How many times have you promised yourself to change your diet and exercise? One day you are eating a certain way and possibly being sedentary; the next day you expect yourself to make a 180 degree change by following a rigid diet and exercising without fail. When we fall off the wagon or slip up, we blame ourselves and feel like a failure.

If you undertake too much, you can become overwhelmed and throw out your diet. Why not make small changes that allow you to experience success and build momentum. Remember, "Rome wasn't build in one day" and neither are healthy, long-lasting changes. Let's build momentum by being realistic and make small changes that last.

Here are some suggestions for little changes:

1. As you lose weight, eliminate your safety net of keeping your large size clothes. Make the commitment to yourself that you will never, ever see that size again so you don't need those clothes. Donate your clothes or sell them in a garage sale. As you get rid of your excess weight, get rid of your large clothes that you'll never need again. You get to replace the large size clothes with new, stylish clothes that celebrate your weight loss.

2. Don't eat out of bags. Put your portion on your plate rather than eat out of a bag. Mindless eating is a given when you eat out of a bag. You lose the perspective of what you've eaten when you don't provide the accountability of seeing the portion and eating accordingly.

3. No platters. Downsize your plate to downsize your body. When you eat your meals, use smaller plates. The less food you have on your plate, the less you're likely to eat. Alternatively, the more food in front of you, the more you'll eat, many times regardless of how hungry you are. Rather than use dinner size plates which range from 10-14 inches, use salad plates which average 7-9 inches wide.

4. Eat in front of a mirror. While you watch yourself eating, you avoid mindless eating and give incredible accountability as you see yourself as you eat. Having to look at yourself reflects back to you some of your own inner standards, reminds you of your weight loss goals, and reminds you of why you're losing weight, and provides an amazing amount of accountability.

5. Don't eat white. Nix white foods such as white flour, white rice, and white bread. Simple carbohydrates create a crash and burn in your blood sugar, and are a significant factor in weight gain. Substitute the white stuff for whole grain breads, brown rice, and other complex carbs.

6. Eat at home. Eat 90% of your meals at home. Restaurant portions are so large that many serve their food on platters. In addition, your awareness and inhibition tend to be skewed in a restaurant. You're likely to eat more, eat more high-fat and high-calorie foods. By eating at home, you know what's in your food. No hidden fats or sugar. Eat at home to save money and calories.

7. Eat breakfast. Don't skip breakfast thinking you are saving calories. You're not! Start your day by revving your metabolism by feeding your body. A healthy breakfast starts you for a day of healthy eating. It is called "break-fast" for a reason. As you've slept, you've fasted and by eating breakfast, you break the fast. By providing nutrition to your body regularly throughout the day, you won't get overly hungry thus overeat.

Long-lasting changes rarely occur overnight. Make one small change, one step at a time. Before you know it, those changes create a momentum of success that move you forward to your weight loss goals. Changes involve commitment and dedication but you're worth it!