All of my adult life I’ve been a proponent of healthy eating. It’s a passion of mine. And one day, while in my early-forties, I decided to do something about it. I left my job as real estate manager for McDonald’s Corporation in Southern California and went back to school, earning a master’s in nutritional science. I then passed the registered dietitian exam and have been a practicing dietitian ever since.

I work as health educator with experience teaching at a large hospital network, working with at risk senior adults at community centers and in their homes. I also speak at colleges, civic organizations and corporate events. I cover a wide range of topics including diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, gastrointestinal issues, weight management and more. And I love it!

Along the way it became clear to me that many people don’t always have the best information to help navigate the nutritional path to better health. This is particularly true when it comes to weight-loss diets.

We are inundated with tips, statements and endorsements on all types of diets from celebrities, TV doctors, corporate ads, our friends, neighbors, diet websites and blogs. Some of what’s out there is helpful and evidence-based. So much isn’t. And there lies the problem.

The weight-loss industry is a $60 billion dollar business, with lots of players in the game. A lot of them push fad diets, many of which are short-term fixes that can cause its followers to experience adverse long-term effects. It’s because of this that I felt compelled to write my new book Stop The Diet, I Want To Get Off!

Stop The Diet, I Want To Get Off! examines the pros and cons of dozens of fad diets. It explains why most of them aren’t good for our health. And ultimately, it gives the reader a healthy eating plan for life. Good nutrition and eating for health has been a driving force in my life. And it’s something I not only advocate every day for my clients, but something I practice in my personal life as well.

LISA TILLINGER JOHANSEN, MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian who counsels clients on a wide range of health issues. Her debut nutrition book, Fast Food Vindication, received the Discovery Award (sponsored by USA Today, Kirkus and The Huffington Post). She lives in Southern California.

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About the Book

The Paleo. The Zone. The Gluten-free. Another day, another diet. We’re caught in a never-ending merry-go-round of weight loss plans, fueled by celebrity endorsers, TV doctors and companies angling for a piece of a $60 billion industry. But do these diets really work? And how healthy are they?

Registered Dietitian Lisa Tillinger Johansen examines dozens of the most wildly popular diets based on medical facts, not hype. And along the way, she reveals tried-and-true weight loss strategies, relying on her years of hospital experience, weight-loss seminars and community outreach efforts. With insight and humor, Stop The Diet, I Want To Get Off shows that the best answer is often not a trendy celebrity-endorsed diet, but easy-to-follow guidelines that are best for our health and our waistlines.