We live in a world where a cup of coffee, although an elegant one, can make you lose 450 calories.

It’s also a world in which burritos the size of a soccer ball that contains 1,000 calories are the norm, and even homemade meals can get out of control. Is it even possible to lose weight in this modern society?

Once you’ve lost weight, keeping it off actually becomes easier over time, according to a new study that details the six secrets of successful long-term weight loss.

Approximately one in five overweight people who try to lose weight succeed in losing at least 10% of their body weight and maintaining weight loss for at least a year.

By studying these so-called “successful losers,” the researchers claim to have identified six common-sense weight loss strategies that are critical to the success of long-term weight loss.

Below are the secrets that the experts have hidden and that can save you money.

Stay active and stay active

Men and women who have maintained informed weight report a high level of physical activity. The most popular form of exercise is walking, followed by cycling, weightlifting and aerobic exercises.

Women reported having consumed an average of 2,545 calories per week in physical activity. The men reported an average of 3,293 calories per week.

This equates to approximately one hour per day of moderate intensity activity, such as brisk walking.

Crunching through time? Higher intensity activities can burn calories faster.

Maintain a consistent feeding pattern

Most members of the registry say they eat in the same way on weekdays and weekends.

Approximately four out of 10 are stricter with respect to diet during the week than on weekends and about half are stricter during non-holiday days than during holidays.

The researchers found that people who were consistent with their diet were more likely to maintain weight.

Cut out portions of calorie-dense foods.

Very quickly, every day when you enjoy large portions of water-rich, high-fiber foods so they are satisfied and have less room for calorie-dense foods.

When you change your morning bowl of cornflakes for a bowl of oatmeal and hot fruit, you would ingest about 250 fewer calories each day. That simple change in your daily diet could help you lose about 25 pounds in a year.

Forget about fast food; dine unrefined

Fast food restaurants are partly lots of food and partly pickles. Two large orders of chips and two regular sodas provide enough calories to sustain a 135-pound person for an entire day without eating anything else.

Of course, no one exists in just two orders of chips and two sodas on a typical day, and that’s why 135-pound Americans are an endangered species.

Fat is an essential part of a diet plan to lose weight

The trick is to eat the right kind of fat. Of course, saturated fats in highly processed meats and trans fats in desserts are bad for health and the waist. But good fats, like monounsaturated fatty acids, can actually help you lose weight.

Eating foods such as olive oil, nuts, avocados and fatty fish, including salmon, is an easy way to add these fats to your diet. These fats can help increase the number of calories your body burns and help you feel full longer.

A handful of nuts or a little peanut butter on whole wheat crackers is an excellent snack.

Hit the Scales

Successful losers report that they weigh themselves regularly (44% weigh themselves daily and 31% reach the scales once a week).

The researchers write that frequent weight control allows you to detect small weight increases and, hopefully, take steps to correct them.

Think of your new and healthy habits as permanent, not temporary.

The second key habit is to always keep a record of your portion sizes. Those who were more successful in maintaining a healthy weight made healthy habits a permanent part of their lifestyle and did not restrict them to the “diet” periods of their lives.

Go back to the old unhealthy habits: eating the bigger portions, skipping the exercise and choosing unhealthy foods will be the fastest way to get back to your previous weight.