President William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States, got stuck in a bathtub. It was rumored the president weighed 340 pounds and was only 5 feet, 11 inches tall. Several men had to pull him out, and butter was allegedly used as the lubricant. In fairness to the Commander in Chief, I think bathtubs are pretty small. I often stare down at mine and wonder who it was made for.

The president lost 70 pounds after he left office. Two of the things he eliminated were bread and potatoes. Throughout history, many fad diets have surfaced. Some of these have been considerably unhealthy. One of the most disgusting methods is the tapeworm diet. You can order tapeworms over the Internet and swallow them. The idea is the worms will eat the food in your stomach. These nasty critters can grow to 30 feet long.

In 1820, Lord Byron popularized the vinegar diet. He drank vinegar mixed with water, which caused him to become sick to his stomach. That’s a tough way to shed a few pounds. You can still buy Apple Cider Vinegar tablets today. I tried the supplement, and it didn’t work for me.

In the 1920s, a cigarette manufacturer claimed that smoking would suppress your appetite. I’ve had people tell me that when they quit smoking, they gained weight. My guess would be that the cigarette was replaced with an unhealthy snack. I just can’t see smoking as a solution to a problem.

Have you heard of the sleeping diet? The idea behind this diet is that if you’re sleeping, you can’t be eating. It’s been rumored that Elvis Presley tried this one. In some cases, the dieter would sedate themselves so they could go for longer periods without food.

Years ago, I remember an ad on TV for an attachment for your vacuum cleaner. You attached a plastic bag around your waist and hooked a hose up and flipped the switch. This somehow was supposed to suck off the excess weight.

I found one diet where you actually swallow cotton balls. This is crazy. With cotton balls in your stomach, you have less room for food. Baby food is sometimes used as a replacement for adult food. This is made for babies and lacks the essential nutrition an adult needs. It’s even been suggested you use miniature utensils, such as a real small fork and plate, when eating. Then you would feel like a giant hovering over your dinner.

Crash diets are the ones doctors worry about. It’s not good to deprive your body of the necessary vitamins and minerals. I had a student who lost several pounds in a short period of time. Her method was to eat every other day.

A recent trend has been the green coffee bean supplement. I saw it on the Dr. Oz Show, and several audience members had great success. You just eat as your normally do and take the pills. I tried it and never lost a pound.

I don’t think there is a healthy shortcut. Proper diet and exercise are the safe ways to lose the pounds. If you take in more calories than you expend, you gain weight. If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. This is simple math. I tried this method, and it’s working. My bathtub is looking a little larger these days.