Many diets come and go. With many more going than staying, it's no wonder weight loss is an industry in itself.

There are so many of us looking for that quick fix and so many more who think that no matter how hard they try, nothing ever seems to work. In the end, all of us -- even Oprah -- are frustrated.

Many diets come and go. With many more going than staying, it's no wonder weight loss is an industry in itself.

There are so many of us looking for that quick fix and so many more who think that no matter how hard they try, nothing ever seems to work. In the end, all of us -- even Oprah -- are frustrated.

The search is endless, much like a cheating spouse looking for a perfect mate. But that perfection always manages to stay out of grasp. Hmmm.

The sad truth is that all the money in the world, which Oprah has clearly demonstrated, time and again, cannot locate "the" perfect diet.

However, instead of recoiling from the sting of this nugget of truth, as hard as it may be to swallow, we should be chewing on it.

For any diet to work for us, we first must stop the bad behavior that got us there in the first place.

That said, it would seem a diet that targets our strengths, not our weaknesses, should be a great place to begin and, with the plethora of diets out there, none of us should have trouble finding one that can move us in a better direction. Be sure to check with your health care provider before beginning any new weight loss or exercise program.

The Internet is a great place to begin a search. According to a recent Web search, the current Top 10 diets are:

10. The Three-day Diet/Perricone Nutritional Face Lift -- This diet claims you'll lose an incredible 10 pounds in just three days. So what's the catch? Well, it really is intended to only be a three-day diet. While you may lose a lot of weight very quickly, it's not sustainable over the long run if you have more than a few pounds to lose. One of the most popular short-term diets, this was popularized by Dr. Nicholas Perricone.

9. Blood Type Diet -- Made popular by Peter D'Adamo's best-selling book "Eat Right 4 Your Type," the Blood Type Diet advocates specific meal and menu plans based on your blood type. While it's unclear whether blood type actually has any effect on weight loss, the healthful lifestyle and low-calorie approach advocated in the blood type diet will have you losing weight.

8. Slim Fast Optima Diet -- Based on the steadfast "a shake for breakfast, one for lunch, and a sensible meal" mantra, Slim Fast with its new low-sugar version called Optima continues to be popular among dieters. The basic idea is that you replace two meals per day with a Slim Fast product such as a ready-to-drink shake, meal replacement bar, smoothie or powdered mix.

7. Body for Life -- Bill Phillips Eating for Life Plan -- Bill Phillips' Body for Life program (which includes his Eating for Life nutritional program) is a comprehensive approach to weight-loss incorporating both exercise and healthful nutrition. The exercise segment is short (each workout takes less than 45 minutes), and the nutritional plan is healthful and satisfying, allowing six well-balanced meals per day based on portion size (no calorie counting) and a cheat day every seventh day. I've personally read Bill's books and followed his program and highly recommend this as a safe, healthful and effective approach.

6. Mediterranean Diet -- The people of the southern Mediterranean (Spain, Greece and Italy) are known for their wonderful food and lower incidence of heart disease, which is why the Mediterranean diet has become immensely popular. The diet advocates many fruits and vegetables, olive oil, some fish and poultry, breads and grains and, rarely, red meats.

5. Zone Diet -- The Zone diet is based on the recommended nutritional balance ratio of 40:30:30; that are each meal should contain 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat. This diet has remained popular for many years now and can be considered low carb (and low glycemic, because the average person's diet contains upwards of 5 to 60 percent carb content. The Zone diet has a large list of restricted foods of which many are high glycemic index.

4. Cabbage Soup Diet -- The cabbage soup diet fits into the category of short-term weight loss diet fad. Requiring no long-term commitment, the basic idea is that you can lose 10 pounds if you follow a varied food, high-fiber, seven-day fast that includes eating soup every day. Fiber is key to this diet. It helps scour the walls of the digestive tract, which can be lined with as much as 10 pounds of rotting wastes that not only slow the metabolism but also contribute to fatigue and poor health.

3. Ornish Diet -- Dr. Dean Ornish wrote a book called "Eat More, Weigh Less," which essentially prescribes a low-fat diet based primarily on fruits, vegetables and grains. The diet "bans" a number of foods, but you are allowed to eat as much as you want from approved ones. This could be a good diet if you're an incurable snacker, but the lack of fat in the diet may increase your cravings and make it hard to stick with such a strict diet.

2. South Beach Diet -- The South Beach Diet emphasizes good carbs vs. bad carbs, which means you don't have to completely give up breads and other foods rich in carbohydrates. The South Beach Diet is based on the popular and scientifically proven glycemic index rating of foods with low-glycemic foods being "good carbs" and high-glycemic foods being "bad carbs."

1. Atkins Diet -- No stranger to the dieting world, the Dr. Atkins Diet has been enormously popular over the past several years and shows no sign of slowing. Atkins is a low-carb, low-glycemic plan that works in four phases: Induction, Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance. It has proven effective for thousands of people and could be your key to fast long-term weight loss.

Making a commitment to treat your body better is a resolution worth keeping. Here are some recipes to help you sample some diets.

South Beach Poached Salmon with Cucumber-Dill Sauce

2 cups dry white wine

2 cups water

1 chicken-flavored bouillon cube

6 peppercorns

4 sprigs fresh dill weed

2 bay leaves

1 rib celery, chopped

1 small lemon, sliced

6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon, 1/2 inch thick

Cucumber-Dill Sauce:

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

1/3 cup fat-free sour cream

1/3 cup fat-free plain yogurt

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill weed

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional

Fresh dill weed sprigs, optional

* In a large, heavy skillet, combine wine, water, bouillon, peppercorns, dill weed, bay leaves, celery and lemon. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

* Add the salmon to the mixture in the skillet and cook for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

* Transfer the salmon to a platter, using a slotted spoon. Cover and chill thoroughly. Discard what remains in skillet.

* In a medium bowl, mix cucumber, sour cream, yogurt, dill weed and mustard.

* Place the fillets on individual serving plates. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fillets. Garnish with fresh dill weed sprigs, if desired.

Nutrition information: 251 calories; 6 g fat; 7 g carbohydrates; 27g protein.

Atkins Low-Carb Fudge

Must be eaten very cold

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1/2 cup sugar substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

* Mix all ingredients together and spread in a foil-lined tray.

* Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

* Keep chilled or frozen.

Zone-Style Chicken Minestrone Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons basil, dried

1 teaspoon thyme, dried

2 carrots, diced

1 tomato, diced

14-1/2 ounces fat-free chicken broth

1 small head cabbage, diced

1 small zucchini, diced

14-1/2 ounces beans, cooked (kidney or green)

1/3 cup pasta, dry (like macaroni)

* Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and brown in oil in a large pot. Remove chicken from pot.

* Add onion, celery, garlic, basil and thyme to pot and cook on medium for 2 minutes.

* Add carrots and cook 2 more minutes, covered.

* Add chicken, tomato and broth and simmer 15 minutes, covered.

* Add cabbage and zucchini and simmer 15 more minutes, covered.

* Add kidney beans and macaroni and cook 10 minutes, covered.

* Add basil and remove from heat.

Nutrition information: 1 cup has 1.2 protein blocks, 1.1 carbohydrate blocks and 1/2 fat block.

To make a meal you need to add fat.

Cabbage Soup Diet Soup

(Laura Kurella Adapted version)

Feel free to replace vegetables with your own favorites in like amounts to make it a soup you will enjoy eating. Dry onion soup may be omitted if desired, too.

1 tablespoon oil

6 onions, sliced

1 bunch of green onions, sliced

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1 pint fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 bunch celery, chopped

1 head cabbage, chopped

2 carrots, shredded

14 ounces low sodium chicken broth

1(1-1/4 ounce) envelope dry onion soup

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, optional

32 ounces vegetable juice

2 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes

1 lemon, juice of

6 garlic cloves, crushed

Pepper, to taste

* In a heavy Dutch oven, combine oil, mushrooms, onions, peppers and celery over high heat, stirring and cooking until they begin to caramelize and crisp up. Add cabbage, carrots, broth, dry soup mix, vinegar if using, juices, tomatoes and garlic.

* Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

* Cool slightly then puree if desired. Refrigerate all leftovers.

Makes 20 servings.

Nutrition information: Calories 67; Fat 0.5g; Sodium 307mg; Carbohydrate 15g; Fiber 3.6g; Sugars 8.3g; Protein 3g.