Four years ago, when I decided that I was going to finally lose weight and this time it would be for good, I knew that the only way I was going to do it was to ditch the diet mentality and see it as a lifestyle. This meant finding a balance.

I would say it is unfortunate that the weight-loss pills, programs, and bonus DVDs haven't really worked out, but now that I'm a foodist, I see the failure of the dieting industry to make us thinner or healthier as one of the luckiest mess-ups of our generation.

It is possible to eat out and consume upward of 2,000 calories in just one meal. However, it is also entirely possible not to break your calorie budget and to eat healthfully while eating out. The key is to be mindful of your food choices and to choose wisely.

A new study out of Temple University suggests that one solution to helping kids eat less is to give them smaller plates. With childhood obesity rates so high, we need effective strategies to help youngsters eat more healthfully and eat less.

Fresh-baked bread with cream cheese is not something I eat daily. Sometimes not even weekly. But it is something I enjoy in moderation. Even if I'm being strict with my eating plan (something that, for the record, I'm always paying close attention to, even when "treating" myself).

No matter what your most tempting foods are, you can still have them -- in moderation and in healthy portions. And with tools like measuring cups, we can eat well and not overdo it to the point of triggering a binge.

Here are some tips I've offered my clients -- and now you -- to get out of the all-or-nothing mentality and into the mode of setting lifestyle goals that you can actually stick with to help you lead a healthier and more hassle-free life.

A great way -- perhaps the best way -- to cut calories is to trim your portion sizes, especially of foods that are high in calories. That would include many treats you would find at holiday parties and events.

As my colleague and I illustrate in our recent paper, the trend toward larger portions coincides with the availability of calories in the U.S. food supply and the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity. So what can we do about this continued trend toward larger portions?

I realized that keeping my portions and food choices in mind was something I was going to have to stay committed to for the rest of my life -- assuming I wanted to keep fitting into my newly aquired "regular size" clothes.

One week before the Board of Health is scheduled to vote on Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to limit the sizes of oversized drinks, Weight Watchers and other diet companies are supporting the proposal.

Many of us don't understand what a healthy portion size is, and for good reason. A pasta portion in a restaurant is easily three cups, and many steaks are at least a pound. Getting used to normal-sized portions is not an easy task.

We are wasting our energy debating the nature of the calorie -- which is, simply, and incontrovertibly, a measure of energy.

Even thinking about how to cut calories can, to some, feel like a total waste of brain space. And so, for you, my friends, I offer these simple mind tricks for getting slim.

This is all well and good but how do these "fat-fighting" foods actually make you skinnier?

Remember that mindful eating is more about how you eat than what you eat.