Many people can’t stick to healthy diets and constantly fail to lose weight. They try nearly every kind of new dieting idea that comes along hoping that one of them would finally work, but the miracle never happens. Of course, these people tend to ignore their own mistakes and fail to realize what prevents them from losing weight. But there are ways of working around these problems and if you do not want to turn into one of these groups, then you should stick to these pointers. The purpose is to make eating a conscious act in order to avoid giving in to compulsions and temptations.

1)Take note of all you eat- The easiest thing to do is to carry around a pen and paper and take note of all you eat. And I really mean everything. Have you finished that half a slice of pizza that your partner couldn’t eat anymore? Write it down. At the end of the day take a look in your notes and you will be surprised at how many stuff you in fact eat habitually.

2)Find options instead of eat every time- Since eating and drinking are, for the most part, acts that bypass rational thinking you should try to bring them out of the twilight zone. So every time you reach out for a drink or some food, stop and ask yourself “Why am I doing this?” You may be thirsty, hungry, lonely, depressed, or stressed, but out of this list of reasons only thirst and hunger are legitimate. Put the bottle down if you are not thirsty. Put the food back on the shelf or on the table if you are not hungry. Do you crave sweets because you are tired? Get some sleep instead. Do you feel the need to eat because you are lonely and depressed? Go read a book, listen to some music or visit a friend.

3)Never starve yourself. This is one of the big mistakes in dieting; you will break down sooner or later and eat the first thing that you can get your hands on. Such as snacks or fast food. Starvation also makes the body go into power save mode by limiting your energy levels and hanging on to the existing fat. The body makes no difference between dieting and actual starvation and will behave as if in danger. Therefore you must eat three meals a day, plus snacks consisting of fruit and vegetables. This is the best way to lose weight.

4)Don’t banish your favorite food- Don’t try to banish your favorite foods completely because you will only sap your own willingness to stick to a diet. The key to dieting is moderation, not denial. Do you like chocolates? Well, eat a bit of chocolate every Sunday. Take a break from whatever it is you are doing and enjoy this special treat. Don’t feel like you are cheating on the diet and keep any guilt pangs away.

5)Finally, you must exercise. If you are not used to exercising and are a bit scared of all the effort and sweating, then start small. There is no need to rush into hour-long training sessions. Five minutes per day will do for starters. Get a treadmill and a pair of dumbbells and make your own schedule. Two minutes and a half of running and two minutes and half of curls. Every week increase the time spent exercising by another five minutes and adds new exercises. Your goal should be to spend at least 30 minutes every day working out your body. 45 to 60 minutes is even better, but it will come in time. It is fine to start small.