Weight-Loss Strategy #10. Be flexible. Don’t try to be ‘perfect’-there is no such thing.

While losing weight requires significant changes in eating and exercise habits, not every high-calorie food must be banished forever, and you need not exercise vigorously every day.

As we have said, if you find was to naturally incorporate physical activity into your daily life, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or adding an extra 2 minutes to your work out every day, each day for a week for a total of 14 extra minutes, you will be able to meet your goals.

If you feel in an exercise rut, try swimming instead of walking, or vice versa. Choose something you really enjoy, but if you find yourselg getting bored, move to Plan B.

Portion control will also help you with your relationship to so called forbidden foods. How big is a scoop of ice cream or piece of cake? If you go for frozen yogurt instead, will you really save calories? You might on the fat, but the sugar content then tends to be high.

It is easy to let your calories run away with you, especially if you think the product you are eating is ‘healthy’  so using smaller plates and bowls can often help. So can not eating seconds.

Whenever you can, try to make it homemade. That way you can have that fried chicken, but know exactly what went into it, thus avoiding the dangers of unwanted calories and hidden sodium and other unhelathy additives.

Also never assume you know what the  healthy choice is—I was about to buy a tuna sandwich the other day as a treat in Subway, and then stopped—it was a staggering 1050 calories!  The Veggie delight is only 450 for a foot long, and you can ask them to pack it with salad.

If you are not sure of the calorie ratings, look on the napkin!

Just as you should always read the label on any packaged food you buy.

These 10 strategies are simple enough to use every day, and flexible enough that you should not feel too deprived. Don’t think of it as a diet, but your new healthy lifestyle, one that will help you not ony lose weight, but keep it off in the future.

2005 words

Weight-Loss Strategy #9. Recognize and celebrate your accomplishments.
Over your lifetime you have probably been successful in tackling many difficult tasks—quitting smoking, learning a new skill, graduating from college, getting a promotion, and so on.

Reminding yourself of your best past achievements and successes can help you feel more confident about making the changes that will lead to weight loss.

In addition, celebrate your milestones with special treats, though not food related ones. Go the museum, a lovely natural setting, try a new activity you always wanted to try, get rid of your fat jeans and buy a slimmer pair.  Also, being out of the house makes it less likely you will raid the fridge or engage in mindless eating!

Weight-Loss Strategy #8. Evaluate your personal relationship to food.
Behavioral and emotional cues frequently trigger an inappropriate desire to eat. The most common cues are habit, stress, boredom, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, and the use of food as a reward.
Many people also relate food to love or care and derive comfort from it.

Although eating may appear to soothe uncomfortable feelings, its effect is temporary at best, and ultimately does not solve any problems. In fact, it may distract you from focusing on the real issues you are facing.

The food feel good factor may also seem like a fast fix, but as we know, the long-term consequences to your health are hard to overcome.

Always do the math—it take only 2000 extra calories to put on a pound, but 3500 calories burned to lose one.

With both boredom and busyness can come mindless eating, so again, always make sure you have a healthy food choice with you, and avoid keeping large bags of chips, cookies, or other snacks in the house. If you don’t buy them in the first place, you will be much less likely to eat them.

Weight-Loss Strategy #7. Record your progress with your healthy eating and exercise.

Start a food diary and exercise log to keep track of  all your daily  accomplishments. Keeping such detailed diaries may seem cumbersome, but they can help you spot wasted calories and whittle them out. They will also aid you in staying motivated. Reviewing the entries can reveal any problem areas in your exercise or healthy eating regimen.  In addition, the information can help facilitate treatment by your nutritionist or doctor, so you are all on the same page as to how much weight you wish to lose, and keep off once you have reached your desired target weight.

Weight-Loss Strategy #6. Plan for exercise, and incorporate physical activity as much as possible into your daily life.

Choose activities that are convenient and enjoyable for you to do on a regular basis, and then treat exercise like any other appointment—set a time and jot it down in your date book.

Many people find it easier to exercise first thing in the morning, before the demands of the day interfere, but others find lunchtime or right after work more convenient.

Try to incorporate more physical activity into your life daily as well. For example, walk to the store instead of driving, get off the bus or train one stop earlier or later and walk the rest of the way, take the stairs up or down instead of the elevator, park further away from the store than the first place right in front of it, and you will soon see how the weight will start to come off.

Weight-Loss Strategy #5. Eat three meals a day, plus snacks.

Skipping meals is counterproductive when you are trying to lose weight. So is severely reducing food intake, since such strict changes are impossible to maintain and are ultimately unhealthy.

In addition, eating the bulk of your calories at one sitting may impair your metabolism, the rate at which your body burns the energy from the food you eat.

You will be more successful in the long run if you allow yourself to eat when you are hungry, eat enough nutritious low-fat food to satisfy that hunger, and spread your calorie intake over the course of the day so you don’t start to run out of energy and then grab for a quick food fix.

If you lan out the number of calories you are allowed each day, and then organize your food for the day, you will also be less likely to grab for something unhealthy.

Make sure you always take a snack or sandwich with you, for the same reason. If hunger strikes, you have a sensible and fast option, and will be much less likely to resort to an unhealthy one.

Weight-Loss Strategy #4. Eat slowly in order to enjoy the meal and help yourself feel full.
Many people consume more calories than needed to satisfy their hunger because they eat too quickly. Since it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to recognize that the stomach is full, slowing down when you are at the table helps you feel satisfied on less food. Moreover, eating slowly allows you to better appreciate the flavors and textures of your food.

You should never eat in front of the TV of computer. It only distracts you and makes you trend towards mindless eating. If you concentrate on what you eat and why, then you will be less likely to stuff yourself or grab unhealthy things.

Weight-Loss Strategy #3. Make changes gradually.
Trying to make too many changes too quickly can leave you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Instead, ease into exercise; do not overdo it. Even worse, don’t overdo it, injure yourself, and end up worse off than before.

Incorporate low-fat eating in stages. For example, if you typically drink whole milk, switch to reduced-fat (2%) milk, then to low-fat (1%), and then finally to fat-free milk.

Read labels at the store. Go for the lower fat dairy or fewer calorie choices, ones with whole grains rather than white, brown rice instead of white. Avoid products high in sodium, as they can cause you to retain a fair amount of water weight.

Weight-Loss Strategy #2. Seek support from family and friends. People who receive social support are more successful in changing their behaviors. Ask family and friends for help, whether this means keeping high-fat foods out of the house or relieving you of some chores so that you have time to exercise. It will be easier to stick to your new eating plan if everyone in the household eats the same types of foods.

(A low-fat diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains will benefit your family’s health  as well, even if they do not need to lose weight.) You may also be more motivated to exercise if you work out with a friend or family member.

Also beware of the saboteurs in your life, the people who might actually encourage you to overeat, like family and friends. They may not even know they are doing it, but if you are going to lose weight successfully, you need to get out of the old habits and into some new ones which will not only help you lose weight, but keep it off.

An ability to alter lifelong attitudes toward diet and exercise may ultimately be the key to successful weight management: You must be motivated enough to change habits not for a few weeks or months, but for a lifetime. The importance of this resolve cannot be underestimated.

The desire to lose weight must come from within. A person who wants to shed 20 lbs. to please a spouse is not likely to be as motivated, or as successful, as someone whose goal is to improve health or increase self-esteem. Choosing the right time to start a weight-loss program is also important. People under stress or pressure may not be able to devote the considerable attention and effort required to make lifestyle changes that lead to weight loss.

Culled from medical research, the following weight-loss guidelines incorporate strategies employed by people who have lost weight and kept it off.

Use them in constructing a weight-loss program on your own or in addition to medical or surgical treatments.

Weight-Loss Strategy #1. Set realistic goals.

Remember that weight tables give estimates of ideal weights; you can probably be healthy at weights above “ideal” if you have a nutritious diet and exercise.

Instead of attempting to lose a specific number of pounds, make it your goal to adopt healthier eating and exercise habits.

If you are obese and feel compelled to set a weight-loss goal, losing 10% to 15% of your current body weight is a realistic objective.

The good news is that evidence shows that weight loss of as little as 5% to 10% of body weight can significantly improve heart disease risk factors such as blood pressure and blood glucose.

The safest rate of weight loss is 1/2 to 2 lbs. a week. Don’t ty to take short cuts with pills or potions that promise more than this. It is impossible and is a recipe for failure.