Step 1: Set Realistic Goals

      You should be realistic and avoid setting timelines or targets that will be impossible for you to meet and remember to stay away from extremes. You will want to measure your goals in the amount of weight that you need to lose to get yourself into the healthy weight range. One thing you will want to remember is that as you progress there will be points where you will begin to see a reduction in inches and the actual amount of pounds that you lose will subside – this is normal.

      Also, you will want to change your mindset – don’t consider yourself to be on a diet. Instead, think of yourself as making a lifestyle change. When we think of dieting we think of something short term and remember we do not want to be in this for the short term, we want to avoid jumping from diet to diet and chasing after quick fixes – your goal should be to become physically fit and maintain a healthy weight throughout the rest of your life.

Step 2: Stay Focused – Track Your Progress

      In order to accomplish your goals it is important that you stay focused. To maintain focus you may want to track your progress. To do this you will need to record your starting weight and measurements on a simple chart. You will want to measure your chest, waist, hips, and thighs. Tracking both your weight and measurements will keep you from getting discouraged during the times that you are losing inches and not pounds. Losing inches will happen as your body begins to shift from having excess fat to having lean body mass and toned muscles.

      You should aim to chart your progress on a weekly basis and you should expect to see slow but steady progress, keep in mind that things are not going to happen overnight. Do not become discouraged and keep yourself focused on your end goal. Once you reach your goal continue on with the habits you have developed and it will be easy to maintain a healthy weight and physically fit body.

Step 3: Eating Habits

      Since poor eating habits are cited as the leading cause of teen age obesity this is the first lifestyle change you will want to work on. You should strive to eat three balanced meals per day and snack on healthy foods instead of grabbing a candy bar, Twinkie, or chips. Your daily diet should be low in fat and high in fiber and you should be sure to consume foods from each of the food groups:

1. Dairy – milk, yogurt and cheese (2-3 servings per day)
2.Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs and Nuts (2-3 servings per day and watch the amount of red meat you consume. According to the UDSA on 6oz serving of meat per day is ideal).
3. Vegetables and Fruits (3-5 servings per day)
4. Bread, Pasta, Rice, Cereal – strive full whole grains (6-11 servings per day)

      Also, you should use fats and oils sparingly (such as mayonnaise and dressings) it is recommended that you consume no more than two tablespoons per day. You should watch the calories you are consuming, but don’t become obsessive. Remember the average person requires 2000 calories per day to keep everything functioning properly. Stay away from the “empty calories” that we discussed earlier – remember empty calories are those that do not contain nutritional value such as sodas, fast foods, and unhealthy snacks.

      Eating three well-balanced meals throughout the day will be important to your success. Starting your day off with a good healthy breakfast will help to get your metabolism going in the morning. Think of breakfast as fuel for the fire that will help you burn fat throughout the day, lunch keeps it burning and diner tops it off.

      Another thing you will want to incorporate to your new eating habits is to not eat too close to bedtime, try to get out of the habit of eating late diners; this will give your body time to burn up some of the calories you consume. Drink plenty of water, remember the benefits we discussed earlier you will receive from doing so – drinking water helps to reduce cravings, boost your metabolism and to eliminate waste and toxins.

      Changing your eating habits will not only help you with your weight loss goals, it will help you feel better. You should notice an increase in energy levels, that you are less prone to sickness, and find yourself in a better state of mind. Remember, your body is like a machine that needs to be properly fueled and cared for it to perform at its best!

      In order to successful change your eating habits; you may want to consider planning your meals out each and every day. While we don’t want you to become an excessive, it is wise to know how many calories are the meals you are eating. Pay attention to the labels and be aware of the serving sizes listed on them as well as the nutritional values. After a while, eating right will become second nature to you and you will not have to put so much effort, but in the beginning create a meal plan will make things easier for you. Remember: breakfast, lunch and dinner along with a sensible snack and to include each food group in your daily diet.

Step 4: Nutritional Supplements

      While the best place for us to get our vitamins and nutrients is from the food we consume, it has been shown that even when eating a well balanced diet people are still lacking the nutrients they need in order to keep their bodies running at peak performance. In fact, it has been recommended by health professionals that individuals should consider taking a good multivitamin in order to make up for any deficiencies.

      When considering a multivitamin you should look for one that has a good delivery system to ensure that your body properly absorbs the nutrients so that you receive the maximum health benefits. Many vitamins on the market do not offer you good absorption and most of the nutrients are expelled as waste. So keep this in mind when you are selecting any type of supplement.

      If you feel that you need a weight loss aide, remember to stay away from those magic weight loss pills and seek out natural products that will not produce any unwanted side effects. Some examples are a good fiber supplement and nutritional bars and shakes. I cannot stress how important it is that you get plenty of fiber in your diet and if you find a good fiber supplement it will help you to eliminate pounds by aiding and cleaning out your digestive system. Taking the right nutritional supplements will give you more energy, accelerate your weight loss naturally, and improve your health and wellbeing overall.

Step 5: Exercise

      The next lifestyle change you will want to make is to incorporate daily exercise into your routine. Exercise has many health benefits above and beyond the benefit of weight loss. Getting proper exercise reduces heart disease, helps to keep your cholesterol levels healthy, helps to remove toxins from your body, gives you stronger bones, and is good for your mental health as exercise has been shown to reduce depression. Incorporating exercise into your life will also give you higher stamina, increase your energy and metabolism throughout the day, and you will enjoy greater mobility as you age then your counterparts that have not exercised regularly throughout their lives. Exercising regularly along with eating right will give you the desired results of obtaining a healthy and fit body for life.

      There are two categories of exercises: aerobic and anaerobic. These terms refer to the way that your body produces energy while exercising. Aerobic exercise produces energy (burns calories and fat) with the use of oxygen. Some examples of aerobic exercise are dancing, running and swimming. Anaerobic exercise on the other hand use glucose to produce energy, activities including weight lifting and sprinting fall into this category. Our bodies crave both types of exercise and utilizing a combination of both in your exercise program will ensure that you burn fat, build strength, and tone your muscles. To avoid pain and injury it is important that you properly stretch your body and keep your body properly nourished and hydrated.

      Perhaps the most difficult part of exercising is getting motivated to start; after all it seems a lot like work. This is one of the mindsets you will have to overcome so that you can just get started, once you do that you will find that it is not so bad and you will even find that you enjoy exercise. You will feel better and begin to see results over time. Use your goals as your motivation and keep in mind the other health benefits you will receive through exercise. Make up your mind that you are going to do it and then make a commitment to yourself – get started and stick to your program!

      The best thing that you can do is start off small and work your way up. I would never recommend that someone who has not exercised regular in the past to go out and start doing sixty minute workout videos and lifting tons of weights. You will want to build up your strength and endurance and add to your exercise program over time. For example, you may want to start out walking for twenty-minutes per day for three days a week and doing low-impact exercise routine on the other days. As your body strengthens and your endurance increases you will be able to do more, such as walking further, adding weights, or doing more advanced aerobic workout routines.

      You may want to keep track of your progress of your endurance on your weight loss chart or in a journal so that you have something to build upon and for you to look back at overtime to see how far you have come. Use your tracking system as motivation and a tool to keep you focused. Take pride in yourself and your new lifestyle.

      To keep things interesting, I also recommend that you find different exercise techniques to use throughout your week so that you do not get bored with your routine. Also, this will help you to work different areas of your body. Pick things you enjoy, meaning if you like to dance pick up a few dance aerobic routines and have some fun while you are at it. Perhaps you enjoy sports, participating in sports is also a great way to get your exercise while having fun. The more you enjoy what you are doing the easier it will be for you to stick. There are plenty of weight loss workouts available on DVD and VHS for you to choose from and with some research you will be able to find them at a very low cost as there are many discount workout videos available online.

      Like changing your eating habits, exercising regularly will help you to lose weight naturally and effectively while improving your overall physical wellbeing. Getting proper exercise is a step that you cannot leave out if you truly want to live a healthy lifestyle and are in this for the long term.