Crash diets could ruin your swimsuit figure

Contrary to what you might think, it's March, not January, that is the most popular month for starting diets. Everyone tries on that new bathing suit, and suddenly realizes summer is right around the corner.

Because we're all trying to look good before swimsuit season, many chose highly-restrictive, crash diets to shed the pounds as quickly as possible. However, as you've heard a million times before, it's incredibly difficult to stick with such a drastic weight-loss program. For success that'll last through the summer, ditch the gimmicks, and stick with what works.

Remember, don't judge yourself based on the what the scale says. It's not about losing weight, it's about looking good, right? So think more about the shape and strength of your body. Exercising and lifting weights will be key here, as -- while they may not help you drop pounds right away -- these activities will burn calories and develop muscle tone, causing you to look slimmer.

If you're really interested in shedding pounds, remember that for results that stick, you should only be dropping 2-3 pounds per week. To achieve this, try cutting 50 calories from every meal -- while the weight loss won't be dramatic, it'll come off, and stay off.

Lastly, don't be too hard yourself. After all, everyone looks better when they feel good about themselves.