We are daily bombarded by weight-loss info about quick, easy success, but the truth of the matter is that every successsful weight-loss program has healthy diet and exercise as its foundation.  Long-term weight loss requires permanent changes in lifestyle and health habits in order to lose weight and keep it off.  The following strategies can help make those permanent changes for your weight loss success.

1.  Make a commitment.
Permanent weight loss takes time and effort. Make sure you are ready to make the necessary changes for the right reasons.  No one else can lose the weight for you.  You must diet and exercise to please yourself.  It is a good idea to resolve any other problems in your life before undertaking a weight loss program.  It takes both mental and physical energy to change your habits.  Timing is often the key to success.  Motivate yourself by focusing on all of the benefits of improving your weight and your health.  Don't let a setback derail your commitment.

2.  Enjoy healthier foods.
To achieve long-term weight loss success, adopt a new eating style that promotes weight loss by lowering your caloric intake. This doesn't mean you have to give up flavor.  Focus on eating more plant-based foods--fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Be skeptical of any diet that has very low calories associated with it.  If your calories are too low, you run the risk of not getting all of the needed nutrients.  Try to eliminate unhealthy fats from your choices.  Often the key is watching your portions.  Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at any meal.  Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortable, not when you are stuffed!

3.  Exercise.
It's nothing new, but exercise is probably one of the most important factors in successful weight loss and maintenance.  Find something you enjoy doing since this helps you keep your exercise program going.  Just by adding a brisk 30-minute walk, four days a week, can double your rate of weight loss.  Exercise not only aids weight loss, but it also elevates mood.  The benefits cannot be ignored for long-term weight loss.

4.  Stay focused on healthy, not thin.
Many people find long-term weight loss success when they shift their motive from getting thin to getting healthy.  Change your minset to thinking about eating healthier foods that will automatically affect the body's weight.  The food pyramid is a basic outline of the types and ammounts of food you should eat each day to achieve the proper nutrients for your body's best health.

5.  Slow down.
Eating slowly is one way to help take off pounds.  We live in a fast-paced society, so it isn't always easy to slow our pace. When it comes to eating, this is important. From the time you begin to eat, it takes the brain about 20 minutes to signal feelings of fullness.  Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to engage.  So slow down, take smaller bites, and enjoy the taste of the food you eat.

6.  Set realistic goals.
Healthy weight loss occurs slowly and steadily, so set realistic goals for your new eating and exercising plan. Set weekly and monthly goals, and then track your progress.  A diary of your eating can be helpful.  Write down everything you eat each day including snacks.  This is often very revealing to see what you consume.  This also helps you identify any food groups that you may be overlooking for your optimal health. It is better to set goals such as eating well with smaller portions, exercising 30 minutes a day; rather than setting a goal of losing 30 pounds. It's about process goals rather than outcome goals.

7.  Drink water.
Healthy consumption of water can aid the body in flushing fat from its systems.  Water also helps you feel full, which cuts down on overeating.  A good 6-8 glasses of water a day is good common sense as well as good weight loss success sense!

The key to successful, long-term weight loss is consistency and commitment.  If you have a bad day, start over the next day and move on.  Remember, the weight didn't come on in a month or two, so it stands to reason it will take time and energy to get it off.  Incorporate the foods you love into your weight-loss plan in portions that are correct for weight loss.  If you deprive yourself of what you love, it is easier to binge and go off track.  Eat smart and be successful!