One of the most important steps on any journey to success is generally overlooked. That step is the very first one, which is planning! Whether it's in business, sports, writing, traveling or trying to lose weight, people often skip the planning and just start working. This has proven to be disastrous time and time again. It may seem tedious and even obsessive, but if you really want to succeed in losing weight and improve your health and overall appearance, the first step is to plan. Usually we don't realize this until we have failed many times and eventually need to hire a consultant. And then you find out, the first thing any consultant will do is make a good plan.

So how do we go about making a plan to lose weight?

Although it's not a specifically about losing weight or health, one book that has helped people in planning and succeeding in business and in life in general is the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , written by Stephen R. Covey. In the book, he insists on having you write a personal mission statement on how you want live and the type of person you want to be - with the end in mind. So in planning to lose weight, you may want to sit by yourself one evening and consider some of the fundamental reasons why your are starting this journey and where it's going to lead. This will give you the foundation to start planning according to how you really feel about your health, physical appearance and the lifestyle you want to lead. As well, provide you with a vision of your end goals, and living the life you want.

Once you have done some inner searching, you can start brainstorming about the types of exercises and healthy foods that appeal to you. At this stage you may want to do some research to see what your community offers in the way of gyms, group activities, running trails or whatever matches your list. As well, you will want to talk to your local health stores to start creating a list of foods and supplements that will provide you with optimum health. You will need to eat the foods and take the supplements that are appropriate to you, in which case you should consult with your doctor or physician.

This may seem like a lot of unnecessary work, however, you may also wonder how people ever go without this process when changing their lifestyle.