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One of the most confusing things about dieting is determining which diet is the right one for you. And, unless you have been hiding under a rock, you already know that literally hundreds of different diets exist.

In fact, in choosing a diet, the entire process can be extremely overwhelming and stressful.

Not only are we faced with the issues of losing the weight and keeping it off, but at the same time, we are required to make a choice on choosing the best path.

Obviously, we don't want to make a mistake, so we then turn to our most trusted sources'family, friends, physicians, television, magazines, and the internet. And, although it might seem obvious, this is where we all make our first mistake.

Fundamentally speaking, what everyone does wrong is to approach weight loss with the goal of getting the weight off. And, in choosing a diet, everything considered revolves around the speed and process of losing the weight.

In doing this, the biggest factor for success is ignored. That is, the issues that caused a person to become overweight in the first place. As with most ailments that we face, being overweight is no different: the symptom is treated, but the underlying cause is ignored.

Any diet is really just a tool and a process for losing weight. And, like a carpenter who is starting a job and has to choose the best tool to use, you also have to choose the right diet or program for taking the weight off.

In facing this decision, don't think solely in terms of which diet will help you to lose weight, but focus on your issues and the steps that you must take to overcome them at the same time. So, by the time you reach your goal weight, the new person on the outside has also taken significant steps to make changes on the inside.

In choosing the best path and diet for you, begin by asking yourself the following questions:

' How much weight do you have to lose? Is it 10 to 20 pounds, 20 to 50 pounds, 50 to 100 pounds, 100 to 200 pounds, 200 to 300, or more?

' Have you put on weight because you haven't been exercising or eating in a healthy manner?

' Have you put on weight because food has always had more control over you than you've had over it?

' Have you started and stopped diets countless times?

' Do you find yourself eating as a result of stress or a need for comfort?

' Do you find yourself eating as a result of sadness or loneliness?

' Do you find yourself eating as a result of social or family pressures?

' Do you find yourself eating as a result of boredom or for entertainment?

Please know that in asking yourself these questions, you may very well not know the answers. In fact, for many of you, this might be the first time in your life that you have been asked to think in this sort of manner.

Whatever your background, there are those who have lifelong issues with food: where food has always controlled them; where food is used as a way of comforting oneself and handling stress; where temptations and cravings are a constant battle. And, there are those who have put on weight over the years because of a change in lifestyle, career, kids, bad eating habits, and overall lack of exercise. And there are those that share traits from both groups. But what matters most is that regardless of the amount of weight you have to lose, the most important thing is your own issues in relation to food and what it is you are trying to correct.

So, in approaching the different diets that are available, you want to consider whether the diets that you are looking at will not only allow you to lose the weight, but more importantly address the very issues that you are trying to overcome.

If you are someone who has simply developed bad eating habits over the years and does not have inherent issues with food, then the chances are that you'll do well on just about any commercially available weight loss program. However, if you are someone who is trying to overcome lifelong issues with food, then you'll need to be more selective. You'll need to find a program that will allow you to step away from food in a safe and healthy manner, lose the weight, and then re-approach the relationship from a healthier perspective.

Losing the weight is the easy part; coming to terms with your own behaviors and truly addressing and changing them is where the majority of your focus needs to be. But if you are on the wrong diet and are faced with too many choices or foods, losing the weight is going to be nearly impossible. Of course, this all comes down to the individual.

Ultimately, we all have different backgrounds and challenges to overcome, and when it comes to losing weight, not all diets will address the likes and dislikes of each person. However, what is fantastic is that the challenges are universal and the principles in this book will allow anyone to be successful.

So, what matters most for you right now is not how you are going to lose the weight, but more importantly, to determine the issues that you want to overcome along the way. And, for those that aren't sure of what they are, have no fear.

You'll be faced with questions and funny situations that you'll laugh about along the way and through which you'll come to recognize your own issues. And, amazingly, you'll even learn to develop strategies for overcoming them.