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Sure, you can lose weight quickly. There are plenty of fad diets that work to shed pounds rapidly while leaving you feeling hungry and deprived. But what good is losing weight only to regain it?

Follow one or more of these simple, painless strategies to help lose weight without going on a “diet”:

Eat Breakfast Every Day. One habit that’s common to many people who have lost weight and kept it off is eating breakfast every day. “Many people think skipping breakfast is a great way to cut calories, but they usually end up eating more throughout the day. Try a bowl of whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and low-fat dairy for a quick and nutritious start to your day.

Close the Kitchen at Night. Establish a time when you will stop eating so you won’t give in to the late-night munchies or mindless snacking while watching television.

Choose Liquid Calories Wisely. Sweetened drinks pile on the calories, but don’t reduce hunger like solid foods do. Satisfy your thirst with water, sparkling water with citrus, skim or low-fat milk, or small portions of fruit juice. Try a glass of nutritious and low-calorie vegetable juice to hold you over if you get hungry between meals. Be careful of alcohol calories, which add up quickly. If you tend to drink a glass or two of wine or a cocktail on most days, limiting alcohol to the weekends can be a huge calorie saver.

Go for the Grain. By substituting whole grains for refined grains like white bread, cakes, cookies, and pretzels, you add much-needed fiber and will fill up faster so you’re more likely to eat a reasonable portion. Choose whole-wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, bran flakes, popcorn, and whole-rye crackers.

Control Your Environments. Another simple strategy to help cut calories is to control your environment; everything from stocking your kitchen with lots of healthy options to choosing the right restaurants. That means avoiding the temptation by staying away from all-you-can-eat restaurants. Before going back for more food, wait at least 15 minutes and have a big glass of water.

Add More Steps. Get yourself a pedometer and gradually add more steps until you reach 10,000 per day. Throughout the day, do whatever you can to be more active — pace while you talk on the phone, take the dog out for an extra walk, and march in place during television commercials. Having a pedometer serves as a constant motivator and reminder.

Have Protein at Every Meal and Snack. Adding a source of lean or low-fat protein to each meal and snack will help keep you feeling full longer so you’re less likely to overeat. Try low-fat yogurt, small portion of nuts, peanut butter, eggs, beans, or lean meats.

Switch to Lighter Alternatives. Whenever you can, use the low-fat versions of salad dressings, mayonnaise, dairy products, and other products. You can trim calories effortlessly if you use low-fat and lighter products, and if the product is mixed in with other ingredients, no one will ever notice. More smart substitutions: Use salsa or hummus as a dip; spread sandwiches with mustard instead of mayo; eat plain roasted sweet potatoes instead of loaded white potatoes; use skim milk instead of cream in your coffee; hold the cheese on sandwiches; and use a little vinaigrette on your salad instead of piling on the creamy dressing.

Losing weight has always been easy for some people. Although some struggle every day with trying everything we can to shed a few or several pounds. Some people lose weight faster and quicker than others, but if you keep at it, you will lose those extra pounds you put on.