Almost everyone who goes on drastic diets ends up going off the diet sooner rather than later. And even if you do lose some weight with crash and fad diets, you quickly regain that weight back again the moment you get off the diet. The key to losing weight lies in healthy weight loss, where the weight you lose stays off for good, and where your weight loss tactics are not severe enough for you to chuck them at the first given opportunity. Healthy weight loss involves simple diet and lifestyle changes.

Some tips that will help you lose weight for good, whether you are on a weight loss plan or not are:

Set Attainable Goals: The first thing that you need to do when you plan to lose weight is to set attainable goals. Very fast weight loss will not only take its toll on your health, but is generally temporary. So instead of planning to lose 30 pounds, plan to lose 6 pounds a month. This way, you will keep getting an incentive to lose weight with every pound that you shed instead of getting discouraged by the fact that you still have 29 pounds more to go.

Eat Slowly And Patiently: Most diets involve some kind of portion control, but if you are used to eating more, you will keep on feeling empty even after having your meals. Your brain gets to know that your stomach is full only after 20 minutes of eating. So in order to avoid over eating, eat slowly. Chew each bite at least 20 to 30 times and do not eat in front of the television. By following this simple diet tip, you will start feeling satisfied even with smaller portions.

Don’t Get All Emotional With Food: A large number of over weight people cannot control their eating because they use it as a means of emoting. If you are one of those people who pick up a chocolate, dessert or a pack of wafers every time you feel angry, lonely, sad, happy or just plain bored, then you need to control this consciously. When you feel hungry out of turn, drink a glass of water and indulge in an activity that has nothing to do with eating. Go for a walk, chat with your neighbour, call up your friends, watch television or clean up your room. By the time you finish, you will have forgotten about your hunger pangs.

Do Not Starve Yourself: Most popular diet programs nowadays will advise you to have at least 5 to 8 meals a day, which is a good thing not just because it boosts your metabolism, but because it also keeps you feeling full and energetic. Most self help dieters still believe that starving will help them lose weight, when all it does is exactly the opposite the moment you get back to regular life. Each and every sensible diet guide will advise you to eat more meals for weight loss, as this is the new secret to fast, healthy weight loss.