Diets that promise rapid weight loss and/or weight loss without exercise are not only nearly always futile, but they actually damage the body by tearing down lean tissue. A healthy weight-loss plan combines a balanced diet, a small calorie deficit, and exercise. The math and plan are both simple: Burn 500 more calories per day than you consume (by eating 300 fewer calories and burning 200 more by exercising for 30–40 minutes, for example), and you will lose one pound (0.45 kg) per week, which is the optimum rate for long-term weight loss. Combine that with resistance (weight-bearing) exercise, and you will burn fat, not muscle. That’s the secret to safe, sane, successful dieting.