While followers of the Paleo diet seek to emulate the eating habits of the caveman, moon enthusiasts might want to consider following the werewolf to harness the power of the moon. The werewolf diet—also known as the moon diet or lunar diet—may help you lose two to six pounds in a single 24-hour period and offers additional dieting advice that follows the phases of the moon. Celebrities such as Demi Moore and Madonna have reportedly followed this diet, according to Grazia.

Although it's up to you whether you want to run about in the forest and howl at the moon while following the werewolf diet, the main rule consists of a simple 24-hour water or juice fast during the full moon and new moon phases. This simple diet has the potential to help you lose up to 6 pounds in 24 hours, although it's more common to lose 2 or 3 pounds. At least some of this is water weight, but some of it is fat, too. If you need to be down a few pounds to fit into that dress tomorrow, this could be the perfect vehicle. And if you do it consistently with every cycle of the moon, you could easily stave off weight gain and even lose weight slowly over the course of a year depending on your other eating habits. By following the extended moon diet plan that covers all phases of the moon, you could lose even more weight.

Before you get too far, you are bound to hear some detractor talking about how horrible it is to go on a diet that was advocated by a celebrity, or eliminates entire food groups, or restricts your calories below a certain level. The fact is that occasional fasting isn't even remotely harmful. In fact, it's the opposite.

Research on fasting has heated up quickly in recent years, with many diet and weight loss experts backing the idea of intermittent fasting. Research indicates that a number of important health markers are improved with intermittent fasting, and some research even shows that intermittent fasting can lengthen your lifespan. The key is that you can only fast up to once or twice a week for optimum health. Recent diets that take advantage of this new research include the Fast Diet or 5:2 diet, Eat Stop Eat, alternate day fasting (ADF), and more.

According to the theory of the werewolf diet, the moon exerts the same influence on the water in your body as it does on the oceans and tides. Therefore by fasting according to the phases of the moon your body may respond even more powerfully by flushing excess water and toxins from your body. Eating according to the phases of the moon, as recommended in the extended moon diet, may also aid weight loss.

To predict and view moon phases ahead of time accurately (and more) try QuickPhase Pro moon software for Windows. For iPhone and Android devices, consider Luna Solaria. Find more details about the diet plan itself here.

Just remember, the bloodlust and howling are optional.