It happens to all of us: we're cruising along on our weight loss program, feeling great, staying on track - when suddenly a temptation is staring us right in the face. Maybe it's a box of donuts your oh-so-thoughtful coworker brought into the office. Maybe it's the scent of freshly baked bread from the bakery down the street. Maybe it's just a random craving that seemed to come out of nowhere, and now it has you in a death grip.
With most weight loss programs, there are only two possible responses: summon the willpower to ignore the craving and stay committed to the plan, or give in to the craving and feel like a failure.

Luckily, these are not the only two responses you can choose, and today we're going to share a few others to help you win the battle of wills the next time you face temptation:

Does it seem like you're constantly on a diet? You're not alone! You may be surprised how many people feel the same way. These weight loss tips for the perpetual dieter may be what you've needed to finally make the dieting roller coaster stop so you can get off.

Maybe you've tried every diet that's come down the pike. You've eaten grapefruit to the point where you can't stand the sight of them. You've given up carbohydrates but still crave sugar, potatoes, and bread. Seeing that it was a losing battle, you gave up on every one.

You may have had some success at losing weight, only to gain it back. Let's face it, it gets discouraging when you hear that most dieters will regain the weight they've lost within three to five years. With those kinds of odds against you, you may wonder why you bother.

The reasons you keep trying to lose weight may vary. You know you need to lose weight to improve your overall health or reduce symptoms of disease. You can't fit into your clothes or you have a reunion to attend. There could be any number of other reasons.

Regardless of why you want to slim down or how many times you've dieted in the past, if you want to succeed at losing weight once and for all, you may be better served by following the example of those who've achieved their goal and kept the weight off.

Effective weight loss tactics for those who've succeeded include these techniques:

"Whoa, Jake has gained a lot of weight since his last visit," said my vet back in June, about my German Shepherd. "I know I don't need to tell you about the dangers of being overweight, right?"

Nope! I'm very much aware of those risk factors -- whether it's for humans or dogs. Jake is a small German Shepherd, and 74lbs was too much for his small frame. He was pudgy. If he put on any more weight, it could turn into a very real problem.

My vet suggested a very simple method that worked wonders for Jake. He's now a sleek 67lbs. Could this method help you lose weight, too? Is it too controversial for humans?

One of the most effective strategies for losing weight and sticking to your diet is to plan ahead. While it may seem difficult at first to be prepared, the results will astound you.

Here are some ideas to help you plan your meals without spending too much of your valuable time:

One of the hardest places to stick to your diet is the office. And since you probably spend a large majority of your time at work, you need to have some strategies to help you deal with the temptations you'll face. Here are five ways to avoid those workplace diet temptations: Stock up on snacks. Keep healthy snacks available at all times. You may want to designate a drawer in your desk for them. When you're feeling hungry, instead of heading to the vending machine for a candy bar you'll have healthier options.

When you look at your diet, do you only look at the food you're eating? Are you scratching your head wondering why you've been gaining weight when you're so sure you've been eating better? One thing you may need to look into is how many calories you're drinking. No matter how healthy you think milk or juice is, it doesn't mean you can drink them all day long. Add in soda, alcoholic drinks, sports drinks or specialty coffees and you may be drinking yourself fat. Take a long, hard look at the calories you drink and see where you can whittle down the calories. It could make a big difference in your weight loss plan! Here are six ways you can reduce liquid calories:

When you're working on improving your diet, it's easy to become overwhelmed by how to get started. Even if you're a seasoned dieter, you may wonder how you can get to the next step or how to make your diet a part of your lifestyle.

You need to determine where you are in order to know what you need to do next. Whether you're thinking about dieting for the first time in your life or you're trying to make your new changes something permanent, there are specific things you can do to take your diet to the next level.

You hear it everywhere now: if you want to lose weight, it helps to eat smaller meals more frequently. In other words, spread out the calories (energy) you take in over the course of day instead of eating all those calories in one sitting. This helps to keep your blood sugar level and curb cravings, amongst others.

Now, eating small meals more frequently doesn't mean you are automatically going to lose weight. You still need to be within a calorie deficit: to lose weight, you need to eat less calories than you burn in a day. So, let's say you eat 1500 calories and you burn 2000 calories in a day. That creates a reasonable calorie deficit of 500 calories.

  One way to save time during the week (and to stick to plan) is to prepare food ahead of time. I spent part of Sunday afternoon preparing (from left to right, top row to bottom): Spinach Chick Pea Curry, basmatic rice, cucumbers/carrots/hummus, pre-cut cheese pieces (30g) for snack, clementine/pineapple fruit salad (banana will be cut at eating time), 2 bowls filled with my scrambled egg fixings*, 1 bowl[...]

When you're trying to lose weight and you cut calories to create a calorie deficit, it can be hard not to feel hungry all the time. In fact, you may find yourself obsessing over food, constantly thinking about what you have eaten that day and what you will be able to eat later in the day. Dieting doesn't have to be such a big deal. By making small changes to your eating patterns, you'll find that you're cutting calories without the pain.