How many of you have tried different diet plans? Raise your hand if that number is greater than 5! In fact, most of us looking for a way to lose weight, desperately go on one diet plan after another, hoping we find the right one for us. Often, we rely upon friends or TV ads to help us decide, but those are unreliable methods of making the right decision for our personal needs. So what should you consider when deciding upon a diet plan to follow?

We each have different physical and psychological needs that makes it more difficult for us to stick with some diets and easier with others. What works great for your aunt or brother-in-law may not work at all for you. If enough weight loss plans fail you, you are increasingly likely to try riskier diet plans that are unhealthy. Don't jump on a plan simply because it sounds easy or quick. Instead, consider all the factors that would help you stick to a plan.

The smartest way to make a choice is to do a little research. Read about several diet plans that you find interesting and then base your decision on the following factors:

1. Would your physician consider it to be a "healthy diet plan"? A healthy diet places an emphasis on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy; includes fish, lean meats, beans, poultry, and nuts; and is low in salt, sugar, cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats.

2. Do the recipes and meals contain ingredients you like to eat?

3. Does the plan fit into your lifestyle?

4. Is the diet plan easy enough and varied enough that you would want to stick to it for a long time?

Other factors you may wish to consider:

* Do you want to use an online diet plan in which all of the information, recipes, and support are located on the Internet?

* Or do you need the face-to-face in-person type of plan, which requires actually going to meetings on a regular basis?

* Or would you prefer the "do it yourself" or DIY diet plan, allowing you to simply purchase a book and follow the plan at home, with no outside support?

It's clear that you need to evaluate several plans based upon your own personality, the foods you enjoy, your lifestyle, and your cooking skills. Try to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges, when looking at the various diet plans side by side. It's easy to get lost in the hype, but if you summarize each plan, noting the specific factors you need, you'll end up making a decision that will consist of the right diet plan for you.