Every year, countless people set out on the journey to lose weight. It’s a difficult battle, especially when so many of us are accustomed to eating empty calories and sitting on the couch to watch television. We all know that good eating and exercising regularly is the best way to lose weight. So why do so many people fail? We lose motivation, gain a pound, or eat something we shouldn’t. But, changing the way you think about a diet can go a long way towards ensuring success. Here are some lesser known strategies that can help you with your long-term goals. el.

Take it a Day at a Time The increasing number of people that have a significant amount of weight to lose, sometimes even 100 pounds or more, is increasing. As anyone can imagine, having to lose such a large amount of weight can be a daunting task. So, instead of focusing only on your goal, focus on the steps you have to take to achieve that goal. It’s a subtle change, but rather than thinking, I have to lose 40 pounds, focus on losing two pounds this week, and the next, and so on. In this way, the task will seem less impossible. Don’t Let Small Slips Become Catastrophes In the real world, there are very few people who follow their diet 100% of the time. Everybody messes up. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal. The key is not to dwell on it and to move on. Whatever you do, don’t totally abandon your plan and eat an entire large pizza just because you couldn’t resist having a slice. Analyze Your Snacks I must admit that my biggest temptation is chips. The bag I have in my cupboard right now packs a whopping 280 calories and 18 grams of fat per 24 chip serving, and I feel absolutely confident I could devour two servings in a heartbeat. Since numbers can be easy to dismiss, I started analyzing my snacks in term of how much exercise I would have to do to burn off that snack. So, for example, a 150 pound woman would have to walk for almost two hours at a speed of three miles per hour just to get rid of those chips, and looking at it that way is usually enough for me to say no thanks. The internet is full of activity and calorie tracking sites and software. Calorieking.com is great to track your calorie content and portion sizes. Give Into Temptation Sensibly I don't know about you, but I have tried the whole diet spectrum. I have gone to the extreme of depriving myself of even a grain of refined sugar or starchy carb and two weeks later I crack and end up eating the entire contents of my fridge. If we deprive ourselves of every unhealthy food we enjoyed during our pre-diet days, staying on any plan will be difficult, if not impossible. The best dieters know that it is possible to give into temptation without totally blowing your entire plan. So, if you’re a salt addict like me, try substituting popcorn for fattier and more calorie-laden chips. If you love ice cream, try some frozen yogurt. You get the idea. Be Proud You may never have the body of your favorite Hollywood starlet, but that’s perfectly ok. Remember, most movie stars devote hours a day to keeping fit, and many have their own personal chefs who plan out every single morsel of food they will consume. Be proud of your own personal progress, and remember that self-confidence and a healthy looking body can be just as attractive as a perfect one. Take Your Measurements We’ve all heard that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you feel like you’re getting slimmer and more toned, but you aren’t seeing the numbers on the scale move dramatically, you may be right. Keeping track of your overall loss in inches can be just as revealing of your progress as stepping on the scale. For example, your waist circumference is a good tool to determine whether you are healthy. Anything above 35 inches for women, and 40 inches for men, and you could be headed for problems. A measuring tape is more accurate then a scale.