Be aware that reach health goals

Magic pills, liquid diets, obsessively exercising ... sounds familiar? Many people who want to lose weight are often tempted by the latest fad. The problem is, the weight lost with these "quick fixes" can be expensive and often do not last. Instead, get results with something you already have — your mind!

OK, that may sound a little new-agey. But the truth is that mindfulness can be the key to your weight loss success. Being mindful means simply to give your full attention to your surroundings, thoughts, behaviors and experiences.

"When you bring awareness to your internal and external environments--and to do so without judgment--you also have the opportunity to become more aware of your choices," says Jan Chozen bays, MD, author of conscious eating.

Here are six tactics you can start today.

Before each meal, pause and ask yourself: how hungry I am? Then, rate your hunger with a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is ravenously hungry and 10 is completely full. To be really honest. When you take a moment to listen to your body, you may find that you only on a 6.

"Even if we are not very hungry, our tendency is to go on automatic, we pull into a drive-through and order # 4 combo meal because that's what we always get," says Megrette Fletcher, a nutritionist and eat what you love, love what you eat with Diabetes.

The truth is, you may just need a snack to feel satisfied. Experts say that you don't want to eat until you're stuffed. About three quarters full, which is between 7 and 8.

Drift surfing is a technology that keeps you from succumbing to spontaneous and unhealthy urges or cravings. As all thoughts, urges not to last forever. They come and go like a wave. Tend to be less than 30 minutes.

When you ask the surf, you learn how to "surf your request." This means that you note the desire. You accept it for what it is. But you don't respond to it.

However, notice how your body feels when the urge strikes. Then pay attention to how its intensity changes with every breath you take.

Recognize cravings makes it weaker. And if you stay in this conscious state, you can ride it till your cravings are gone.

Ever notice how the first bite or two always seem to taste better? That's because after the first forkful taste buds (which you have thousands) stop firing.

"If you check in and and really notice how level entertainment is changing, you might realize that you've had enough far sooner than you would if you're shoveling down your food," says Jean l. Kristeller, PhD, developer of Mindfulness based eating awareness (MB-eating) training program.