It would stand to reason that if diets worked and eighty percent of the overweight people in the USA are on a diet at any given time then percentage would begin to fall. However it does not! There are still fifty percent of Americans overweight and this percentage is rising every year.



Unfortunately the statistics also show us that the majority of people who actually do lose weight after following a diet regain all the weight in a very short time. These people do not get the basics correct before they start their weight loss plan. Therefore, if you plan to begin a weight lose diet you must ensure that you get the basics correct so you do not become just another statistic!

In this New Age of Information Technology there are all kinds of diets, pills. Potions and plans at your fingertips which you can easily access with the click of a mouse button. Due to the vast array of choices, combined with so many different opinions, it can become overwhelming and seem impossible to decide which one is the best for you. It is essential therefore that before you begin investigating methods for losing weight you take some initial steps. Here are a several valuable tips to begin with.

Start by consulting a professional who specializes in weight loss. This does not mean someone who runs weight-watchers or your next door neighbour who lost 20 lbs in 2 weeks! Begin your search for such a person by contacting your own doctor. Although your own doctor will probably not specialize in weight loss or nutition he or she is a highly trained professional who has a thorough working knowledge of the human body. In additional he/she will very likely be able to recommend a more specialised practitioner and give you contact information.

Next - watch your fat intake and the fat content of the foods you are buying. Many times people launch into a diet and watch every tiny calorie they consume but fail to read the fat content on the label of their food products. Calories do count but fat is a much more important consideration. Fat is a huge factor in weight gain and by eliminating as much of it from your diet you can lose weight without it overly adversely affecting the amount of food you eat. By reducing your fat intake you will see a dramatic effect on your overall weight-loss and on your health!

Try to keep a food diary outlining what you eat and how you feel about the food you eat. Health and nutritional professionals strongly advise this as a first and powerful step in your weight management. Keeping a diary of your food intake, your feelings around food and your exercise routines is a powerful way to analyse your eating habits. Being disciplined enough to keep a diary will allow you to see if there are any emotional reasons, like stress, loneliness or boredom for example, that are contributing to your eating patterns.

Research a few weight loss plans and pick one that you think you could stick with or perhaps even enjoy. Look into the history of the weight loss plan. Read other people's comments about it to find out which one has the highest permanent positive gains. Look at what food is allowed on the diet and which foods are not. Does it incorporate some kind of fitness program? What amount of exercise is required? Will you have enough time and motivation to cook all those strange dishes?

There is absolutely no point launching in starting a diet or weight loss plan if you know you are going find it extremely difficult and get discourage at the very begining. Use your food diary to plan ahead. Once you have chosen your desired plan show it to your doctor or health care professional and make sure they approve of it! Many diets and weight loss plans can be very dangerous and health threatening. Make sure your plan is followed to the letter as you may be doing damage that you are unaware of if you do not. For example, a very low calorie diet that is within the recommended calorie-intake level, can cause long-lasting harmful effects to your body if you start skipping meals!

Once you begin make sure you write all your positive gains into your food diary. Do not berate yourself if you fall short on your goals. Be sure to give yourself the appropriate positive approval when you do succeed. Praise yourself for reaching each goal, even if you didn't lose the weight you wanted congratulate yourself when you follow your plan ? you are proving to yourself that you have the will-power to do it!

Don't allow yourself to become too discouraged if you miss a target. You are still going in the right direction by staying focused and disciplined. Spoil yourself a little when you succeed. Buy yourself some new clothes for your new body and enjoy the fact that you have done your best. This is positive reinforcement and will help you to maintain your dietary plan and your weight in the long term.