Top 7 Tips & Best Diets Advice for Successful Long Term Weight Loss

Starving yourself for a few days may result in short term weight loss, but if you want long-lasting, permanent weight loss then you need to approach the situation a little differently. The following 7 tips are great options to help you not just lose weight but keep it off for good.

1. Protect Against a Sedentary Lifestyle
One of the biggest barriers in the way of long-term weight loss is a sedentary lifestyle. Living a healthy life requires regular exercise, but you should also look for ways to be mobile during your regular day as well. For example, if you typically sit at a desk all day, considering investing in a standing desk or use a stability ball in place of an office chair. Both have the added benefit of being excellent for your back.

2. Eat Breakfast Every Day – Without Exception!
It may seem like a small thing, but a 10-year study showed that of people who lost weight and kept it off for over a year, around 90% reported eating breakfast.

3. Be Mindful of Serving Size
A common error people make is to focus solely on the type of food they're eating and not on portion size. The reality is that those who lose weight and keep it off are those who don't just eat healthy, but those who avoid large portion sizes – even when what they're eating is good for them.

4. Track Your Food and Your Weight Loss
All too often, once a person reaches their weight loss goal they'll chuck their food journal and step off the scale – which is the easiest way to lose track of your goals. Keep writing down everything you eat. It keeps you accountable and helps you keep the weight off. The same with the scale. Aim for weighing yourself once a week. If you do overindulge and gain a pound or two, you'll know right away and can make adjustments to your diet.

5. Make a Long-Term Plan and Write it Down
For most people, getting started on a diet can be a challenge, but once they start to see results they find more motivation than they thought they had. While this is a great thing it can also be their undoing. Remember that no matter how set you are in your new healthy ways, there will be rough patches. Have a specific plan in place that designates exactly what you'll do if you plateau or gain a few pounds back.

6. Start Small and Keep it Small
Those who've lost significant weight and kept it off frequently note a key aspect of accomplishing their goal was to start small. Instead of trying to overhaul their entire diet and exercise regime overnight, they started by cutting out dessert, or adding a nightly walk. The same is true if you find yourself gaining back a few pounds that you've lost. Don't take drastic measures – just take baby steps in the right direction.

7. Consistency is Key
Researchers have found that those who eat basically the same diet every day are better at keeping weight off than those who eat little during the week and splurge on the weekends. The best diets teach you healthy eating habits that are incorporated into your daily life.  This will bring you more success than those you only follow on some days.

Losing weight and keeping it off isn't easy but it is doable. Once you've established healthy routines you'll find it much easier to stick with them. Everyone will have their ups and downs but the key is to remember that if you simply follow what's worked for you in the past then it will continue to work.