The very best way to safely lose weight, and keep it off, is by changing your lifestyle. All of the diet plans, diet pills, and diet programs promise to help you shed the weight, but they are not always safe or effective. And most who do lose the weight end up putting it right back on.

Here are 8 steps that can help you be successful with your weight loss.

1) Think positively.
Do not dwell on what you are sacrificing or giving up to lose weight. Instead, concentrate on the positive things you are gaining.

2) Make a Commitment.
You must be committed to losing weight because it is something you want to do for yourself, and not for someone else. The only one who can lose your weight is you. Your doctor, or a registered dietitian can help you find a plan for your body.

3) Set a realistic weight loss goal.
Do not aim for an unrealistic weight loss goal that meets the society ideals of what is thin. Try instead to comfortably lose weight that you may have maintained as a young adult. If you were always overweight, then aim for a weight that will improve any health problems that have resulted from being overweight.

4) Get your priorities right.
Timing is everything, so do not try to lose weight while you are distracted by other problems. It takes quite a bit of mental and physical energy to change habits, so if you are having financial and/or family troubles, this might not be the best time to focus on losing weight.

5) Realize what your habits are.
If you tend to eat when you are angry, tired, bored, depressed, or under stress, try these solutions:

* Before you eat anything, ask yourself if you really want it.
* Distract yourself from eating by running an errand, or phoning a friend.
* If you are feeling angry or distressed, take a brisk walk to work those feelings off.

6) Do not starve yourself.
Diet pills and liquid meals are not the long-term answer to weight control and good health. The best way to lose weight is to eat nutritious foods. Eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and eat fewer foods containing sugar and fat. Cutting calories too much will cause you to be hungry all the time, which will lead to overeating binges.

7) Increase your overall activity level.
Dieting alone will help you lose weight, but by incorporating exercise into your daily routine, you can actually speed up your weight loss. Exercise is the most important factor to losing weight and keeping that weight off.

8) Stay committed.
There will be occasional setbacks, and they will weaken your commitment to lose weight. If you find yourself starting to fall back into the old, bad habits of before, go back to the strategies you used to break those habits in the first place.

It is not enough just to eat nutritious foods and exercise for a few weeks or months. Losing weight and keeping it off has to come from a lifestyle change that you can life a lifetime with.