To lose weight: 6 successful strategies

Hundreds of fad diets, weight loss programs and outright scams promise quick and easy weight loss. But the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to make sustainable lifestyle changes. These healthy changes include eating a balanced diet and getting more exercise each day.

Six tips to help you start losing weight.

1. Make sure you are prepared
Long-term weight loss takes time and effort. So make sure you are ready to eat healthy foods and be more active. Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I have a strong desire to change habits to help me lose weight?
Am I too distracted by other pressures?
Do I use food to cope with stress?
Am I ready to learn new ways to cope with stress?
Do I need other support to manage stress - whether from friends or healthcare professionals?
Am I ready to change my eating habits?
Am I ready to change my physical activity and exercise habits?
Can I invest the time needed to make these changes?
If you need help dealing with stress, talk to your doctor. Reducing stress can help you make long-term healthy lifestyle changes.

2. Locate your internal drive
No one else can make you lose weight. To help yourself, you need to make changes in diet and physical activity. What will make you want to stick with your weight loss plan?

Make a list of reasons why losing weight is important to you. A list can help you stay inspired and focused. Maybe you want to improve your health or get in shape for vacation. On days when you don't feel like eating healthy foods or moving more, think about your goals. Find other ways to stay on track. For example, you can post an encouraging note to yourself on the refrigerator or pantry door.

It's up to you to make the changes that lead to long-term weight loss. But it helps to get support from others. Choose people who inspire you. They should never embarrass you or hinder your progress.

It's best to find people who will:

Listen to your concerns and feelings.
Share your goal of living a healthy lifestyle.
Do active hobbies with you or help prepare healthy menus.
Your support group can help you stick to your healthy changes.

If you prefer to keep your weight loss efforts private, take some steps to stay on course. Track your diet and exercise in a journal or app. Also watch your weight. Review your progress and make changes as needed.

3. Set achievable goals
Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) per week over the long term. To do this, you need to burn about 500-750 calories more than you take in every day.

Losing 5% of your current weight can be a good goal to start with. If you weigh 180 pounds (82 kilograms), that's 9 pounds (4 kilograms). Even this much weight loss can reduce your risk of some long-term health conditions. These conditions include heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

It can help to set two types of goals. The first type is called action goal. You can list healthy exercises to use to lose weight. For example, Walk 30 minutes every day is an activity goal. The second type is called the outcome goal. You can list the healthy outcome you are aiming to achieve. Lose 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) is an example of an outcome goal. The end goal is what you want to achieve. But it doesn't tell you how to get there. Action is the goal. You set action goals so you can make healthy changes.

4. Enjoy healthy foods
To lose weight, you need to reduce your total calories from food and drinks. But your meals can still be delicious and simple to prepare.

One way to eat fewer calories is to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These are known as plant-based foods. They are low in calories and high in fiber. Fiber helps you feel full. There are many types of plant-based foods you can eat to help you reach your goals.

Follow other diet tips as well:

Eat at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit a day. If you get hungry between meals, snack on fruits and vegetables.
Eat whole grains such as brown rice, barley, whole wheat bread and pasta. Eat less refined grains such as white rice and white bread.
Use healthy fats such as olive oil, vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, nut butters, and nut oils. But remember that even healthy fats are high in calories.
Limit foods and drinks with added sugar. These include desserts, jellies and fizzy drinks. Natural sugar in fruits is good.
Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
Focus on eating fresh foods. They have more nutrients than processed foods. Processed foods are very v