Losing weight and keeping it off is not easy. Obtain and maintain – you’ve heard it all before, but here it is again! Before you get started on a weight loss program, consider the following tips.

Set the Right Goals - the most productive areas to focus on are the dietary and exercise changes that will lead to long-term weight control. Select two or three goals at a time and keep in mind that effective goals are specific, attainable, and forgiving.

Reward Success (But Not With Food!) - Rewards that you can control can be used to encourage you to attain your weight control goals. Treat yourself to a movie or music CD or taking an afternoon off from work or just an hour of quiet time away from family.

Balance Your (Food) Checkbook – you should monitor your eating behavior by recording some aspect of your eating behavior, such as how many calories you eat in a day, how many servings of fruits and vegetables, how often you exercise, etc.

Avoid a Chain Reaction - Identify those social and environmental cues that tend to encourage undesired eating, and then work to change those cues.

Get the (Fullness) Message - slow down the rate that you eat food. That will allow satiety (fullness) signals to begin to develop by the end of the meal. Eating lots of vegetables or fruit can also make you feel fuller.

Another helpful hint is not to overbuy at the grocery store. Buy just the healthy things you need every few days and you can avoid snacking and overeating. Clean out all the bad things from your fridge and stock up on the good stuff that will help you obtain your goals. Good luck!