Many people have made losing weight or becoming healthier one of their New Year’s resolutions. Some may try to do so through a fad diet that promises quick and dramatic weight loss results.

It is easy to jump on this bandwagon because who doesn’t want to lose those pounds as fast as you can?

While intending to become a healthier version of yourself is good, fad dieting can lead to its own set of health problems including dehydration, weakness, fatigue, headaches, nausea, constipation and nutrient deficiencies.

Most fad diets are based on consuming a limited number of foods or eliminating a certain food or food group entirely from your diet.

This is not only boring, but it is not sustainable and can lead to serious health side effects.

You can easily identify whether a diet is a fad or one supported by research, because a fad diet will almost never include a physical activity component.

According to USDA Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, most adults should engage in between 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (e.g. brisk walking) or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise (e.g. cycling) each week to show the positive health benefits from movement.

Before starting or stopping any diet, you should approach your doctor or dietitian to make sure the program is safe for you, particularly if you have a health condition impacted by diet, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Ask yourself if the diet you are starting is something you can sustain for the rest of your life.

You should always do good research about the diet to be able to understand how it will affect your body as a whole, not just the scale.

If the diet and its effects seem too good to be true, they probably are.

Research continues to show the best way to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle is by being physically active and eating a variety of foods. These foods include:

— A variety of vegetables in all different colors

— Fruits, preferably the whole fruit

— Grains with whole grains comprising at least half of your consumption

— Low-fat dairy

— Proteins including seafood, lean meats, legumes, nuts and seeds

More information on eating healthy and incorporating more physical activity into your day is available at the Clark County Extension office.

Shonda Johnston is the Clark County Extension agent for family and consumer sciences. She can be reached at 859-744-4682 or by email at shonda.johnston@uky.edu.