You’ve read me saying it before: find what works for you. When it comes to diets, just like everything from medicine to exercise routines, due to our diverse genetic makeup, one diet does not work best for everyone.

One of the top comments I receive in person is that while they know I do Paleo and it’s done wonders for me, they’ve tried it and they didn’t get the same results. Fair enough; that’s a valid point. But these same people then go back to eating the way they did before trying Paleo. And that’s not good.

One diet that most people seem to have is the, “It’s food, I like it, so it’s going in my mouth” Diet. Let’s call it the IFILISIGIMM Diet. (Read that out loud; it’s kind of funny!) The problem is that this diet is a one size fits all diet, but worse, it increases everyone’s size dramatically. Of course, the main culprit is sugar, but grains and dairy are doing us no favors, either. For those whose ethics are important to them, the vast majority of prepared foods are not ethically sourced, so there’s that nugget, too.

There are a lot healthy, safe alternative diets to the IFILISIGIMM Diet; Mediterranean, Atkins, Whole30, Whole9, Keto, IF, among others. I can almost guarantee that your body and genetic makeup is compatible with one of these diets. The hard part is on you: find it and stick to it. But don’t try it for a week. Give it a good three-four weeks and see how it goes.