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.

Changing certain cues, like the color and size of your plate, is a simple way to take advantage of the way your mind works and alter your eating patterns without actively thinking about it.

Two factors cause most yo-yo diets. The first is sugar dependency. Second is the sense of failure that breaks your spirit. You need to be aware of both if you want to maintain your weight-loss plan.

If your New Year's resolution involves making a change in your diet with weight loss as a goal, you are facing a dizzying array of information out there. There is a great deal of evidence about what practices help weight loss, much of it contradictory.

Usually, people either gain a lot of weight this time of year, or they deny themselves what they'd really like. Either way, they're miserable. Instead, the key to permanent weight loss is learning how to eat what you'll want the rest of your life -- in a way that will maintain a healthy weight.

Those who know me won't be surprised that one of my go-to items for a "hit" of autumn is an edible -- well, drinkable -- one. For years now, I've been addicted (potential 12-step-group-addicted) to Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes (or, as I refer to them, "fall in a cup").

Here is the scenario for you. When you start off on a hormonal approach to fat loss, you realize that eating becomes a matter of eating more of the right things rather than less of anything. And because everyone is different, the right things can vary from person to person.

Whether or not children and teens are overweight, the whole family can benefit from following some basic guidelines. Small changes can quickly add up to make a big difference. Start slowly -- too many changes all at once create a recipe for failure.

On its surface, the cause of the Western world's obesity epidemic seems simple: People are eating too many calories and getting too little calorie-burning exercise; the imbalance manifests as excess fat. But this explanation is too simple.

Misinformation about weight loss abounds, and anyone who's tried to diet knows it. We begin strict diets with the best of intentions, but they ultimately result in feelings of failure as we boomerang back to our original weight, or -- even worse -- gain more.

Losing weight and keeping it off has never been easy. Here are six foods that can help you to satisfy your cravings, keep you full and ultimately arm you with the tools you'll need to finally fight the biggest battle of them all!

I am convinced that anyone can succeed with permanent weight loss. However, there is a big but. Before you can expect to be able to solve your weight problem, there are several prerequisites that must be met.

If you take a hormones-first approach to weight loss, you can keep hunger at bay, diminish cravings and stabilize energy. Doing things this way causes the body to eat less, naturally, which allows us to make new changes to our lifestyle without relying solely on willpower.

There are many things in life we can't control. If you have a weight issue, sometimes it may feel like you can't control how much or what you eat. You may feel like you're at the mercy of the food. I certainly did.

You know that one of the keys to losing weight is eating fewer calories. But it can be hard to know how to cut back without feeling deprived or hungry.

Time to stop blaming the wife or family, and start eating like a man. That doesn't mean starving yourself, or eating like a bird. It means managing your nutrition, and tackling your stress as well. Here's what men can do to take control of their waists, and their health.

Weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing. You can be burning calories and losing weight, but those calories and that weight may or may not be fat. In fact, the one-size-fits-all weight loss model of "eat less and exercise more" can result in muscle being lost as readily as fat.

Whether you've tried one too many fad diets, have fallen off the bandwagon, or just want tips for lifetime weight management, you can clean up your diet with a few simple tweaks.

Whatever season approaches, you want to look fabulous. But particularly during warmer weather you want to become your leanest, sexiest self because you're baring more of yourself.

I am a Facebook junkie and a big fan of the motivational quotes that tend to find their way to many of my friend's walls. One in particular caught my eye the other day: "Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down."

Can you think yourself thin? Sure you can. But you'll need more than positive affirmations to get yourself into action.

Ms. Bauer, who has been a longtime champion of successful dieters, points out that dieting and losing weight is 50 percent attitude. And thus, she suggests a couple essential (and common) steps for anyone who wants to win at the losing game.

Here are five ways to power up your fitness regimen, get back on track, and move closer to achieving your goal, using structure to help you.