10 steps to ditch diets forever and still stay slim

Step 6
Set realistic, achievable goals. You've heard it all before: aim to lose one to two pounds a week and don't be hard on yourself if you occasionally plateau. If you prefer to stay off the scales, find another way to monitor your progress - look at your cholesterol or blood pressure level or the fit of your clothes. Plan to exercise three to four times a week. If you want to reduce added fats, butter only one piece of bread in your sandwich or use mustard or salsa instead. Cut calories moderately - use 2% milk instead of cream in your coffee, remove the skin from chicken or eat sherbet or low-fat frozen yogurt instead of premium ice cream. Trash quick fixes along with the diet books.

Step 7
Increase your eating awareness. Explore why you eat, what you eat and when you eat. Identify your eating patterns and triggers (stress, boredom, a hard day at the office or a fight with your partner).

If you go out for a brownie every afternoon at 3 p.m. because you're feeling tired and restless, that will become a habit. After a while, you want the brownie whether you're tired or not. Consider whether you're truly hungry and what's happening at 3 p.m. that sends you down for a snack. Take a break, go for a walk, stretch or drink some water, then see if you still want a snack; if you do, forget the brownie and select something healthier. Snacking is often an automatic response - try to get over it.

Perhaps you're eating because you're bored or stressed; find more productive ways of dealing with those triggers. Call a friend, go for a bike ride, take a bubble bath instead of raiding the fridge, or explore some stress management techniques, such as yoga or exercise.

Step 8
Exercise. Look for excuses to get exercise instead of ones to avoid it. If you can't do something physically active for a full 30 minutes, try three 10-minute sessions. Find something you enjoy doing that makes you sweat - even a little bit. It could be walking your dog, dancing, cross-country skiing, skating or even vacuuming. Try to increase the number of times or the length of time that you're physically active. Exercise, of any kind, helps you feel better physically and mentally and is an excellent partner in any weight-loss routine. It can lower body fat and control weight, manage blood pressure, reduce insulin resistance and build muscle tissue. At rest, muscle burns more calories than fat. As you increase the amount of muscle you have, your resting metabolic rate rises. Make exercise an automatic part of your day; eventually, you won't remember a time when you weren't active.

Step 9
Find support. If you need reinforcement from a spouse, family member or friend, ask for it. If your partner brings home rich desserts every night, negotiate a compromise so you won't have tempting food around. Suggest eating desserts on weekends only or ask him to bring home something that doesn't tempt you. If it suits you, seek out a weight management group in your neighbourhood. Make sure the program is flexible and can be personalized to suit your lifestyle. If you're beginning to exercise, try to find a partner at the gym or a neighbour to walk with; having a workout buddy makes exercising easier.

Step 10
Be patient with yourself. Changing eating habits is one of the most difficult challenges you face, and it takes time. Don't beat yourself up over a bad day. If you skip a day, it doesn't mean that you've blown it. It just means you've skipped a day and will be back on track tomorrow.

Read more:
• 5 weight-loss mistakes
• 2 weight-loss success stories
• 20 quick-to-make meals under 300 calories

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