Summer is near and you mean to shed those extra pounds. You take a chance on the newest diet and you really do do away with those revolting, unhealthy pounds. You feel great. In the mirror you look great.

Fast-forward six months. The mirror has ceased being your friend. Every single one of those pounds have crept back onto to your hips and all around your waist. What is up with that?

It’s the exact same point that goes wrong with a lot of dieting Americans every year. You didn’t stand by that diet plan. You ate out and ate huge dinners; you helped yourself to those convenient fast foods; you came across a new chocolatier. In other words, you did what most people do?you took pleasure in the wealth of food choices that are immediately available. You drifted into your previous eating habits.

Why did this come to pass? The response is plain; you didn’t take pleasure in feeling famished incessantly.

It’s incredibly discouraging to take off the same ten, twenty, or thirty pounds every year?so discouraging that a lot of us throw in the towel. But hang on! Rather than cover up all the mirrors and discard the bathroom scale, give yourself an additional chance. There is a way to defeat this cycle, and it doesn’t require having nothing to eat, calorie counters, or life without chocolate. It does involve adjusting the way you think about eating.

Is it difficult?

Yes, at first, it is. You are going to destroy long-standing habits.

Is it impossible?

No, it isn’t.

Is it worth the effort?

You bet.

Okay. What do I have to do?

Make flavor your primary priority.

Start in search of the ‘ah’ factor in what you eat. The ‘ah’ factor takes place in that first nibble of seasonally fresh fruit or flawlessly prepared meat or vegetable. Your taste buds sing, you sit back, slow down and savor the flavors. Recall how Grandma continually said to chew your food a hundred times? She had the right suggestion. By eating slowly you will eat less. And if you’re sensing the ‘ah’ factor, you’ll want to eat slowly to extend the pleasure.

Change the manner in which you shop at your super market. Walk the outer limits of the store. That’s where the fresh vegetables, meat, and dairy are located. Shun the aisles where the processed foods are shelved. Bear in mind, you are on the hunt for food that explodes with flavor in your mouth, and that kind of food doesn’t come from a can or a box. Your purpose is to eat less food while remaining satisfied. If you eat food that has been popped, toasted or reconstituted you’re more likely to take off to the nearest bakery just after lunch since your body is sending your brain the ‘I-need-more’ message.

Every time you shop, be certain to include delicious handy snack items on your list. You can pack apples, nuts, and celery into a bag and take them with you in the car, so when you feel hungry you can munch. If you eat small pieces of fruit, nuts or vegetables roughly every three hours, your blood sugar level remains up and the hunger message to your brain stops. You’ll be able to go right past that fast food drive-thru.

If you have a farmer’s market close to you, get your produce there. The fruit and vegetables have been gathered recently and trucked from close-by farms. Because they are vine ripened and freshly harvested, they are bursting with flavor?just what you want.

Each time you go out to dinner, study the appetizer menu. Restaurants are starting to recognize that not every person desires those substantial entrees for their nighttime meal, and chefs are growing their small portion alternatives. These particular morsels, accompanied by a fresh salad, are not only filling, they taste excellent.

Permanent weight loss is not easy, but it is achieveable. By placing flavor at the top of your list when you shop or eat out, you’ll be fulfilled with a smaller amount of calories, never have to consider covering those mirrors again, and be able to indulge in a piece of chocolate from time to time – guilt-free.

Robert Payne is founder of www.Fat-Loss-Breakthroughs.com, where you can find special offers on patch to lose weight.