Coconut oil may provide you with a fast, healthy method of losing weight that does not require dangerous medications or expensive diet programs.

A 1,200-calorie diet is considered a low intake that should prompt weight loss in most people. If you're combining it with regular exercise but not seeing changes on the scale, you might wonder why you're working so hard to lose weight without results.

Cereal is a healthy part of a diet plan that may assist weight loss. The healthiest options are made from whole-grains and are low in fat and sugar. Although Frosted Flakes are higher in sugar than other cereals and often not considered a diet food, they can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan.

If you're looking to lose weight, using laxatives might seem like a way to keep your body from absorbing the calories in food. However, this isn't an effective weight loss method and can lead to serious health complications. Ex-lax is an over-the-counter laxative used to treat constipation.

While it's nice to think that you can burn away excess fat by showering, it's not the best way to shed pounds. Shivering from exposure to cold -- such as in a long, cold shower -- might help you burn more calories over time, but it's not clear whether it actually leads to weight loss.

The key to maximizing weight loss through exercise is to always keep your body guessing. Changing your routine, varying the intensity or adding strength-training exercises are ways to maximize your workout. Don't allow your body to adapt to your routine.

The calories we consume provide energy and nutrients that our bodies require. Our best health comes from making good food choices from among carbohydrates, proteins and fats--and sometimes that is tricky. High-fat foods are also high in calories, but many low-fat or nonfat foods can also be high in calories.

Oral contraceptives, or birth control pills, first came onto the market in the 1960s.The number of available brands has grown exponentially since that time, according to Brown University. The hormones in oral contraception can alter the way your body metabolizes water and lead to temporary weight gain.

You don’t need to be a nutritionist or a personal trainer to know that cutting excess calories from your diet while increasing your activity level is the basic formula for successful weight loss.

A lot of people fast for a variety of reasons. Some may fast for cultural or religious reasons, while others do it for weight loss or cleansing purposes. When you are not consuming foods throughout a day, it could have possible effects on your energy levels and your overall capacity to perform certain tasks.

The 12-day Grapefruit and Egg Diet combines elements of two other popular fad diets, the Grapefruit Diet and the Egg Diet, into a single meal plan.

The key to weight loss is simple when you consume fewer calories than you use. Although this fundamental tenet of weight loss is simple, the execution is difficult. Once your know how many calories you use daily, you can then determine how many calories to eat to lose weight.