Absolutely.

Almost everyone who is a bit overweight can safely maintain a 10 to 20 pound weight loss, and some obese people can trim hundreds of pounds. In fact, in a recent study of successful "losers" - people who lost an average of 66 pounds and kept the weight off for at least five years - researchers found that even people with the most stubborn weight problems, including yo-yo dieters and those who had been fat since childhood, were able to slim down.

What is the secret? It is no secret, really. Everyone knows what to do: to lose weight, you just have to burn more calories each day than you take in. What's exciting is that both researchers and successful dieters are beginning to figure out how to do it. Here is how you can, too:

Make a commitment

Make a firm commitment is a critical first step toward successful weight loss. Start today, not tomorrow or next week, but now. Make your plan, set your goals, then put start putting your plan to work.

Set realistic goals

Losing one pound a week - and keep it off - with sensible eating and exercise is probably a sensible goal. Dropping too much too fast isn't easy. One way to figure out how many calories you can eat and still lose weight is to keep a food diary for a week and figure out how many calories you are consuming now. Then create a food plan that provides about 500 calories per one to two pounds a week - the maximum you should shoot for. Quick weight loss programs actually make it more difficult to lose weight because it actually slows done your metabolism.

Plan for success

Successful weight loss requires significant changes in your lifestyle, and planning ahead - everything from planning your meals to scheduling time for your training workouts - will make those changes easier. Think ahead about how to circumvent defeat as well, like eating on the road.

Get moving

Exercising not only burns calories and compensates for the slower metabolism that comes with eating less - and makes you healthier. Strength training is key to weight loss. The less muscle you have, the harder it is to lose weight and keep it off. Here is why: muscle is metabolically active tissue; it takes energy, in the form of calories, to sustain it. Fat isn't, and doesn't. So the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest. Two or three 30 minute weight lifting sessions each week will make a big difference in your body composition and, therefore, in the number of calories you burn each day.

Eat healthfully

You can be well nourished while you are losing weight. In fact, eating well makes it easier to lose weight because you will feel better, and you will have more energy to stay active. Ideally, your daily intake of calories will break down like this: 55 to 60 percent from carbohydrates, 15 to 20 percent from protein, and 20 to 30 percent from fat. And make sure you load up on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. They will help provide lifelong protection from a host of health problems, including cancer and heart disease. Keep in mind too, that when you are planning your diet, your making lifelong changes. Don't deprive yourself of foods you like or that your body needs. Just eat less of the more fattening ones.

Weigh your hunger

Before you have that snack, ask yourself if you are really hungry. Or is it something else you need? Food is a notorious substitute for other personal needs. Keep yourself busy is the best form of discipline.

Track your success

Successful "losers," studies show chart their progress. Writing it down, keeping a journal keeps you from fooling yourself about how much you are eating and exercising. And watching those numbers drop on the scale can be a great motivator. What's more, research shows that people who keep a food diary, eve if they are not consciously eating less, lose weight. If you write it down, you can determine if you are eating enough fruits and vegetables, or if you can eat an extra snack.

Bounce back from temporary defeat

One temporary setback or failure does not blow your chances for successful weight loss. Everyone has a bad day, they are part of equation. Just remember that controlling your eating is not an all or nothing proposition. It's calling the shots for yourself every day of your life.

Reprinted with permission from Consumer Health Interactive.