You're starting a weight loss journey. You've probably researched and read up on how to do it successfully. You've thought about the essential things you need to do to meet your goals.

One thing you may not have even considered is the importance of mindfulness. 

This journey is about more than just what you eat and how you exercise. Incorporating mindfulness can play a vital role in ensuring your success lasts for life

Many of us equate weight loss with exerting self-control. If presented with a carrot or cake, those of us with self-control will choose the carrot, right? That choice will, in turn, lead us closer to our weight-loss goal, and we’ll find success, correct? Not so fast. A recent study from researchers at City of London University turns that notion on its head.

Happiness is not something you get. It’s something you choose. And that choice can sometimes seem impossible to make, but it can also be the driver to making good decisions about our interactions with others, ourselves and even losing weight. So, what are the habits of profoundly happy people?

It wasn't too long ago in our human history when food served one simple purpose - to sustain life. Why, then, has food morphed into an obsession that has long ago passed the point of enjoyability, and instead turned into a problem? Why do we overeat? Why can’t we stop ourselves from chowing down junk food? Why are we so driven by our next meal? Here are 8 reasons, backed by science, that show why we often consume copious, unhealthy amounts of food — and how we can stop.

Every day requires strength and commitment. You can do it. You will do it. We rounded up seven motivational quotes will help you get through the first week.

We continue our Beneath the Surface blog series where we take a deeper dive into the emotional and psychological triggers that cause us to choose habits that lead to weight gain. In this post, we’re looking at understanding our individual triggers and why we behave the way we do.

To be successful at losing weight (and keeping it off), the key is to take a holistic approach to healthy living. That means changing your body, yes — but it also means addressing the deeper issues that led to your weight gain in the first place. In a series of blog posts titled “Beneath the Surface,” we’re going to take a deeper dive into the emotional and psychological triggers that cause us to choose habits that lead to weight gain.

Eating out every meal was a reality Joanna Keating-Velasco knew well.

“I hate grocery shopping and I hate cooking,” said Joanna, an instructional aid from Orange County, California. “So [my husband and I] had been spending most nights eating out.”

There are going to be those times when you feel down, when you feel like giving up, when life seems to be full of monotony. Those are the times that you might have to muster a bit of extra inner strength to keep going -- they’re also the times that make you a stronger person. And luckily, there are little steps you can take to make it a bit easier.

Welcome to the New Year! If you’re like 41 percent of Americans, you’ve likely made some sort of resolution. Sadly, only 20 percent of those who make a New Year’s resolution actually keep it. So how do you become one of the few who sticks with it? Start by looking to those who have already been there, done that. We compiled a list of 13 Habits of Successful Resolutioners — the things real people say has helped them stay on-track and meet their new year’s goals.

Easy — the camaraderie, the support, the motivation, the like-mindedness, heck, even the ability others have to get our minds off how tough it is sometimes.

So it should go without saying that doing it with someone close to you has even more benefits — including a host of them for your relationship. Yes, it turns out that exercising with your significant other has some significant positive effects on you both!

How, exactly? We’ve rounded up 6 ways exercising with your partner can be a bonding experience and a way to keep you on-track.

You hear it all the time — losing weight takes willpower...and lots of it.

Willpower is defined as deliberately exerting yourself to restrain your impulses.

You know the feeling well. It’s the agonizing back-and-forth in your head– one voice is telling you to do something while the other is telling you not to.

Research shows that feeling good about what we eat and enjoying food with family and friends is essential to healthy weight maintenance. Sharing a meal with loved ones makes us more relaxed, more mindful of how much we’re eating — and can ultimately lead to a leaner body.

Deadlines, relationship problems, traffic, economic and health issues… these are just a few of the many, many issues that can cause stress in our lives and sabotage our weight-loss efforts. Stress is unavoidable, but how we cope and deal with stressors is within our control. It sounds easy – and it can be - with these tips.

Roadblocks, detours, setbacks…are all challenges we work to avoid in life. Barriers will always exist in anything you try to accomplish, but identifying potential challenges ahead of time and having a plan in place will help you succeed. 

How you eat matters. Learn how to start eating mindfully and create a more satisfying meal experience every day.

Fat talk may seem like friendly banter, but it can be damaging to your well being. Learn more about what fat talk is and how to get it out of your life.

It may seem intimidating when starting down a path of change, but know that you are not alone. Even Olympians need help in finding their focus.

How poor diet trumps tobacco use as the number one killer of Americans, companies use manipulative online tactics to exploit your children, and other top health-related news stories, blogs, celebrity weight loss updates and studies from around the web. Only the best. All in one convenient place.

When first starting out, staying motivated to lose weight is easy. But what happens when you’ve been on the weight loss quest for weeks, or months, and you still have a ways to go? We all know losing weight is a journey, but what's the secret to staying motivated when the journey is a long way from over? It may be hard, but it is possible.