Make it Happen: Changes that Lead to Long-Term Weight Loss Success

By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com Guide to Weight Loss

When it comes to weight management, long-term success is about adapting to permanent lifestyle changes that will help you make the right choices and stick to good habits from now on. These are the changes that will make weight loss -- and maintenance -- happen.

1. Track Your Weight
2. Get Ready
3. Get Real
4. Choose a Diet
5. Keep a Food Diary

6. Deal with Emotional Eating
7. Cope with Cravings and Overeating
8. Practice Portion Control
9. Friends, Family & Support
10. Avoid Common Mistakes

Track Your Weight

Tracking your weight can be as simple as stepping on a scale or calculating your BMI... but first, decide if you need to lose weight at all.

• Do You Need to Lose Weight?
• Understand Your Body Mass Index
• A Healthy Weight
• Let Go of that "Magic Number"

Get Ready

These are the first things you want to know ... and do ... to get your weight-loss journey off to a good start.

• How to Stop Putting Off Losing Weight
• Weight Loss Readiness Factors
• The First Steps to Weight Loss

• A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
• Kitchen Essentials for Weight Loss
• 15 Facts for Weight Loss Newbies

Get Real

It's time for a reality check... make sure you're on the right track with your thoughts, goals, and expectations as you start to lose weight.

• Weight Loss Reality Check
• Set Realistic Goals
• Banish All-or-Nothing Thinking

• Spot False Claims
• Do You Have the Wrong Idea?
• Common Weight Loss Myths

Choose a Diet

Don't start a new diet without doing a little research first. These resources will help you find the right diet and to make sure it is safe.

• Ask the Right Questions
• Before You Choose a Diet
• Beware of False Weight Loss Claims
• The Facts About Fad Diets

• How to Spot a Fad Diet
• Choose the Right Diet Book
• Is Dieting for You?

Keep a Food Diary

A food diary is like a secret weapon in the weight-loss arsenal. It is the best way of getting a true picture of what your eating habits are like and where problem areas lie.

• Six Steps to a Great Food Diary
• How and Why to Keep a Food Diary
• Questions Your Food Diary Can Answer
• Food Diary Print-Out

Deal with Emotional Eating

Emotional eating can sabotage your weight-management efforts. Getting a handle on your tendency to eat in response to emotions can be one of the most important factors in achieving long-term success.

• What is Emotional Eating?
• Common Emotional Eating Cues
• Why We Give in to Emotional Eating

• How to Deal with Emotional Eating
• Learn to Recognize Hunger Signals
• Identify Your Triggers

Cope with Cravings and Overeating

Reign in an out-of-control appetite, get a handle on overeating and conquer cravings.

• Stop Overeating Before it Starts
• Is it Overeating or Binge Eating?
• Control Your Appetite
• Conquer Cravings

Practice Portion Control

Portion control is possibly the most important skill you can learn when it comes to long-term weight management. By learning to control portions you can enjoy virtually any food without gaining weight.

• 10 Ways to Control Portions
• Portion Control Secrets
• How to "Eyeball" Portion Sizes
• Downsize Your Dishes to Control Portions

Friends, Family & Support

Learn how to get the support you need from friends, family and in your community, as well as how to deal with problems those around you may cause.

• Talk to Your Doctor About Weight
• Find Real World Weight Loss Help
• Deal with Food Pushers

• Cope with Weight Loss Sabotage
• Get Your Friends and Family to Help
• Do Your Friends Hinder Your Weight Loss?

Avoid Common Mistakes

Sometimes long-term success comes down to knowing what not to do as much as what you should do.

• 10 Ways to Fail at Weight Loss
• Six Dieting Mistakes and Solutions
• How to Stay Motivated