It was difficult for me to stick to one diet for more than a few weeks because I would always fall back into my old habits. I decided to make a list of mistakes that were the common denominators in my weight loss failures. If you find yourself making these same mistakes, you will be happy to know that you can finally break the bad habits and lose that excess weight.

1. Skipping breakfast. This is a mistake because it is a proven fact that people who don't eat breakfast usually make unhealthy choices throughout the course of their day. Start your day with a healthy breakfast that will keep you motivated to follow your eating plan for the rest of your day.

2. Binging every other day. It is crucial that you consistently eat a balanced diet. Instead of trying to starve yourself one day, and eating too many calories the next day, set a goal amount of calories that you can easily meet.

3. Buying only diet food. Just because a label says "diet" or "low calorie", that doesn't give you a pass to overeat it. Instead of eating low calorie food just so you can have more of it, try buying regular food and practicing portion control.

4. Thinking you can never lose weight. If you don't believe you can lose weight, you will never reach your weight loss goals. Don't think about where you are right now; think about where you will be once you've lost the weight.

5. Eating only salads for main meals. Instead of trying to trick body by eating salads for lunch and dinner, have balanced, tasty meals that will keep you from snacking in order to feel full.

6. Starting new diets on Mondays. This gets you into the habit of binging over the weekend, and it makes it more difficult to buckle down and stick to your diet throughout the week.

7. Being too embarrassed to work out in the gym. Don't feel self-conscious to join a gym. Although you may feel that everyone is criticizing you because of your weight, the truth is, most of the people there are truly trying to focus on their own weight loss goals.

8. Setting your goals too high. Set a long-term goal, but also set smaller goals to help you reach your main goal. This will keep you from feeling discouraged.

Now I'm healthy and I view weight loss in an entirely new light. My website is a great resource for more tips and advice are you reach your weight loss goals.