Losing as little as 5 to 10 pounds (2 to 4.5 kilograms) of body weight can significantly improve the health of someone who is overweight or obese. Such weight loss may improve blood sugar or glucose tolerance, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Tips that can help you lose weight include the following:

• Make a commitment. People who want to lose weight can plan changes in their lifestyle that allow them the time and effort necessary to achieve their goal. Prior to undertaking a weight-loss program, it may help to resolve other issues such as marital or financial problems. This will free up mental and physical resources needed to keep weight-loss efforts on target.
  
  
• Set realistic goals. It is important to set small, realistic, specific and action-oriented goals that are attainable. Breaking down larger goals into a series of smaller, short-term goals can bring you closer to your ultimate goal. Research suggests that it takes approximately six months to exchange one old habit for a healthier one. Goals should also be forgiving and flexible.
  
  The best way to lose weight and keep the weight off is to do so slowly and steadily. People should aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. This is equivalent to burning or reducing intake of 500 to 1,000 calories each day through low-calorie diets and regular exercise. People who lose more than 1 to 2 pounds a week are probably shedding water weight or muscle tissue rather than fat. It is more efficient to focus on setting lifestyle goals, such as exercising 30 minutes a day, than to set weight-loss goals.
  
  
• Maintain a positive attitude. Listen and modify your self-talk to maintain a positive attitude. Trying to avoid absolutes, such as "always" or "never," when setting goals is also important. Create goals that are action-oriented and specific, such as "eat five vegetables most days."
  
  
• Take the time to re-evaluate your goals. Re-evaluate individual goals, plans and results by taking a step back and looking at the overall plan periodically. It may be necessary to redesign weight management goals as time passes. This may include a follow-up visit with the doctor who helped to define the initial health goals. Ask yourself whether your motivation has changed, declined or disappeared. Examine whether the diet and weight-management goals have become unrealistic or unattainable.
  
  
• Seek support from others. The support of a spouse, family and friends can be invaluable to people trying to lose weight. In addition, support groups and the help of trained professionals (such as dietitians and personal trainers) can increase the odds of success.
  
  
• Keep a food diary and activity log for a few days. Journaling can help track or identify situations, behaviors or habits that undermine weight-management efforts. Starting in the morning, write down all of the foods and drinks consumed throughout the day. Write down what was eaten, how much and the time it was eaten. Keep the daily log as accurate as possible by writing down the foods consumed immediately instead of relying on memory.
  
  After each meal or snack, evaluate and write down how you feel. Trying to write any additional notes that may help you to identify patterns may also be useful. Keeping a diary can be laborious, but it may provide valuable insight into your diet, eating habits and activity patterns. When meals are recorded, be sure to include details such as where meals are eaten, types of foods and beverages consumed, whether or not the meal included dessert and if so, which type of food, and details about snacking.
  
  
• Prepare healthier foods. It is recommended for people to consume diets that are higher in plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These foods have low energy density, which means that they have lower numbers of calories contained within a given amount of the food. Increased amounts of water, fiber, or both help make these foods feel more filling. While low-calorie diets are optimal, it's important to avoid eating diets that are too low in calories. This can deprive the body of important nutrients.
  
  
• Eat breakfast. People who eat breakfast every day are far less likely to become obese compared to people who skip the first meal of the day, according to the American Dietary Association.
  
  
• Exercise. People are encouraged to get steady aerobic exercise (such as walking, running, biking, swimming or other forms of cardiovascular activity) for more than 30 minutes on most days of the week to maintain good health, according to recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To promote significant weight loss, people should engage in 60 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. Such exercise can double a person's rate of weight loss when compared to simply making dietary changes without exercising.
  
  Strength-training exercises such as lifting weights help counteract the body's natural inclination to lose muscle and gain fat as a person ages. In addition, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, which also helps a person maintain a healthy weight.
  
  
• Lifestyle changes. Many people find themselves eating when they are bored, angry, tired, anxious, depressed or socially pressured. Trying to change these habits, such as by exercising instead of eating when depression strikes, can help people to keep from consuming excess calories.