This is relatively simple if you understand a little of how the body works. In order to lose fat you need to create a calorie deficit. That is, the calories you use must be greater than the calories you consume. You must also understand that you cannot 'spot reduce' which is lose fat only in a particular area. When you lose fat you lose it from all over your body. You can make it look like you have less fat in an area by building bigger muscles in that area. You should also understand that if you cut down on your intake of  food, your metabolism will slow down and you will burn calories at a slower rate. So you should not cut down on the amount of food you eat but you should eat 'good food' which I will describe later. There is also a psychological aspect to permanent fat loss. Again I will elaborate on this later. For now it is important to know that it is not necessary to sacrifice chocolates and cakes and that you must not feel bad for eating such things.

If you just need to lose a few pounds, then you will probably not want a diet that is too extensive. Though I do not recommend them, most people in this situation usually go on some sort of "fad" diet that will cause them to lose weight from a reduction in calories. These diets do work, but you should be aware of the problems that come along with them: Studies have shown that the majority of people who use these diets, will gain the weight back. Often they will gain back more than they lost. This is a consequence that most people do not consider. They drink a weight loss shake, or eat a special food for a few months and lose a large amount of weight, but what happens when it's time to go back to regular food? Most people usually start gaining weight again.

Fad diets will definitely help you lose weight quickly if you eat their foods, but what happens when you go back to the real world? You will most likely go back to your old eating habits. You cannot remain on that type of diet forever, and sooner or later you will have to face real food again. They do not prepare you for this. Most fad diets work. The question is only how long can you maintain the results. Any successful weight loss will require a permanent change in eating habits. A good program should not only help you lose fat, it should also help you to develop the correct eating habits necessary to maintain your new body.

You will lose more muscle mass than body fat. Now, you may say, "It does not matter as long as I'm thin", but understand that muscle burns more calories than fat -- this helps to keep your metabolism elevated. Muscle also gives you a shapely, firm and more defined physique. If you end up with less muscle than when you started, you can bet that your metabolism has been slowed a great deal, which, in the long run, means your body will be burning fewer calories and storing more fat.

Ultimately, you may get down to the weight that you desire, but you will have more body fat, less muscle mass and no muscle tone. This is why people who have a history of dieting off and on (yo-yo dieting), will lose weight and look thinner, but still remain very soft. This type of dieting is notorious for weakening the immune system. Your body is designed for survival, and part of the survival mechanism involves storing and holding onto bodyfat to be used in times of food shortages. If you make it a habit of not eating, or eating only a small amount of calories each day, eventually your body will think that you are in a time of famine and begin to slow your metabolism. Your body is just trying to conserve energy (calories) because it is getting so little nourishment.

Your metabolism determines the rate at which your body burns calories, so if you have a fast metabolism, you will burn a lot of calories without much effort. If you have a slow metabolism, it will be very difficult to burn calories. Your body will always slow your metabolism in response to low calorie dieting.

Something else to understand: Be careful if intending to create a calorie deficit in your body.You need calories for energy. Without enough calories throughout the day you can become lethargic and unable to exercise effectively.

There are various methods one can use in order to lower the intake of calories and avoid the pitfalls, such as slowing down the metabolism. One method is is to cut down on on calories one day and increase calories the next. What is important is the amount you cut down and the amount you then increase. I will elaborate on this method later.

It is better that you eat foods with low fat content. The idea is to get the required calories from nutritious foods, that are low in fat. Many factors depend on the type of  foods you should eat a high percentage of and, 'human fuel, which is what food is, will be dealt with later.