A new survey by the Pew Research Center says that adult dieters want to drop 29 pounds, on average. The majority of dieters, however, struggle to lose more than 10 pounds. The reasons for this are multiple, including the inability to make lasting changes in lifestyle, a unwillingness to stick to a diet and exercise regime, and some medical and biological factors.

As we have said before, the key to dieting is not to give up. Eat healthy foods, exercise regularly and don't get down on yourself for temporarily going off of your diet. The best time to re-start is now.

Having a plan helps in a big way. We have long been fans of Weight Watchers® and recommend it. Weight Watchers' new flexible POINTS® plan and No Counting plans do a great job of allowing you to cutback on calories while continuing to live your life. These are sensible plans that are easy to follow and easy to stick with.