These easy steps can make all the difference in creating a better life and a better body now.

We all fall trap to that extra slice of cake, a handful of a friend’s potato chips, or an unplanned second helping. Beating yourself up, or trying to force your body into submission with a drastic diet, won’t change this. Instead, it’s about modifying certain behaviors to lessen temptation and make a healthy lifestyle stick. Positive change will create an environment conducive to weight loss success and help you stay motivated. This can have a serious impact on your body, health, and state of mind. Here are 28 strategies for seeing results:

1. Clean out your refrigerator, pantry, and cabinets and toss all of the junk food. Avoid buying high calorie, fatty foods that will be calling your name the next time your stressed. Out of sight, out of mind.
2. Embrace cooking. If you’re cooking a meal with fresh, whole foods you know what’s going into your body and you will be able to make healthy ingredient substitutions. Try different recipes and freeze leftovers. This will ensure that you always have a healthy meal on hand.
3. Designate the kitchen as a cooking and eating area only. Unless you’re having a meal or preparing food, stay out of the room.
4. Sit down whenever you eat. Don’t eat while watching television, doing work, or checking out Facebook statuses. By sitting down and focusing on the texture and flavor of the food, you develop mindfulness. Eat slowly, chew all food completely, and savor your meal. Your natural hunger cues will kick in alerting you to stop when your body has had enough. Paying attention also prevents you from accidentally overeating.
5. Store single servings of healthy snacks in Tupperware or baggies. When you eat from the bag, you’re likely to overindulge. This is also a great way to ensure that you have snacks on the go. Keep veggies, nuts, air popped popcorn, and other bites within reach. Be sure to stash some healthy foods in your desk as well, to overcome the urge to raid the candy dish or pay a visit to the vending machine.
6. You probably get a lunch break, so use it. Working through lunch and skipping a meal will slow your metabolism and cause you to overeat at your next meal.  Take the time to eat mindfully and refuel.
7. After lunch, take a walk.
8. Keep a bottle of water by your side and try chewing gum or sipping tea when the urge to nibble comes on.
9. If you work in the food industry, you know how difficult it can be to maintain a healthy diet when surrounded by temptation. Sit down once a week and create a game plan. Write out a weekly menu and stick to it.

10.  On special occasions where unhealthy food runs rampant, choose the healthiest option or eat prior to the event and pass on the hors d’oeuvres. However, you don’t want to consistently deprive yourself. If you really want some dessert, it’s okay to eat it every once in a while and split it with a friend.

11.  Eat meals served on small plates and in small bowls. It may seem ridiculous, but it actually tricks the brain into thinking you’re eating more.

12.  Always fill half of your plate with vegetables.

13.  Eat one helping and decline seconds.

14.  Break the habit of snacking when you’re not hungry. Take a walk, hit up the gym, open a book, spend some quality time with the family, or do anything that makes you happy. Your body and mind will start to associate boredom relief with your new habits as opposed to eating.

15.  Wait 20 minutes before caving into a craving. Not only will you have time to think about your choice, but also the craving will typically pass.

16.  Drink a large glass of water before every meal. Sip on water during the meal as well.

17.  Slow down by putting down the fork in between bites. Make small talk with your dinner partners or just reflect on your day.

18.  Stick to your list when you go grocery shopping. Avoid impulse buys. It’s also wise to eat prior to food shopping.

19.  Read food labels to make sure the food is healthy and doesn’t contain a laundry list of ingredients. In most cases, the fewer the ingredients, the better.

20.  When you’re cooking or preparing plates for the kids, chew gum. When you have gum in your mouth you can’t sneak that chicken nugget.

21.  When you’re done preparing a meal, take out one portion for yourself and the amount needed for family and put the rest in the freezer immediately.

22.  Don’t overdo it with the alcohol and eat before heading out. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions. If you’re hungry and tipsy, you are more likely to make unhealthy choices.

23.  Practice good dining out behavior. Ask the server to wrap up half of your meal before bringing it to the table. Go for salad instead of bread and avoid buzz words like cheesy, fried, battered, cream, breaded, crunchy, white sauce, stuffed, and other tell tale signs.

24.  Attending a social event or dinner party? Offer to bring a dish. Make something tasty, but healthy. You will know you have something to eat and you’ll look like the model guest.

25.  To protect your waistline and score even more points with the host or hostess, ask if there is some way you can help. This will keep you busy. Also be sure that you don’t stand near the appetizers or desserts.

26.  Work a treat into your plan. You won’t gain weight if you indulge every once in a while. Tailor the rest of your daily menu around your indulgence. For example, eliminate a serving of fat from your dinner and a carbohydrate from your lunch.

27.  You schedule important appointments, so schedule your exercise sessions. Fitness is just as important as that big meeting.

28.  If you have a desk job and find yourself mindlessly eating, change things up. Take breaks and walk around the office or head outside, stand while talking on the phone, or walk over to coworkers to give them a message instead of buzzing or e-mailing them.

These are only a few of the small tweaks that you can make to lose weight and avoid the frustration of temptation. Living a healthy lifestyle can be challenging, but modifying your behavior allows you to exert a degree of control over your environment. Before you know it, healthy habits will become automatic.

Author Bio: Colleen Gore is the writer of the Healthy Diet Plans section at Dietplansweekly.com. She is also a freelance writer and yoga teacher. 

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