These are almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes and whole grains, combined with the diet of the Sonoma country, which includes Asian, Latin American and Mediterranean influences. The diet includes a wide variety of real, and enjoyable foods so it's easy to remain on it .

Want a diet that works? Shift the focus away from a short term diet to a long term style that's part of an overall healthy and active lifestyle. That's the way to not only lose the weight, but to avoid gaining it in the first place.