Diets aren't the way to go when it comes to losing weight. That's because they create temporary eating patterns — and, therefore, temporary results. Most dieters gain back any lost weight when they go back to their old eating habits. So what's the best way to drop excess weight? Create a new normal!

Weight loss is most likely to be successful when people change their habits, replacing old, unhealthy ones with new, healthy behaviors. Here are 5 ways to make that happen:

Exercise. Regular physical activity burns calories and builds muscle — both of which help you look and feel good and keep weight off. Walking the family dog, cycling to school, and doing other things that increase your daily level of activity can all make a difference. If you want to burn more calories, increase the intensity of your workout and add some strength exercises to build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you aren't exercising.

Reduce screen time. One reason people get less exercise these days is because of an increase in "screen time" — the amount of time spent watching TV, looking at the computer, or playing video games. Limit recreational screen time to less than 2 hours per day. If you're with friends at the mall, you're getting more exercise than if you're IMing them from your room.

Watch out for portion distortion. Serving sizes have increased over the past 10 years, and these extra calories contribute to obesity. Another key factor in weight gain is that more people drink sugary beverages, such as sodas, juice drinks, and sports drinks. So choose smaller portions (or share restaurant portions) and go for water or low-fat milk instead of soda.

Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Fruits and veggies are about more than just vitamins and minerals. They're also packed with fiber, which means they fill you up. And when you fill up on fruits and veggies, you're less likely to overeat when it comes to high-calorie foods like chips or cookies.

Don't skip breakfast. Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism, burning calories from the get-go and giving you energy to do more during the day. People who skip breakfast often feel so hungry that they eat more later on. So they get more calories than they would have if they ate breakfast. In fact, people who skip breakfast tend to have higher BMIs than people who eat breakfast.

减肥的方法可不是专指节食。因为节食只是临时改变了饮食结构，从而产生的也只是临时的效果。许多通过节食减肥成功者一旦恢复到过去的饮食结果结构，他们的体重就会出现反弹。那么减去多余体重的最佳方法是什么呢？是建立新的正常的饮食结构！

当人们以新的健康的饮食习惯代替旧的、不健康饮食习惯的时候，减肥最有可能成功。以下是五条具体的方法：

1. 运动。规律的身体活动可以消耗能量、锻炼肌肉。遛狗、骑自行车上学，和做其他能增加你的日常活动量的事情，这些对减肥都有作用。如果你想消耗更多的能量，可以加大运动强度，并且做一些力量联系以锻炼肌肉。即使在不运动的情况下，肌肉比例越大的人消耗的能量越多。

2. 缩短“屏幕时间”。现代人运动量偏少的一个原因便是“屏幕时间”——人们坐在电视机、电脑或是录像游戏上的时间的增加。把这样的消遣时间控制在两个小时以内。你与朋友一起逛商场比起坐在家里的活动量要大得多。

3. 警惕食物分量变化。在过去的十年中，食品的分量已经不断增加。这一部分多余的能量直接导致肥胖。增重的另一个重要原因是人们饮用了更多的含糖饮料，诸如汽水、果汁和运动饮料等。选择更小分的食物（或是与人分食餐馆菜肴），喝清水或低脂牛奶而不是汽水。

4. 每天食用 5 次水果。水果蔬菜含有更多的维生素和矿物质。同时富含能让你有饱腹感的纤维素。当你主意食用水果蔬菜的时候，你过多的食用如薯条和饼干之类的高能量食物的可能性大大减小。

5. 要吃早餐。早餐能够刺激新陈代谢，消耗能量，让你的一天都更有活力。不吃早餐的人会感到更加饥饿，从而吃得更多。从而他们摄取了比不吃早餐更多的能量。不吃早餐的人往往比吃早餐的人有着更高的身体质量指数（BMI）。