by Sun Meilan

Created on: September 12, 2010

Many people think of dieting as the only real way to lose weight. There is no doubt that if you want to lose weight, you have to cut down on your calorie intake or find a way of burning off excess calories. However, if you want to lose and maintain your weight loss for the rest of your life, you need to take a good look at your lifestyle habits in general and adopt changes. Some of the main factors you need to look at include the following: 

*Smaller, healthier meals

Cutting down on unhealthy foods, especially those with a high fat, sugar and salt content, is a necessary part of any diet. However, for weight maintenance, you need to do that for much longer than just a couple of months at a time. This is good news in a way, because you don't need to cut out all your favourite meals in one go - you can simply cut down on bad foods. Read about portion control, because this is what you need to do to lose weight. 

*Less unhealthy snacking

It isn't just meals you need to look at. It is often snacks that add calories to your diet, in the form of crisps, chips and chocolate. You need to make a conscious decision to cut down on your snacking. You don't need to cut it out completely, so you can still allow yourself some treats, but you need to get out of the habit of eating at will. You can start doing this by simply not having snacks in the house, so that if you want one, you have to walk to the shop. 

*Cut down on alcohol

Everyone knows that alcohol provides empty calories. You may want to consider quitting alcohol all together, but if that seems like too big a step, then look at ways of cutting down. Stop drinking every day for a start, and control the amount you drink. This should help with your calorie intake in two ways, because you will be consuming fewer from the alcohol and fewer from the snacks that you eat when your ability to judge your actions is impaired. 

*More exercise

Get into the habit of exercising on a regular basis. This could be something simple; for example, getting off a stop before usual and walking, or taking the stairs instead of the lift. If you are already reasonably active, then build something more strenuous into your routine. There are many ways that you can do this; you just need to find something that suits you. If money is an issue, then try running or do a fitness DVD at home. 

*Better routine

Most people have a routine, but there is often room for improvement. Look at your sleeping habits and how regular they are - if you sleep and wake at more or less the same time every day, it will be better for you in the long run. Make sure breakfast is always part of your morning and make an attempt to ensure that other things in your routine are good for you, rather than unhealthy. Getting into the habit of doing things at the same time every day makes it easier to be consistent.

*Healthier hobbies

Take a hard look at your hobbies. You probably find that you spend so much time at work that all you want to do when you come home is sit and watch the television and have a snack with a glass of wine. Try and find something more constructive to do - if it's something physical, like gardening, fishing or golfing, then great. However, the key is to find something that gives you a new interest and helps you with your plan to eat and drink fewer calories. 

Losing weight doesn't have to be a painful, short-term process if you work on your willpower and make longer-term changes to your lifestyle in general. 

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