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The greatest mistakes dieters can make are to drastically cut their calorie intake and abruptly abolish their appetite for foods they love to eat.

Your brain is smart. It responds to extreme, low-calorie diets by triggering a metabolic appetite. That appetite causes the body to feel a need for more energy and calories. That will make you hungry and create the possibility of overeating.

More often than not, dieters succumb and fail to continue their diet.

Nutritionists agree that those who want to go on a diet should undergo a lifestyle change, not so much a stark revolution of what they eat.

Dieters should combine physical activity to boost metabolism while satisfying their appetite for the body's need for calories and energy and for the brain's craving for delicious food. The goal is to keep their daily intake to 1,500 calories while doing this.

Here are some other dieting tips to follow:

* Eat balanced meals, at least three a day without skipping breakfast. Eating breakfast and low-fat meals are common among people who keep weight off the longest. Your meals should include the proper mix of fruits, vegetables, dairy, carbohydrates and protein.

* Maintain a low-fat diet by limiting how much saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol you eat. To do this, the dieter should cut down on commercially baked or fried foods. Keeping the diet to 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day is essential in weight loss. The dieter should lose about two pounds a week if this goal is met.

* Watch the size of the portions. A large meal can max out a dieter's targeted calorie intake for a day. Keep the portions small and try to snack every three hours to keep your metabolism going and reduce hunger.

* Drink water, water and water. Did we mention to drink water? Consuming soft drinks, alcohol and whole milk substantially adds calories to a diet. Drinking water will actually make a dieter feel more energetic and help lose weight because it prevents dehydration. People who are dehydrated usually feel hungry and are more susceptible to overeat. For those who are bored with water, try flavored water without added sugar, or unsweetened fruit juice and vegetable juice. Low-fat milk is another alternative.

* Avoid putting food in front of you all day. People tend to eat almost everything put in front of them. Convenience is one of the strongest triggers for overeating and snacking. Buy fewer ready-to-eat snacks. A dieter should avoid the urge to nibble when not hungry.

* Write down your long-term goals. Ask yourself what weight you want to be at. Ask yourself how you will get there. And finally ask yourself how you will know when you achieve that goal.

* Do not focus on being overweight. Focus on being fit and what you want to look like.

* Visualize yourself as slim as you want to be. Keep looking ahead to that image instead of dwelling on what you have looked like and fearing you will never change.

* Avoid eating when you are not hungry. In other words, do not eat on a binge.

* If you happen to fail, there's always a chance for a new diet and new hope.

Dieting is as much mental as it is physical. The mental and physical aspects of a diet are interchangeable.

If a dieter is mentally charged to succeed at a diet, he or she better be physically ready for the challenge. If a dieter is physically inclined, his or her mental approach will maintain that healthy body.

Learn more about this author, Javier Morales.
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