Seven Steps to Permanent Weight Loss

Step 1. Make Sure You're Ready for Change
Of course you want to lose weight-that's why you are reading this-but in order to make a life plan you can stick with, you must be ready-truly ready-to make the commitment. Losing weight will take some time and effort, and it will require you to make some sacrifices. (If it were easy, everyone would be thin!) The first step is to make sure you're ready to get started.

Step 2. Set Goals
The next step on your weight-loss journey is to decide what kind of weight loss makes sense for you. Weigh in, assess your eating habits and make a game plan. That will include long-term goals and more immediate goals too.

Step 3. Track Yourself
Self-awareness is self-motivation: by keeping track of your behavior, you motivate yourself to change because you become more accountable. Track yourself with a food diary and exercise log-some of the most powerful tools for managing your weight.

Step 4. Eat Mindfully
Healthy eating means getting a variety of foods in moderation-not making any food forbidden, but not going overboard on those rich foods that were once special-occasion indulgences. Eat mindfully by knowing the foods that make weight loss easier, and understanding key healthy-eating principles.

Step 5. Commit to Move More
Exercise makes weight loss much easier-but more important, people who move more are more likely to keep the pounds off. No matter where you're at now, you can become "an exercise person."

Step 6. Get Support
Losing weight is challenging-we can't expect to do it alone. As you make your way through losing weight, you'll need to cultivate a network of friends, family, co-workers, professionals and like-minded dieters.

Step 7. Have a Long-Term Plan
As you reach your weight-loss goals, you're ready for the final step: creating a long-term strategy that will help your successes stick for good.