e always seem to be looking for the Holy Grail when it comes to the latest weight management techniques. The best way to maintain weight is simple: take in and burn an equal amount of calories. The hard part is changing the way you think about the food you eat and adopting a fresh outlook on ways to burn calories through exercise and movement.

	Don't drink your calories.

There are 10 basic guidelines for keeping extra weight off as you age; bringing them all together is what makes them so powerful. When you make these 10 habits part of a healthy lifestyle, you’ll find it hard not to maintain a healthy weight.

1. Keep a food diary.

Studies confirm that keeping a food and beverage journal is an important predictor of weight loss. There’s nothing like seeing it in black and white to boost your motivation. Jot down not only what you eat, but where you eat, why you might be snacking more than usual, and other patterns you might not realize without writing it down.

2. Make a commitment to change.

All kinds of studies have shown that when you believe, you can achieve. When you commit to healthy lifestyle changes, you’ll build the strength of purpose to carry you through those times you veer from your plan, for whatever reason.

3. Start your day with breakfast.

New research shows that eating a good breakfast may work biologically to keep you from eating more. You’ll feel fuller during the day and it may have something to do with your diurnal rhythms. Even if you eat breakfast at 10 a.m. in the office, don’t skip the most important meal of the day

4. Designate a dining area.

Choose a dining space in your kitchen, dining room, or office. Convenience food has changed our habits. We eat in our cars or while we’re walking. When you eat on the run, your brain can’t tell your stomach when it’s full; consequently, you probably end up eating more calories. There’s a strong relationship between being overweight and watching TV. Mindful eating around the table without the TV on a planned schedule helps reduce calories.

5. Monitor prepared foods.

Be hyper-aware of prepared foods. These foods tend to be higher in calories than your home-cooked meals, so pay attention to portion sizes at home and when you dine out. And ask your servers to double up on vegetables, or make whatever other meal adjustments will put you in control of your calories.

6. Don’t drink your calories.

Researchers suspect that liquids don’t make you feel as full as solids. You should feel every calorie you take in, so stay with water, nonfat milk, teas, or diet sodas (not that we recommend artificial sweeteners, but some people need that option).

7. Eat whole grains.

In a Tufts University study, people who were served whole grains in place of refined grains complained they were given too much to eat. The fiber in whole grains makes you feel fuller. If you’re trying to lose weight, limit whole grains to no more than four to six servings a day.

8. Make dinner the last food of the day.

Many of us tend to be evening eaters because of boredom, food ads, TV, and more. If you don’t eat after dinner, you’ll save hundreds of calories a day.

9. Snack smart.

You control your snack choices, so put the healthy snacks—an 80-calorie apple or a 120-calorie cup of yogurt—front and center. Low-fat dairy is crucial to a healthy diet, so make it part of your snack habit.

10. Keep moving.

It’s not impossible to lose weight without exercise, but it definitely isn’t good for you. Studies continue to show that without physical activity, weight losers gain the weight back.

Maybe you won’t adopt all ten strategies at once. Each step builds on another. Do what you can handle. Switch to a mindset of commitment and belief and your new routines will soon become healthy habits.