The idea of a “fad” diet doesn’t really sound healthy, when you think about it. Shouldn’t a diet be something that you do for the long term, and not some fleeting pop culture idea? Being able to stay consistent with your eating habits, along with making sure you can enjoy yourself from time to time, is the key to staying in shape and looking great. So, let’s take a look at some of the most dangerous diets to avoid.

1. Low Fat Diet

Salmon: has fat, but the good kind!

The purpose here is to eliminate fat from your diet so that you can lose weight. The reality is that some fat is actually good for you, especially the kind of fat in olive oil, fish and avocadoes. A better approach would be to reduce things like trans fat instead of quitting fat altogether. By eliminating all fats, your body will crave them, which often leads to a binge cycle that does you no good.

2. Sweet Diet

The “Sweet Diet,” and its variations, is made for those who cannot live without eating sugary substances. They are put on a regimen of hard candies or other low-calorie sweets, which is supposed to kill off any type of appetite (presumably because your mouth is already busy). The problem is that candy isn’t exactly nutritious for you, plus the fact that too much sugar has a host of health side effects, especially for those who already consume a large amount. A better alternative is snacking on lots of sweet fruits such as apples, grapes, and melon.

3. Mono Diet

This might be OK for a day or two but…

This diet consists of eating the same thing in an unlimited quantity for every meal, which usually is one of the following: buckwheat, tomatoes, grapefruits, buttermilk, or watermelons. Not to mention that any diet consisting of one food will most certainly cause you to have deficiencies in other nutrients, it’s also a pretty miserable way to eat. Dieting is hard enough without unnecessarily limiting yourself to one food.

4. Sleeping Beauty Diet

This diet involves the use of heavy sedation to keep you from having an appetite. Not only will you burn fewer calories by sleeping all day, but it’s terrible on your body — there really is no medical reason to sedate yourself for the purpose of taking off a few pounds. Try regular exercise instead — it’s better for your body, your health, and your state of mind.

5. Low Carb Diets

Bad carbs.

Many low carb diets expect you to replace most of your carbohydrate intake with protein, and often that involves consuming protein from meat that can be high in fat. Also, reducing your carbohydrates means less energy – meaning you’ll tire easier. You may not even realize why you’re tired and you might eat more. Instead of switching out carbohydrates, just opt for more complex ones like wheat and multi-grain.

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Dan Cawrey is a freelance writer and blogger who writes on topics ranging from nutrition to technology to www.creditcardassist.com.