Weight Loss Plan

You will need a long-term goal. Since long-term goals are harder to stick to, make short-term goals to help you along the way. You have a better chance of reaching your goals if you make sure that the weight loss plan that you use is reasonable right from the start.

The following are steps used by the experts to form weight loss plans and set personal goals.

Step 1 - Be realistic. Most people's long-term weight loss plans are more extreme than they have to be.

For example, if you are 45 years old and weigh 170 pounds and your long-term plan is to weigh 120, this may not be a realistic weight loss goal. Especially if you haven't weighed 120 since you were 16.

One way to find your reasonable weight is to go by your body mass index or BMI. This can be a good indicator of whether you need to shed pounds or not. According to the National Institutes of Health, the ideal BMI range is between 19 and 24.9. You are considered overweight if your BMI is between 25 and 29.9. Any numbers over 30 are in the obesity range.

Using the BMI to measure how much weight you need to lose will help you set goals that apply to you and your body type.

Step 2 - Make objectives that will keep you motivated. Find your reason to lose weight.

For some, using a weight loss plan just to look better is psychologically less effective than losing weight to improve your health. For example, avoiding stroke or heart attack can be a great motivator.

Other people may find that looking better means to feel better and more self confident. It may be that excess weight is keeping you from applying for that great job or stopping you from socializing.

In either case, you have made a big step forward if you are using a weight loss plan that includes exercise and eating right in order to feel better and have more energy to do something positive in your life. Now write out and post your objectives where you can see them each day. This can help you stay on track.

Step 3 - Use measurable measures. Saying that you are going to get more serious this week or be more positive this week is not a goal that you can measure. This will not benefit any weight loss plan.

Using exercise in your weight loss plan will help you make a solid, measurable goal and stick to it. You can count up the minutes of exercise and keep track.

Step 4 - Focus on doing, not losing. Instead of saying that you are going to lose a pound this week, say how much you are going to exercise this week. This is something that is in your control so you can follow it.

Step 5 - Take smaller steps. Short-term weight loss plans should not be too extreme. For example, if you have never exercised at all, your best weight loss plan for this week should be to schedule three exercise days. Try finding three different one-mile routes that you can walk next week. If you have an exercise bike or treadmill, plan the time you will work out, for how long, and what music you will listen to while you are doing it.

And, again, be reasonable. If you don't exercise because the next hour of heavy breathing and movement is too much to bear, then set a goal of 10 minutes. Pretty soon 10 minutes will easily flow into 20 and so on. Work up to at least 30 minutes three times a week. This is an excellent start.

Step 6 - Use self-encouragement to motivate yourself. We have been told for many years to lose weight we must have an all-or-nothing attitude. Unfortunately, this only sets you up to fail. Learn to evaluate your efforts fairly and objectively. If you don't reach some of your goals, don't worry, instead look ahead to the next week. You did not "blow it." Just get back on track and move forward from there. And remember it's what you do most of the time, not some of the time.

By Cindy Papp

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