Chosing The Wrong Diet Plans, and Failing Time After Time? Here Are 6 Tips to Choosign the Right Weight Loss Plan For You!

You know you need to lose weight, and you’ve tried. But for some reason, your weight loss aspirations keep coming up short, landing you back at square one, if not even heavier than you were starting out. We all know that being at a healthy weight is healthy, and leads to a long quality life, but heck, we all want to look good too! The problem is, you haven’t chosen the right weight loss plan that works for you.

There are so many different weight loss plans and programs available today it’ll make your head spin. Many of which promise weight loss that not only is improbable, but unhealthy! So it’s certainly understandable to get frustrated and confused. But it’s simple really; you start by writing down your goals, both your short term and long term goals. Then, you research and find the right program that fits your goals, and works with your own unique lifestyle.

Follow these step-by-step tips, and you will find the right weight loss plan that will have you buying new clothes in no time!

1. Don’t reach for the moon when you haven’t climbed the molehill. You’re goals need to be attainable and realistic! If you are a 40ish year old woman and currently weight 185, it probably isn’t very realistic to set your goal to be 120, especially since you haven’t been 120 since high school. A good rule to measure in weight loss is about 2 pounds a week.

A good indicator of your weight profile is the body mass index or BMI. Your BMI is yoru relative body fat calculated from your height and weight. According to the national Institutes of Health, the ideal range is between 19 and 24.9. BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and any number above 30 is considered obese. So instead of focusing on pounds, try setting your goals based off a reasonable and realistic BMI.

It’s not hard to determine your BMI, but unless you’re a math genius, you’ll need to pull out your trusty calculator. Refer to the formula attached. I’ll walk you through and example: If you are 66 inches tall, and weigh 165 pounds, you multiply your height by itself (66 X 66) which will equal 4356. Then divide into your weight (165 / 4356) which is .0379, then multiply that by 703 (.0379 X 703) which gives you a BMI of 26.6. If you are using the metric system, use the appropriate formula to determine your BMI. Easy huh?

2. Write down why you want to lose weight! I know this sounds like a common sense thing, but it really does help motivate you and keep you on track. Also, I’d stay away from vanity reasons; psychologically that wears off quick — but reasons for longevity and good health tend to stick.

You’ll definitely be heading in the right direction of you chose a weight loss plan that incorporates both clean eating and exercise. You will feel better, have much more energy, and begin leading a more active and engaged lifestyle.

3. Forget about losing ” focus on doing! Don’t set your goal for the week as losing two pounds, rather, set your goal as how much exercise you are going to do this week. This is much more motivational and gets your mind set right to achieving that weeks goal. Remember your weight in a weeks span is largely out of your control, but your actions are completely in your control.

4. Start out one-day-at-a-time. Only worry about today, today, and you can worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Your short term weight loss plans shouldn’t be for all the glory. When you are coming off a sedentary lifestyle, your best exercise plan for the week should be based on finding three different one-mile routes that you can walk the following week.

5. Believe in yourself. Remember, healthy and sustainable weight loss is not a sprint, its a marathon. An all or nothing attitude sets you up for failure. Evaluate your efforts fairly and objectively, but if you fall short on some of your goals, just look to next week to hit them, but stay on your plan, and take stock in what you have accomplished! You dont need to have a perfect record ” the idea is consistency, not crossing the finish line first.

6. If you can’t count it, it ain’t a goal. In other words, don’t set a goal of “I’m going to be more positive this week”. You can’t measure that, or determine how close you came to achieving it. Set your goals to be something you can count, or measure. Like, how many minutes of exercise you’ll do today, or how many racquetball games you’ll get in!

Nobody can lose your weight, and there is no magic weight loss pill. But the good news is, you can lose weight! Set your goals, make them realistic, and stick to them! Find a weight loss plan that matches your goals, and make sure it is all encompassing (nutrition as well as fitness and exercise). You do that, and you will be well on your way to permanent and life-changing weight loss!