Staying on Track When Beginning a Weight-Loss Plan

Losing weight and improving your health does not have to be a discouraging, insurmountable task. Focus on one change at a time and make that change meaningful. Take these things into consideration:

1. Evaluate yourself honestly. If you have never been a fish eater or cannot stomach oatmeal, no matter how nutritious these things are you are not going to eat them. Instead, take the initiative to use Omega-3 supplements and add other sources of fiber to your diet. Be realistic about your habits and lifestyle but open to changing whatever you can to increase your nutritional foundation.
2. Make the most important changes first. Health issues and family history should play a part in deciding your primary focus. An apple-shaped body, pre-diabetes or high cholesterol can provide a starting place for new healthy goals.
3. Do not wait until you have a problem. Ignoring emerging health issues or family history is ignoring your future wellness. Protecting yourself now will help you to live better and longer, and you are more likely to stick with a plan if you consider overall improvement in health rather than focusing on a change in outward appearance.
4. Take stock of how you feel when you begin. You are the best judge of how you feel and how you want that feeling to change over time. If you are not getting the results you seek, take the time to evaluate what is working and what needs to change. Tweak vitamins, food intake, exercise schedules and rest periods until you are satisfied with the results. Keeping track of how you feel is the best way to learn what does (and does not) work.
   
5. Accentuate the positive. Take pictures at specific intervals to document progress. Note when you look and feel your best. Spend time with people who make you feel good about what you are doing. Keep in touch with the reasons to make smart health choices and keep them in the forefront of your mind.
6. Do not forget the negative. No matter how wonderful and healthy the change, side effects can happen. Giving up caffeine, sugar, nicotine and sodium - all good things to get out of your system, but each one has its own set of withdrawal symptoms. Ride them out as best you can, but talk to your doctor if you experience acute illness or severe pain.

Change is a process. Take the time to pick your focus and plan your next great adventure, starting with your first step forward.