In a quest to lose weight, many people look for answers that will help them for once and for all. There are a lot of fad diets out there and many are tired of them and hope there is a weight loss grail solution that really works.

There are a lot of reasons why many diets fail or why people lose weight only temporarily.

Common reasons include:

-Lack of vitamins and nutrients. Your body can't be in tip top shape if it's starving --- either for calories OR for nutrients

-Lack of calories. It might seem like simple math but if you don't lose weight the healthy way, you'll be unhealthy. A temporary deprivation of calories will only yield temporary results. Your body will make up for it when you resume eating (which you know you eventually will) and start hoarding fat in an effort to survive your next drought.

-Lack of willpower. Dieting is hard. We love food and many use food for an emotional need as well as for survival

How do you approach these areas so that you can be successful?

Instead of dieting, you can have more long term success if you change your approach to eating. Those who have successfully lost weight and kept it off have often reported that only when they changed their approach to food have they been able to change their body shape for good. Instead of yo-yo dieting, starvation diets one week and then binging the following week, the weight loss grail approach includes eating smaller balanced meals more often. Here are some tips:

1. Eat enough
You need to figure out what the daily calorie requirements are for your gender and your frame. Your body needs vital nutrients and vitamins so that it will be able to process food properly. Take vitamins and eat vegetables!

2. Eat often
Starvation doesn't help you. Your metabolism will work harder if you eat more often. Eat smaller, balanced meals and you'll feel better and your body will effectively burn those calories. You'll also have more willpower. You can fare much better when you're eating the right food rather than living on celery stalks.

3. Exercise
No one who's sedentary loves to exercise but even mild activity makes a difference and once you start to get mobile, it becomes easier. Start with walking and you might be ready to jog. Resistance training can help you trim and tone your body fast. Do something fun that keeps you busy. Whether that's a Wii video game, tennis, or swimming, consider doing it with someone else. Companionship during exercise makes it more fun and social rather than feeling like work.

By changing your approach to food and looking to live and be healthier, you can change the number on the scale to a much lower number --- permanently.