It's all in the mind - Part 2

So, in my previous blog post I described the tools I used to stay the course and achieve my weight loss goal. However, once I got to my goal and became sexier (as if that was possible...), I found it difficult to continue with the diet plan. First, it was my cousin's wedding where I hogged on Indian food and sweets (but that was the plan all along), and even after returning, I have not been able to get back to the old routine. So what's the plan now? I have just started implementing these, so don't know if all of them will work long-term, but let's see.

Staying the course - long-term
A focused effort to achieve a certain goal has certainly worked for me, and that's great, but I guess we've all been there and then slowly gotten back to square one. So what to do once you've achieved your goal to not lose it all?

• Lifestyle change - I think one of the keys is to change the focus from a short-term goal to a long-term lifestyle change (e.g. going from "I want to lose xx inches/kgs" to "I want to stay healthy, be able to run around, climb stairs without huffing and puffing, etc."). I'm not sure how specific the long-term goals should be to be sustainable, but maybe having a certain weight/waist target (as an example) can act as a timely deterrent.
• Moderation - Linked to the above is also the concept of moderation. The diet I was doing, as I said earlier, was pretty extreme for someone used to eating Indian food, so it might not be a long-term plan for me. And I've also realised that I can't stay away from sweets long-term. So what do I do? How about instead of cutting out rice/roti altogether, I limit the amount I have and focus on eating more dal and vegetables? How about having Indian food only say 3-4 times a week instead of almost every meal? How about starting exercising again and rewarding myself with a piece of sweet every time I exercise?
• Substitution - One of the main times when my resolve breaks down is when I'm hungry already and don't have anything available to eat beside me. The key here for me is to have available healthy (but still tasty) alternatives at hand so I don't go and buy junk. I now keep a box of nuts and seeds in my bag, and also cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes at home, which are great for snacking (foods that need extra munching are better so you don't gulp them down).  I had earlier substituted chocolates after dinner with fruits, with great results.
• Enjoy it - While I was on my diet, I tried new foods, new recipes, and some of them were great. However, I haven't tried most of them again since getting off my diet. Is this because my mind has classified them as 'diet-food'? I'm going to try out those recipes again since they're healthy and tasty at the same time. Why not?

What other tips do you have to stay the course?