Healthy Weight Loss

Choosing a healthy weight loss plan means forsaking the gimmicks and the fads, the "lose twenty pounds in a week" diets, and figuring it out for yourself. It's not easy, but the good news is that if you stick with it, a healthy weight loss plan will serve you for years to come.

There are three key parts to developing a healthy weight loss plan.

The Mental Side

Get help with this if you need it. Either a trained professional (a doctor, dietician, personal trainer) or a supportive friend.

Set attainable goals for your weight loss, for example focus on the healthy one or two pounds rule of weight loss per week. This is a good and attainable goal.

Reward yourself when you do achieve your goals. Just make sure it's a trip to the theatre, a new top, new shoes and nothing food related.

Surround yourself with positive people. They can help you see the positive side. If you hang around with losers, you'll never keep your weight loss up!

The Food

Getting the food right is of course crucial. But if you break it down it is actually quite simple. Follow theses rules to get your eating on track

Eat natural foods

If you consistently choose natural, unprocessed ingredients - fresh, unprocessed fruit and vegetables, quality protein (chicken, fish, beans, nuts) and whole grains - you won't go far wrong.

Moderate serving sizes

Keep your potions to a reasonable size. If you walk away from the table thinking you could maybe have eaten a little more, you've probably got it right.

Treat yourself - sparingly and occasionally!

Whatever it is that you really love - be it chocolate, ice cream or wine - can still be eaten, but in small portions, and just a couple of times per week.

The Exercise

Make exercise a part of your everyday life and schedule it in so that it doesn't get bumped when you're busy.

Do active things that you enjoy like playing tennis, go for a long walk or take up swimming or football.

Look for lots of simple ways to become more active every day. For instance take the stairs instead of the lift, walk to the bus stop in the morning or keep going to work if you can, walk the children home from school.