Dieting could be considered the national pastime in the Western world. Images of svelte models gracing the covers of magazines and actresses in tiny togs waltzing across the red carpet for a Hollywood premier show how Americans venerate thinness, but an appreciation for a small body size is in direct contrast to the actual girth of Americans of whom more than half are overweight. In order to move from the ranks of tubby to tiny, many attempt a variety of diet regimes. Some of these succeed, but most do not, and the reasons they fail and how one can safely lose weight might surprise some.

Successful dieting means not thinking of being on a diet. The safest and surest way to lose weight and to keep it off is to lose it slowly, about one to two pounds per week. This requires both cutting back on calories consumed - but not too much - and engaging in exercise. In order to shed one pound of body fat within a week, 3500 calories must be used in excess of intake. Dividing this by seven days in a week yields a total of 500 calories burned per day. One can exercise away 250 of these and cut the other half from his diet. To lose two pounds per week, these numbers should be doubled to 500 calories expended in exercise and 500 less from food.

It is important for dieters to remember that they should not go too low in the number of daily calories consumed. Less than 1000 calories per day can put the body into a survival mode for starvation. When this happens, the metabolism slows, body temperature drops, and irritability sets in all of which make losing weight more difficult. A good method to ensure that enough food is consumed is to have breakfast daily. This will prevent overeating later in the day.

Fitting in exercise at every available chance in ones life can also contribute to weight loss. Walking a mile before meals and walking or riding a bicycle for nearby errands all can help one lose weight and achieve better health in the long run.

Losing weight safely is not difficult through dieting so long as the diet is considered a change in ones lifestyle rather than a temporary fix.