Most people find they cannot lose weight and regard weight loss programs as a tedious routine. Discovering a loss of weight after a diet brings joy to the individual, but when that weight comes back on a week later, it leads to despair. This leads to ‘yo-yo’ dieting which is very disheartening.

Many weight loss diets overlook the long term objective, attracting customers with quick-fix solutions that hold forth the promise of losing weight quickly. Sustainable weight loss requires different weight loss diets and a novel approach.

Among the foremost requirements is the need for exercise. Any form of exercise, from walking to the nearby store to choosing the stairs against the elevators, will do. Gradually build up on any weight loss exercise with some form of resistance training that leads to muscle growth.  Muscles consume calories merely for maintenance and hence result in burning more calories.

Next you must understand the reason for overeating. Emotional eating on account of boredom, depression, anxiety or anger should be looked out for and steps taken to correct it before it gets out of control.

You should also remember that being thin is not necessarily healthy.  Focus on eating foods that will make you healthy rather than slim. A slim body is more difficult to sustain than a healthy body.

Further, you could consider joining a support group at a gym or clinic or even seeking support from friends or family in your battle against will-power. Moments of weakness can often be turned around with the support of someone who helps you regain sight of the objective and urges you to keep at it.

Control portions by opting for a small serving in the first instance and maybe allowing yourself a small second helping if you still feel hungry after that. Don’t wait till you feel full to stop eating. This is especially true when eating out, where portion sizes in restaurants have increased in recent times.

A steady weight loss is also desirable. When you lose weight rapidly it is more likely to be a loss of water and muscle tissue, rather than fat. As stated earlier, muscle tissue is required to burn fat and by reducing muscles, you are depriving the body of this fat burning process. Consequently you would have to eat less just to maintain the same body weight.

The pace at which you eat also matters. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to initiate a signal to inform you that you are full. Eating slowly not only enables you to enjoy the food, but also allows the brain to let you know you have had enough before it is too late.

Consuming less fat rather than no fat at all is sometimes healthier as many fat-free products actually have higher calories, which as you rightly guessed, leads to weight gain rather than weight loss.

A collective strategy covering all these suggestions would provide the answer to permanent weight loss and a healthier life in the long run.