The Perfect Diet Plan

Okay. You've discovered you need to lose a few pounds, you're next mission is to discover how to lose that weight. This is where planning comes in. To be successful in losing weight you need to create a diet plan that is healthy and doable. It needs to be one that you can live with for the rest of your life and that will help you maintain your weight loss. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind for your Perfect Diet Plan.

1.Get out of the "3 Square Meals a Day" Rut.

Let's face it; some of us are just not able to wait till meal time before we eat. Oh sure, we try to be good, and not eat between meals, but then our hunger gets the better of us, and we find ourselves in the kitchen or in front of the vending machine and our good diet intentions are blown to heck.

If you this sounds like you, there is an answer! Instead of eating just 3 big meals a day, break your meals up into smaller meals, eaten 3 to 4 hours apart through the day. Use the US Dept. of Agriculture's food pyramid to help you determine what you should be eating and the correct portion sizes.

Many dieters following this plan find that they are less hungry through the day, less prone to binging on junk food,and are able to stick to their healthy diet plan much better.

2. Set Smaller Weight Loss Goals

If you have a lot of weight to lose, break up your weight loss goals into smaller, easily reached benchmarks. Start off with a goal to lose 10% of your body weight, first. Why 10%? According to studies, when a person has lost 10% of their excess weight, they have already improved their blood pressure, cholesterol levels and overall health. Plus, losing just 10% of your extra weight can put you in a smaller clothing size(always a great boost to your confidence).

3. Let Yourself "Cheat"

Staying on a diet is hard. Some days it seems like you will never just sit down and "enjoy" a meal ever again. It's days like this when we are most prone to the desire to cheat. My suggestion--go ahead and "cheat", but cheat with a plan. Instead of just grabbing a candy bar and gobbling it down, get yourself some truly good,expensive dark chocolate. Take one of the chocolates and eat it, slowly. Savor the flavor and textures as you eat your treat. You'll find that you will be very satisfied with the one piece because you truly enjoyed it and your diet will still be "on track". Remember, if you must cheat, cheat with the truly good stuff.

4. Make Your Calories Truly Count

Your calories should mainly come from the food you eat. They're meant to give your body energy throughout the day, so don't waste your calories on sugary drinks or alcohol. These can cost you a ton in calories but give your body nothing in return. Limit these drinks to one or two a day at the most. Choose water to quench your thirst, instead.

5. Get Moving.

Dieting alone isn't enough to lose weight. You need to add exercise to your daily routine. Daily physical exercise helps you raise your metabolism and tones your muscles. You don't need to join a gym or buy expensive workout equipment, either. You can gain the benefits of exercise by adding a routine of brisk walking to your day.

6. Eat Slowly.

Have you ever really watched a thin person eat? I recommend it, if you can. It's a real eye opener. You will notice that it takes them a long time to finish their meal. They eat slowly. They chew their food thoroughly and thoroughly enjoy their food. The put their forks down from time to time and talk to their friends. They take time to sip from their drink. Most astoundingly--they rarely clean their plates. They find that they are full long before they have finished their food.

You see, it takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that it's full and no more food is required. People who eat too fast will overeat because their stomach never gets the chance to tell the brain to "stop". Eat slowly and you'll find that you will eat less and feel just as satisfied.

7. Identify Your "Kryptonite" Foods.

Superman was the man of steel until faced with the infamous Kryptonite. Under it's power, he became powerless and weak. Guess what? We've all got our own version of that Kryptonite, it's that one certain food that we are powerless to resist and we end up overeating because of it. For me, it's french fries. I cannot have even one french fry, because I know I will inhale the whole batch in no time flat. So, I simply do not eat these at all, and my diet (and my willpower) remains strong. Find out what your "Kryptonite" food is, and resolve to banish it from your life.

There you have it. The Perfect Diet Plan just for you. You'll find that planning your diet and exercise routines will put you firmly on the road to success for your weight loss journey.

To learn more about losing weight, visit:

[losetheweightfast.net]

Mary Clevenger is a Los Angeles based writer who is currently winning her battle with the bulge. While writing weight loss columns, she is working on the next great american novel.