How to Create Your Own Diet Plans

Creating a diet plan sounds daunting, but with new websites that were created to help you find the diet plan that's right for you, it's really simple. If logging onto a website seems a little too high-tech for you, there are other options such as keeping track of your food intake in a log or journal. Your doctor is also a great source for helping you come up with a diet plan. Whatever you decide, here are some things you will need.

Things You'll Need

• Option 1:
• Computer with Internet Connection
• Login ID on The Daily Plate
• Scale
• Walking shoes
• Option 2:
• Journal
• Pen
• Option 3:
• Doctor
• Notebook

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Instructions

• 1

  Option 1: Go to The Daily Plate's website and sign up for a free membership.

  Option 2: Buy a nice journal--perhaps with a motivational or inspirational design (pictures, quotes, etc.).

  Option 3: Call your doctor and make an appointment for a physical.

• 2

  Option 1: Create a user profile that includes your weight, sex and age. You will also be asked how many pounds you want to lose (or gain, if you're one of the lucky ones) a week. The Daily Plate will then calculate how many calories you need to eat to achieve that goal.

  Option 2: Write the date you are starting, your weight, and some goals in your new journal. Perhaps it's getting down to a certain size for your daughter's wedding, or dropping 10 pounds for a class reunion.

  Option 3: Tell your doctor about your diet goals and ask her what she thinks would be a good starting plan. Perhaps your blood pressure is too high. She might have diet suggestions for that. Be specific and ask for advice.

• 3

  Option 1: Track your food intake on The Daily Plate's website. Many foods are already in their system, so you just need to keep track of your servings of that food. The website will tell you calorie, fat, protein and carbohydrate information.

  Option 2: Write down every morsel you put in your mouth. Every morsel. You may begin to see patterns. What you think is one M&M might really be 18.

  Option 3: Take notes at your physical with your doctor.

• 4

  Option 1: Track your exercise by entering what activity you did and for how long. The Daily Plate will constantly recalculate your food intake and exercise to let you know if you're on track.

  Option 2: Walk for 30 minutes a day. Put it in your journal.*

  Option 3: Be active. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Join a fun dance class. Your doctor will probably tell you that being active is half the battle.

  *Walking is the most natural form of exercise with an abundance of health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, walking not only aids in weight loss, but it also improves your mood, reduces your risk of or manages Type 2 diabetes, lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesterol (HDL). Added benefit? You don't need to practice to become great at it.

• 5

  Option 1: Track your food and exercise every day and study your eating habits and the foods you eat a lot. You may discover that you are eating way too many carbs or drinking too much soda--as well as other things that can affect your weight loss/gain goals.

  Option 2: Be diligent with your food log/journal. Write down how you were feeling when you ate the 18 M&Ms. Simply writing a word such as "sad," "tired" or "anxious" may unlock some reasons for overeating or eating when you're not hungry.

  Option 3: Follow up with your doctor after a month or two of implementing her suggestions. Let her track your health progress.