A diet plan that works...

I have noticed recently on my journeys through facebook, twitter, and myspace, that most people have made New Year's resolutions that revolve around losing weight. Of the many people who make such resolutions, few will actually accomplish their goals. For the most part, people set out on un-realistic diet and exercise plans. This is the biggest mistake they can make. As someone who has successfully lost weight in the past and maintained it for 6 years, I would like to share some tips on how to beat the odds.

1. Do not follow the Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Master Cleanse, or any other diet regimens. They simply cannot be realistically maintained over a long period of time. The best way to lose weight is by making smarter choices about the food you already eat. Do not exclude any one food group. It is the recipe for disaster.

2. Eat what you normally eat but be conscious of portion. This is the biggest thing I learned. The portion size on cookies is two or one for the most part. You CAN eat cookies and lose weight. You simply have to keep it in control.

3. Make smarter choices at restaurants. DO NOT AVOID THEM. A lot of people avoid restaurants when they are trying to lose weight. That is impractical. You cannot avoid restaurants for the rest of your life. Just make smarter decisions. Where you used to get fries, get a baked potato. Where you used to have a burger, get a grilled chicken sandwich. A lot of restaurants even have tasty "lighter" meals. Use them to your advantage.

4. If you drink soda, switch to diet. The best option is to limit your intake of any soda period, but you can't move mountains...

5. Aim for 30 mins of ANY exercise per day. A lot of people set un-realistic exercise goals. They try for an hour or more per day. Most people cannot fit this amount of exercise in and therefore do not do any. Walking IS exercise. If nothing else, go for a walk. If you can't make your exercise date, try for even 5 minutes of jumping jacks or stair climbing. (You can even climb the stairs at work for 5 mins.) It keeps you motivated and feeling positive.

6. Invest in exercise DVDs. It is wonderful to join a gym, but the gym is not inside your home and a lot of people say to themselves, "I'm too tired to make the drive, or... the t.v. is right there." A few exercise DVDs in your own home will give you less excuses. You don't have to go anywhere to get in a good workout.

7. Do not weigh yourself constantly. You are not going to lose a tremendous amount of weight over a week unless you are exercising the wrong way. Weighing yourself daily or even weekly will be discouraging.

8. Do not stop the whole plan just because you've had a set back. There will be times when you eat one two many slices of pizza. Don't use it as an excuse not to exercise or not to eat healthy later.


Those are my top suggestions for how to lose weight successfully. It is a complete lifestyle change. You have to permanently change the way in which you eat in order to maintain weight loss. I am proof that it works!