We've all heard of skinny tea or the cabbage diet, but what a lot of people don't realize, or don't WANT to realize, is that these "get fit quick" advertisements are scams. In fact, these fads lead to yo-yo dieting, and yo-yo dieting has been found to weaken hearts and make people less healthy than they were before they started.

In reality, if you want to see a long-lasting change you have to maintain long-lasting efforts. This means no more skipping meals, no more guilty binging, and no more sitting on the couch wishing you could look like the people you see on TV.

A huge reason fad diets are so popular is that they are supposed to work within an incredibly short time frame. Have a wedding next month? Eat a handful of almonds a day for 30 days to lose those 20 pounds. Pool party next week? Spend 3 hours on the treadmill every morning so you'll look thinner. Being able to shrink your body in a quarter of the time it should take sounds like a dream. But does it work?

The answer is: absolutely not.

Even if you lose a few pounds, it'll mostly just be water weight. You'll see the number on the scale decrease a little bit, maybe enough to boost your confidence, but you'll still have the same amount of fat on your body as you did the week before.

How can you maintain healthy weight loss?

By making fitness a routine and incorporating it into your lifestyle, you will not only get longer lasting results, but you'll feel better, have more energy, and most importantly, you'll keep the weight off.

How can I incorporate fitness into my lifestyle?

Start by planning out your meals. By knowing what you're consuming, you eliminate the uncertainty of what you put into your body. Make sure you have nutritious meals. Don't be afraid of carbs! Carbs, fat, and protein is all necessary for life. Avocado and coconut are both good sources of healthy fats. Add rice or whole wheat pasta for carbs, and grab some chicken or boiled eggs for protein. Map your meals out for the week before you get bogged down with work or school to ensure you have healthy options.

And finally, exercise.

Get to the gym, go to the track, or meet some friends on the soccer field for a game. Many people fall off the wagon when it comes to exercise because they get bored. Find a way to get excited. Whether it's by playing sports or running with a group, doing what you like means you're more likely to stick with it longer.

If you want to get fit, don't trust the bikini model on the diet pill ad, trust the people who wake up at 6 am to workout. Trust the ones who eat fish and rice instead of burgers and fries. If you make fitness a routine, you will see results, and then you won't want to quit.