Keep Track
How often are you working out? What and when did you eat today? I toss my food journals when I’m done, but they keep me aware and conscious. Also, weigh yourself on a regular basis— at least once a week. Take pictures in your bathing suit. There are also a lot of applications on the web, like My fitness Pal, and Fitday.com.

Plan For The Rough Patches
Stressful times can trigger you to go back to old habits. So have a strategy in place (call friends, take yoga—anything but food) and write it down. Also, do not keep anything tempting in the house. If you must have that ice cream cone, walk or ride your bike to get it, order a small or kids size, and have it in a cup instead of a cone.

Take Small Steps After a Slip Up
If your weight creeps up, don’t do anything drastic. Cut dessert, skip wine with dinner, take another walk around the block. It’s okay to take baby steps. Remember, it is a life long journey, not a race. This is a way of eating for the rest of your life, not a diet.

Make Special Occasions Count
Before you walk in the door of a restaurant, think, ‘Is this just a meal I don’t want to cook at home, or is it a special occasion? If it’s the first, order a lean protein with no white starchy anything, ask for extra vegitables instead. If it’s the latter, go ahead and indulge, because such moments come only once in a while.

Be Consistent
Researchers compared participants who basically followed the same way of eating every day with those who ate more on weekends and holidays than during the week. People in the first group were one and a half times more likely to maintain their weight within five pounds over a year. I watch what I eat 6 days per week and indulge one day per week. Basically, I follow the 4hour body slow carb diet, and I have been consistent with it for almost 1 year year. I love the way it makes me feel, and it works for me. Find what works for you.

Just Know That It Gets Easier
The longer you keep the
weight off, research shows, the less effort it takes.