A good weight loss programme can be put in place simply by keeping a food diary. You’ll need to keep to your normal habits for seven days prior to starting to slim. Jot down all the food and drink you get through, and don’t miss anything out. Then you’ll have a good idea of what needs modifying and by how much.
Clearly if you’re eating too much fried or processed food, or drinking several glasses of wine or beer, you could start by cutting down on those. But if that’s not the case, and what you’re eating looks OK, then just reduce the amount. Either way, use your food diary as the basis for the changes you wish to make.
Produce a programme that you will follow for the next week. This should include food, drink and exercise. Under the food heading, write a list of ‘banned’ foods, and ‘weekend only’ food. On another page, write down the foods that you can eat.
If you enjoy alcohol, decide on a small quantity that you will allow yourself at the weekend, and write it down. Sugary fizzy sodas are banned! And on to exercise – make a note of the daily activities you plan to fit into your week.
Early in the morning on the first day of your diet, take an accurate reading of your weight. Assess your progress each week, and adjust where necessary. Make a note of your weight in your diary once a week.
You have absolute control when you record everything you do. Useful observations jotted in the diary will help to make the following weeks more enjoyable. Mark down which days you completed your proposed exercises. Monitoring your weight and health is so much more manageable with a personal record.
It won’t happen overnight though. At first, it seems to be all effort and no reward! Try to exercise patience, and do persevere. Staying motivated can be difficult, so it’s important to focus on the rewards and not the effort.
If you do get demoralised with your results, analyse what’s been happening. Could your diet do with a bit of modification? Additional physical activity can help you catch up. Are there any fitness classes you could attend in the evening?
Acknowledge your accomplishments. Quantifying the results you achieve makes dieting a great deal easier to maintain long-term. A lovely new suit should probably wait until your full weight loss is realised. But an evening at a show would be spot-on to toast a ten pound loss!
(C) Scott Edwards. Visit WeightLossDietWar.com for in-depth ideas on fast diet and weightloss diet.