There is no real weight loss program comprising solely of cottage cheese, diets like this are unhealthy. Any plan based on just eating one food group is destined to fail even before you start. The boredom factor will also set in leading you into temptation.

Cottage cheese is a good diet food compared with some other cheese as it contains fewer calories while still providing protein. But you cannot survive on one food alone. When you are trying to lose pounds, it is very tempting to flit from one plan to another but at the end of the day this will not help you. So how can you find the best diet for you?

You should look for one containing the following elements:

1) When you look at the rules, you feel you have a good chance of sticking to them. This is perhaps the most important element of a successful program. If calorie counting and weighing foods is not your thing, then it doesn't matter if it works for thousands of people, you will fail. Some people need the support of a group so would do better joining weight loss classes and following their regime. Others prefer to go it alone.

2) The diet should promise slow and steady results. This will give you a much better chance of keeping the pounds you have lost at bay.

3) There should be no forbidden food groups. For example, some "fad diets" will not let you eat carbohydrates. The problem is that as soon as someone says you can't have it, you will want it. We need to eat as wide and varied a diet as possible to get all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals our body needs.

4) Regular exercise should be part of the program. People think you can lose excess pounds simply by dieting, and others think that going to the gym is sufficient but to be really successful you need a combination of both.

You can reduce your calorie intake without depriving yourself of your favorite foods by making different choices. For example if you love cottage cheese, you could try the version made with skimmed milk. Instead of eating the whole candy bar, have a square of very good quality chocolate once in a while as a treat. Start every meal with a fruit or vegetable juice or a salad. Reduce your portion size by 10% and you probably won't even notice.

Don't go on a crash diet. Not only do they not work but they can cause you to lose lean muscle. Muscle burns fat so you are shooting yourself in the foot. Any weight you lose will be regained and you may even end up weighing more. If you want to kick start your diet, you could try following a detox program for a week or ten days. Drinking water, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables combined with brown rice, whole meal cereals, and eating bio yogurt will help to detoxify your system.

You will lose pounds and feel better although perhaps not initially. This will help you get better results than following a cottage cheese diet alone.

If you're carrying around some pounds you want to get rid of, then you need to do some cardio exercise for weight loss. If that sounds horrifying, don't worry. There are many forms of cardio exercise that you're sure to enjoy.

If you've not been exercising or doing any form of cardio exercise for a long time, you might feel really intimidated by the idea of starting. But you shouldn't be. Cardio exercise can be something as simple as taking a brisk walk.

You don't have to buy tights and leg warmers. There is no requirement as far as fashion or equipment to start out doing some good weight loss cardio. You don't even need an exercise DVD. Step out your door and walk briskly for about 20 to 30 minutes, or as long as you're comfortable at first.

If you'd like to try something besides walking, aerobic dancing is a good choice. You can just dance around your living room, but an exercise DVD is a good way to do it. You can find DVDs that will let you do basic dancing moves. Or you can choose a weight loss DVD of salsa dancing or belly dancing, and almost any kind of dancing you think you'd enjoy.

Cycling, swimming, hiking, and any type of activity that gets your heart rate and your breathing up are aerobic activities. That means it's a cardio workout. Doing any of these things for at least 30 minutes four times a week is a great way to use cardio to lose weight. It

Specifically for weight loss though, the best thing to do is to change up your exercise routine. If you start taking brisk walks for five times a week, that's wonderful. It will help you lose weight and it's good for your body. But you can lose weight even more efficiently and build your endurance more efficiently if you vary your routine.

Instead of just walking, try to also incorporate jogging or running. Walk for a few minutes, and then run for a little while to get some cardio work in. You can time the sessions or you can just do it as you feel it. This is called circuit training.

If you're cycling for cardio exercise, cycle at a leisurely pace for a few minutes and then go very quickly. If you're on an exercise bike, cycle at a normal pace for a while and then spin like mad. The same goes for any exercise that you do. If you're walking or cycling, using hills for this type of thing is wonderful.

You can also circuit training in another sense. Choose brisk walking one day, and then the next go for cycling or aerobic dancing. You can easily get into a rut doing the same thing every time.

Doing the same type of exercise is better than nothing, and it's wonderful. But if you can change it up a little bit, the cardio exercise for weight loss that you do will be more effective.