Popular Diets That Don't Work

The Military Diet requires less than 1000 calories per day and has an emphasis, surprisingly, on processed foods like hot dogs and crackers. Processed foods are know to be filled with carcinogenic agents and should be avoided at all costs. This diet promises participants that they would lose approximately 10 pounds in a week (which is definitely a lot), and has a lot of restrictions on what you can and cannot eat. This diet is also meant for 3 days, which is not necessarily long-lasting, so the results also aren't long-lasting. There are really no pros cited for this diet other than that you lose the weight fast, and at a particularly rapid rate. It also helps teach portion control that includes fruits and vegetables.

These are the cons that Reader's Digest highlights:

• Eating low-quality processed foods
• Having an inadequate amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Experts highly recommend putting this one diet aside as it really needs to be revamped to be somewhat healthier.