It really takes small, baby steps, for permanent weight loss success.  Here are 21 tips to virtually guarantee success — no weight loss pills, no bogus fat loss scams, or other infomercial quick fixes.  Just tried and true belly busting strategies.

1.  Find a support partner.  Someone who can keep you on track and accountable to stick to it.  This person will ONLY give you positive feedback and never shoot your goals down, or try to steer you in the wrong direction (e.g., you look GREAT, don’t worry about eating X)

2.  Replace all liquid calories with water and real tea (green, black, or white — not fake prepacked junk).  

3.  If you bite it, you must write it — record your intake either by hand in a journal or on a online source, like FitDay.com or Sparkpeople.com

4.  Stay positive — always remember progress, not perfection.  This way you will continue to make progress.

5.  Eat smaller, more frequent meals — including protein, fruit and/or veggies with each meal.  These will keep your appetite in check and energy levels high.

6.  PLAN AHEAD — sit down one day for 30 or so minutes and plan the week ahead food wise.  This will allow you to make the best choices.

7.  Check in with others — social support is key.  This is your accountability partner from #1, but maybe even logging into forums or in person groups too.  It’s easy to let yourself down, but no one wants to let others down!

8.  MOVE MORE — structured exercise is great, but you can’t just be "an active couch potato."  If you move for 30-60 minutes/day, that means you might be sitting or laying for the other 23 hours.  Play with the kids, walk the dog, get up from your desk regularly and walk around.  Movement is necessary!

9.  Eat more fruit.  Add 1 piece of fruit each day … then build on that each week until you’re getting upwards of of 5 servings daily.

10.  Eat more veggies.  Add 1 vegetable each day … and build on that each week until you’re getting upwards of 5-7 servings daily.  You can’t eat too many veggies!

11.  Try a new fruit or veggie.  We get stuck in a routine, eating the same foods over and over again.  This week eat a unique fruit and vegetable for you — if you only turn to apples and bananas, try berries, grapefruit, or some other fruit.  Same with veggies — expand your horizons!

12.  Eliminate trans fat — there’s not many foods/ingredients I’d say "eliminate" — but this is one of them.  Man made trans fat is horrible!

13.  Drink enough water so that your urine looks like pale lemonade.  It may or may not be 8 cups daily … use your urine color as a guide.  When it’s warm, drink more.

14.  Check the number of calories you are consuming. We always stress that all calories aren’t created equally, but at the same time, we can’t avoid calories all together.  They still matter.

15.  Focus on quality, not just quantity.  Calories do matter, but an apple and raw nuts for about 250 calories is much different than a 16 oz soda for the same number of calories.  "Fill up" on nutrients, not junk foods.

16.  Put the focus on fiber — recommendations are up to 35 grams/day.  Don’t worry about carbs, worry about fiber.  Fruit and veggies are great for this.

17.  Write down your goals.  Don’t just think about them, write them.  The act of putting them on paper increases the likelihood of achieving them.  

18.  Replace 1 meal each day with a large salad that’s loaded with veggies and topped with lean protein.

19.  Use fruit, veggies, and beans are your 3 primary forms of carbohydrates — loaded with fiber, loaded with nutrients, yet not filled with any junk.

20.  Stick to foods that have no more than 5 ingredients.  Max.  HINT — you won’t find it with pre packaged foods, so leave those on the grocery store shelf.

21.  Review your goals daily, commit to these 21 habits, and you’ll virtually guarantee success.

What did we miss?  We’d love to hear what tips YOU use to stay lean and healthy!