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Diet Plans That Work - Simple Rules To Lose Weight Now

By: Samantha C. Willett We all know that excess weight puts you at risk for many health problems, so you may need to set some weight loss goals to avoid those long and short term health problems.
What should be your long-term goals be? And what short-term goals should you set to ensure you get there? You have a great chance of reaching your goals if you make sure that the diet plan that you use are sensible and reasonable right from the beginning.
The following are expert given guidelines for picking a diet plan that works.
1. Be realistic. Most people's long-term weight loss plans are more ambitious than they have to be. For example, if you weigh 170 pounds and your long-term plan is to weigh 120, even if you have not weighed 120 since you were 16 and now you are 45, that is not a realistic weight loss goal.
2. Your body mass index (BMI) is an indicator. The ideal BMI range, according to the national Institutes of Health, is between 19 and 24.9. A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 means you are considered overweight. Any BMI above 30 and you are considered obese. Use your BMI to select a sensible weight loss plan that will correspond to the required BMI. And remember, BMI is also a function of your height.
3. Set you objectives appropriately. Using a diet plan for the sake of just vanity is psychologically less helpful than losing weight to improve health. You have made a big step forward if you decide to combine a diet plan with an exercise plan. Eating right so that you will feel better and have more energy is something positive in your life.
4. Focus on doing, not just losing. Instead of saying that you will lose 10 pounds this week, plan the correct meals and how much you are going to exercise. This would definitely be part of a sensible weight loss plan. Remember that your weight within a span of a week is not completely in your control, but your behavior always is.
5. Build a bit at a time. Short-term weight loss should not be "pie-in-the-sky." This means you should build healthy eating habits and an exercise program in a step-by-step, methodical way. You can't plan on expending 2000 clories a day on exercise if you have never exercised before.
6. Self-encouragement is key. An all-or-nothing approach usually sets you up to fail. You must evaluate your progress fairly and objectively. If you fall short of some goals, just look ahead to next days and weeks. You do not need to have a perfect record but you do need to keep focused on your goals. Tell yourself each day that you will achieve some small goal, then achieve it and you will stay motivated.
7. Measurable Success. Just saying that you are going to be more positive this week is not a goal that you can measure and should not be a part of your weight loss plan. Make the bathroom scales, as painful as this may be at the start, part of your weekly plan. Additionaly, make sure you time how long you exercise - you should be increasing your levels on a weekly basis.
A strong diet plan and achievable exercise plan that easily fits into your lifestyle is what will make you succeed. Slow and sure progress week after week is the best recipe for long term success and will keep you motivated.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

About the Author: After a 6 month battle finding the right diet program, Samantha C. Willett finally found weight loss success. She now educates others and reports on diet plans that work and those that just lose everyone's time and money.

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