Succeeding at Weight Loss

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
Confucius

Succeeding at Weight Loss

Here are some tips that will help you succeed at weight loss;

1.  Start your day with a huge glass of water.
The first thing you should do after your feet touch the floor in the morning is head straight for the kitchen and pour yourself at least 12 ounces of fresh, cold water. It’s important to stay hydrated from the moment you wake up, and flush your system. Also, drink one large glass of water before every meal. Besides the fact it will keep you hydrated, it will fill you up before consuming any food.
2. Avoid getting too hungry
To keep hunger from derailing your diet, eat smaller, more frequent meals and try to include a little fat and or protein in every meal or snack. Both are digested slowly, which will keep you from getting hungry again as quickly.
3. Pay attention to "liquid" calories
When you're counting calories, remember to pay attention to calories you drink as well as calories you eat. Sodas, fruit juice, sports drinks, and vitamin water can be a significant source of sugar and calories.  Alcoholic beverages can also add a lot of calories to your day.
4. Limit your use of artificial sweeteners
Artificially sweetened beverages can help cut calories but don't overdo it. Studies suggest that drinking a lot of diet soda may actually work against weight loss by increasing your cravings for sweets and promoting fat storage (artificial sweeteners increase your insulin levels).
5.  Be smart about condiments and toppings
Butter, mayonnaise, and a lot of the "special sauces" used by restaurants are very concentrated sources of calories. If you want to add flavor to your food, try using lemon juice, soy sauce, salsa, or spices instead.
6. Add exercise to your plan
Regular exercise burns calories but also increases in your basic metabolic rate, so you'll burn more calories even at rest.
7.  Don't mix food and entertainment
It's easy to mindlessly eat a tub of popcorn, a whole bag of chips, or a carton of ice cream while you're watching TV. Make eating a separate activity, and you'll consume less.
8. Don't use food as a stress-reliever
Find other ways to manage stress, such as exercising, listening to music, spending times with friends or meditating, rather than eating.
9. Avoid eating on the run
Fast foods are convenient but they are the enemy of weight loss.  The more often you eat fast food, the more likely you are to be overweight.  Plan your schedule to include enough time to prepare and enjoy wholesome meals without the rush.
10. Record everything you eat
Buy an inexpensive spiral notebook and simply write down everything you eat during the day. If possible, keep your food diary with you and make your entries soon after you've eaten. Keeping a food diary forces you to give conscious thought to everything you eat. It may be a tedious task at first, but it will help you more quickly develop better eating habits. Your food record also allows you to calculate how many calories and nutrients you are taking in, using Nutrition Data's tracking tools.
11. Stick with it
Remember that short-term diets produce only short-term results. The only successful way to keep the weight off is to make small but permanent changes in your lifestyle. If you do temporarily slip back into old habits, don't give up!  Recommit to your healthier lifestyle--as often as it takes.
"It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction."  
Warren Buffet