Most of us have been tempted by too-good-to-be-true claims and miraculous before-and-after photos. But thinking you've got nothing to lose on a fad diet — except weight, of course — can be dangerous.

1. The Baby Food Diet

Babies don’t have to worry about their weight, right? The Baby Food Diet, which made waves on the Internet a few years back, is rumored to have been started by celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson. The goal? Maintain your ideal weight by replacing meals with — you guessed it — jars of puréed mush. Though the guidelines have never been officially published, proponents say it’s as easy as opening a jar each time hunger strikes. Yum.

The logic behind this one is flawed at best. Why would baby food, which is made from the same fruits, vegetables, and meats in the Food Guide Pyramid, confer any weight loss benefits? At worst, it'll leave you hungry without the “fullness” cues you usually get from chewing.

2. The Air Diet

There’s nothing like a satisfying bite of … air. According to Rebecca Scritchfield, a registered dietician and the author of Body Kindness, holding an empty fork to your mouth to mimic eating is a great way to stave off cravings. In addition to helping you take in oxygen, which you already get through breathing, this diet may promote a pattern of disordered eating (bad), lower your metabolism (bad), increase leptin resistance (bad), and cause muscle breakdown (also bad). Don’t do it. Just don’t.

3. The Tapeworm Diet

How far are you willing to go to lose weight? Only the most desperate dieters would consider ingesting a living tapeworm to suck the calories away. Not only is this diet illegal, it also comes with some significant health risks. Tapeworm infections can result in symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, nutritional deficiencies, weakness, and yes, loss of appetite and weight loss. But occasionally, they can cause serious complications, obstructing the intestines to the point that emergency surgery. A better move? Avoid tapeworms and simply eat healthy, low-calorie foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

4. The Low-Fat Diet

Fat has long had a bad rap, but your body actually needs it. When you narrow your focus to eliminating all fat from your diet, you risk relying on carb-rich replacements. Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta, and rice, are especially dangerous. Your body digests them quickly, causing your blood sugar to spike and crash. And with that crash comes a craving for more carbs. Going low-carb in the long-term may even harm your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease. Fat shouldn’t be feared — in the right quantities, healthy fats, such as those found in avocados and olive oil, will help you to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and maintain a healthy weight.

5. The Alkaline Diet

This diet recommends staying away from foods that trigger acid production in the body. Wheat, refined sugar, alcohol, dairy, and processed foods are prime examples. The reasoning? Having a high pH can leave you feeling sluggish, cause bone decay, and increase your risk of developing certain diseases. Few of these claims have been backed up by scientific research. What’s more, the body naturally regulates blood pH levels, and many foods do not change this. By focusing on real foods such as fruits and vegetables, the alkaline diet promotes healthy eating. But the mechanism behind the diet isn’t entirely factual.

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