You can lose all the weight you want, and keep it off. How many times have we heard that, followed by a pricey medical breakthrough, a magic solution, or a quick fix to a lifetime problem? This isn't one of those offers, but the challenge of successfully shedding unwanted pounds for good may not be as difficult as you think. Few people can sustain a lifetime of strict diets and harsh exercise regimens. Try the following suggestions you can incorporate into your current lifestyle, rather than a "diet" that has a beginning and end. Don't be discouraged from reading on because the first couple of sections focus on attitude. There are tips on what to eat, drink, and do, but without the proper mindset, the rewards for your efforts may be difficult to claim permanently.

1. Evaluate your attitude and motivation.

The often-ignored foundation for self-improvement, even a completely physical change, is positivity and self-motivation. Negativity is the shortest route to failure. If you dread something before it even begins, and you believe you'll fail because that's what you've done in the past, you have no room left for success. A week before you want to begin, answer these questions as honestly as possible.

* Do I want to make this change? (Need is not the same as want. You may need to do a thing, but success depends on your desire to do it.)

* Do I define myself by the extra weight I carry and/or my attempts to lose it? If the answer is yes, you have a week to find other things you like about yourself. It could be physical characteristics, talents, hobbies, accomplishments, or personality traits. If the extra pounds define you, you will subconsciously sabotage your attempts to lose them, since nobody wants to lose the thing that defines them.

* Why do I want to change? (If you're trying to impress, imitate, please, or pacify anyone except yourself, you will not succeed. The improvement has to be for you, or it won't last.)

With questions answered, you can redirect any negativity you may have discovered. Next time you become self-critical, stop and think of what you do like, what you are good at, what you have accomplished. Surround yourself with positive people. If well-meaning friends and family try to motivate you with even mild negativity, politely ask them to either say something positive, or nothing at all. In fact, it may be best not to announce your intentions to anyone. The long-term approach means waiting for noticeable

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