7 people of 10 will fail in their attempts to lose weight by dieting alone. Most of the time when dieters do lose weight, it eventually comes right back. Counting calories is not enough when dieting to lose weight. You also have to pay attention to other factors of the food as well like limiting your consumption of sugar, fats and starches. Weight-loss through dieting should happen safely over time, as too much weight-loss too soon can have some adverse effects on your health.

Eat every meal and don't allow yourself to go hungry. Starvation causes the metabolism to slow and encourages the body's retention of sodium and water, none of which are conducive to losing weight. Don't make too many drastic changes at once. The slower and more subtle your healthy food substitutions are, the more likely you are to stay with them.

Exercising often while dieting can help keep off the weight and get your metabolism functioning again at a healthy level. Persistence is key.