Guide to Cutting Weight

Losing weight has been called an obsession by more than one dietary expert. Health cookbooks, calorie counters, and exercise contraptions all tout their capability to help you lose pounds. Whether your goal is to lose a lot of weight or just a little, here is a conceptual guide to the process.

Understand Why You Gain

• So many people think losing weight is just a matter of exercise. While working out is defnitely beneficial to the body, it's only part of the story. People gain weight for different reasons: depression, pregnancy, stress, or simply a sedentary lifestyle. The first thing you should do before you embark on a diet is to understand why you are gaining weight or have gained weight. Take a long look at your habits, your lifestyle, and yes, your diet. After you've become informed it's time to do something about it.

Craft an action plan

• In order to be successful at losing weight, you have to have a plan. Depending on your circumstances, devise a routine that allows you to do three things: (1) exercise, (2) eat healthier, and (3) rest. So many people forget that their bodies need rest in order to function properly, including recovering strength, adjusting to new routines, and--yes--losing weight.

Adopt healthy practices

• The fundamental rule in losing weight is that you must burn more calories than you take in. In order to achieve this you'll need to adopt practices that reinforce your goal.

  Once you have begun to exercise regularly, eat healthier and eat less, and get the much-needed rest your body absolutely needs in order to operate. You will see results in short order.