Diets come with plenty of questions as you struggle to find the right plan to meet your individual needs. Get answers to the most common diet plan questions here.

Which diet plan is best to lose weight fast?

That depends on your goal in losing weight. Are you trying to fit into a bridesmaid dress after enjoying yourself too much over the past two weeks? Try fasting or even colon cleansing to reduce the bloating and pouch caused by overindulgence. If you’re looking to jumpstart a long-term weight loss plan, however, you’d do well to pick a plan that you plan to use for the duration. Eat the minimum amount of food under the plan that still meets you body’s needs and drink up to a gallon of water a day. This will help flush away stored fluids and give your weight loss a running start.

What is a healthy amount of weight to lose while dieting?

If you are working to lose a large amount of weight, experts advise you focus on 10% of your total weight at a time. Just losing this much has tremendous health benefits. If you weigh 160 pounds, work to lose 16 pounds to see huge health improvements. Then set a new intermediate goal and keep working. The first week of weight loss, five pounds is considered healthy and 1-2 pounds per week following that is ideal. Be sure to check to find the healthy weight range for your height to set a reasonable weight loss goal.

How do I pick the right diet plan?

The right diet plan for you depends on lots of things. Consider your attitudes toward food, your ability to cook at home, your need for prepackaged food, your desire to count points or calories, any food items you don’t normally eat, and your long-term goals.

The right diet plan is one that works for you mind and body, helps you lose weight in a healthy and gradual way, and teaches you the best ways to eat after you’ve reached your goal so that you don’t gain the weight back again.

How many calories should I eat?

Different diet plans will offer different ideas on this according to their own program. However, you can get a rough idea by finding your minimum number of daily calories according to age, height and weight and then accounting for your level of daily activity. The resulting number is your minimum number of calories to eat every day – don’t eat less than this number or your body will suffer. You can find this using a BMR calculator.

Are diet plans safe?

That depends on the diet plan. A diet plan that includes healthy food choices and well-balanced meals is very safe. In fact, it’s probably safer than your current diet.

Do I have to exercise with a diet plan?

Do you have to exercise? No. Should you exercise? Yes. Exercise will help you burn additional calories to lose weight faster. Exercise will also help you tone muscle so that you appear more physically fit and have more muscle to help burn fat as well, even at rest.