Obesity research shows that the best way to obtain and maintain a healthy weight is to replace bad habits with good habits and that means changing the way we think about food and activity. Successful losers develop a plan for long-term, lifetime healthy weight, not just short-term weight loss; and they retrain their brains to think like a thin person.

That takes effort, but the effort pays off in better health and quality of life and increased likelihood of longevity as well. Each of us has only one body and we must take care of it by eating well and staying active.

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is an on-going study that monitors the habits of thousands of people who have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for several years and have won the battle against obesity. Research findings from the registry are regularly published in leading health journals and are a valuable resource for those wishing to lose weight.

The following advice on reaching and maintaining healthy weight goals is culled from this obesity research as well as from other sources.

? Get plenty of sleep. Metabolic hormones are influenced by sleep patterns, which affect body mass index (BMI). A lack of sleep decreases leptin (an appetite suppressant) and increases ghrelin (an appetite trigger). Studies have shown that increased BMI corresponded directly to decreased sleep (defined as less than eight hours per night).

? Eat only when you're hungry?when you think of food, take 90 seconds to think about why you want to eat. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. You may find that you are eating out of boredom or habit, or for emotional reasons. Rethink food in terms of fuel and energy for your body. Think about what your body needs and train your brain to look at food in a new way.

? Eat a variety of fresh foods daily, and these should be in their whole form?closest to their form in nature ?whenever possible. Though whole foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, usually contain relatively few calories, they will fill you up, and they are loaded with fiber. In addition to macronutrients (vitamins and minerals), these foods contain many micronutrients (phytochemicals, enzymes, and more) that researchers are only beginning to understand. These are essential to good health and cannot be found in refined, processed foods that are then ?enriched? with some of the macronutrients that have been removed. Processed foods and fast foods usually have more unhealthy fats and more sodium than is recommended for good health and healthy weight.

? Replace refined white flours and grains with whole grain alternatives. The extra fiber and nutrition in whole grains will help you feel satisfied longer and will help regulate your blood sugar levels. Avoid refined sugars like sucrose, dextrose, fructose and glucose. Anything ending in ?-ose? that you see in an ingredient list is a sugar. Read and understand food labels'in one form or another sugar and refined flours are ubiquitous in processed foods.

? Move?exercise instead of sitting and watching television. Take a walk for an hour. Walking is the favored exercise of long-term successful former obesity statistics on the NWCR. They also tend to limit television viewing to 10 hours per week or less'an important strategy since obesity research shows that exercise is a major key to healthy weight loss and maintenance.

? Eat at a table and use a smaller plate, proper utensils and proper etiquette. No more two-fisted eating?chips or crisps in one hand and burger in the other. And standing at the cupboard eating chocolate chips out of the bag or mindlessly munching through a barrel of popcorn at the theater should be a thing of the past. Breaking detrimental old habits will help you become aware of what and how much you are consuming.

? Take smaller portions and savor the flavors. Remember that the taste will never be better than that first bite. Eat slowly, chew well and stop when you are no longer hungry. Be aware of internal clues like hunger, as opposed to external clues like an empty plate or bowl.

? Keep a food diary?write down everything you eat and how much of it you eat every day. This can encourage you to think twice before snacking, and will increase your awareness of portion sizes. It's not unusual for people to underestimate their calorie consumption by hundreds of calories per day, a mistake which can create a huge calorie overload and a huge weight gain over time.

? Replace sweetened beverages with water. Your body is composed of about 60 percent water and it is vital for healthy living. Also, a glass of water has no calories and helps you feel satisfied. Sometimes, thirst is mistaken for hunger, so if you're feeling hungry try drinking a glass of water first. How much? There's no magic formula?more if it's hot and dry and if you're exercising; less if it's cool and you're sedentary. Drink when you're thirsty, or better yet, before you get thirsty. Remember those internal clues.

? And finally, don't despair if the scale doesn't show immediate results, and don't give up if you slip and gain a pound or two. Just keep following the above tips and understand that it is normal for your weight to fluctuate from time to time. Your goal is life-long healthy weight and that takes time?the better part of a lifetime.