How to Create a Successful Personal Weight-loss Plan

Many overweight Americans think that they have tried everything possible to lose weight and have had little to no success in their efforts. Their dieting plans have ranged from eating very little on a daily basis to eating more than ever in small quantities. A successful personal weight-loss plan will make losing weight possible by reasonable weight-loss steps that lead to a healthy lifestyle and long-term success at maintaining a healthy body size.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Notebook

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Instructions

Assess Your Lifestyle

• 1

  Create a food journal. Write down everything you ate over the past three days. This list should include everything from handfuls of potato chips to sugary drinks like soda and fruit juices.

• 2

  Write down any physical activities you completed. The physical activities have to be based on exercise movements lasting for a minimum duration of 30 minutes. An example would be walking a family pet or playing a sport in the back yard.

• 3

  Record your current weight. Weight gain does not happen overnight; it is an accumulation of stored calories that are turned into fat throughout a span of time. Realize that, based on what you've been eating and how physically active you are, your current weight will either increase or decrease.

Simplify Weight Loss

• 4

  Eat according to where you want to be physically, not according to where you are.

  Create a three-day meal plan. Weight Watchers magazine published an article by Peter Walsh, an experienced educator and motivational speaker who has been featured on The Oprah Show and TLC, in which he explains that mindful eating is a weight-loss technique that will help you lose weight and keep it off. Referring to your recorded eating log, select three unhealthy choices to replace with a large serving of fruits or vegetables. Because you ate different foods on all three days, you now have a three-day, varied meal plan to follow.

  Repeat this step every two days to ensure that you are consistent in mindful eating.

• 5

  Commit to one physical activity a day. Monday through Friday, dedicate a minimum of 30 minutes to a fat-burning physical activity. Select a physical activity that you will enjoy. It can be something as simple as skating, hula hooping or dancing to your favorite jams. Although these choices can be done right in your home or in your neighborhood, they each offer your body the chance to burn anywhere from 200 to 425 calories of fat.

• 6

  Plan to indulge. Every seven days or so, allow yourself to enjoy a favorite snack or treat. This can be half of your favorite candy bar, a single scoop of ice cream or a burger from a fast-food restaurant. Not only will this help you to control the cravings for these items on non-indulging days, but it gives you something to look forward to after you've successfully followed your tailored meal plan all week long.

  Remember that this is a one-day, one-snack-only option. Making the mistake of indulging in more than one snack for more than one day can easily add unwanted pounds and sabotage your efforts.