What are elimination diets? With so many reality shows out there, we all know what it means to be eliminated. A number of diets out there, whether meal-based or a combination of meals and exercise, suggest eliminating a certain food from your diet. From the carb-free craze to the “good” fats fad, these diets promise that if you can just eliminate that one offending category or ingredient from your daily life, you can lose weight.

Who are elimination diets best used by? Despite their popularity, elimination diets are extremely difficult to follow, since they require serious commitment to removing the specific food in order to be successful. In fact, frustration garnered by elimination diets has brought on a wave of diets that allow splurges for those dieters who just can’t seem to stick to a true elimination diet. If you feel like there is a particular elimination that might make the difference for you, make sure you are wholly committed to this elimination before attempting an elimination diet.