The first step to permanent, healthy weight loss is to learn to love yourself. Yes, you read that right! Getting yourself into the right frame of mind and allowing yourself to be loved -- by others, but most of all by yourself -- is the best way to make lasting change for the better.

The reason you’re overweight now is because of self-sabotaging thoughts which prevent you from truly being the person you deserve to be. Most overweight people just don’t know how to think like a slim person.

We all have a background conversation going on in our minds, constantly affecting the way we’re feeling and affecting our behaviour. It’s frequently negative and outdated, and when we’re not consciously aware of it we can’t do anything to change it. With the power of our unconscious thoughts on our side, we can actually get to where we want to be -- and this means healthy weight loss without massive effort. Learn to catch your negative chatter and turn it around to the positive.

Stop comparing yourself to other people. You are you, and you’re great as you are, even before you lose the weight. You’re lovable, attractive and unique. Please don’t forget that! And don’t focus on how "unfair" it is that other people seem to eat whatever they want and not gain weight. Most slim people restrict their eating to some extent, whether they’re aware of it or not.

To gain the slim body you desire, you also need to love your body just the way it is. Not as it will be once you reach your optimal weight, but as it is right now. This is the way to literally "think yourself slim". Appreciate the fact that you have a strong, lovely body, and know that it’s embarking on a journey towards full health and wellness.

Now, see if you can start to recognise the difference between genuine hunger (a feeling in your stomach -- it may even rumble!) and other triggers. Many overweight people eat for emotional reasons, and just push their feelings down with food. If this is you, learn to see that, however much you eat, this won’t take the emotion away.

If you are hungry, by all means eat something – you’re starting to listen to what your body is actually telling you. Eat little and reasonably often, but never go beyond the feeling of just having satisfied the hunger. Over-eating isn’t just bad for you, it’s uncomfortable too.

Don’t deny yourself any particular foods, however calorie-laden. But if it’s an unhealthy option, just eat a little of it and throw the rest away or keep it for another day.

Healthy weight loss doesn’t mean existing purely on lettuce and cottage cheese. Rather, it means being in control of what you choose to eat. You may decide to eat a small slice of cake on one day, but then you could up your vegetable intake the next day, knowing that your body is loving you for it.

Think of how it’ll feel when you feel like wearing sexy, fitted clothes again, when your tread becomes lighter, and when you start getting compliments on your new slim look! Practise mindful eating for healthy weight loss and you’ll be dropping pounds within no time.