Seven Steps to Successfully Lose Weight

     Here are steps that will guide you in get started on your weight loss efforts.
1. Know where you stand
Imagine a friend, who has not seen you for a while and wants to visit you but does not know the way to your home. The first question you will ask to him is: Where are you right now?
It is an obvious question because without knowing the current location of your friend, you will not be able to guide him to your place.
This is similar to losing body fat.
Unless have important information such as your present weight, waist size, fat percentage in your body, you would not be able to prepare a plan for reducing your weight. Therefore, before you begin with any plan of action, make sure you have keenly recorded all of the above mentioned figures.
2. Set a Goal
Imagine yourself having a perfect body.
Note down the steps you need to undertake to get to your ideal body. You can consider these as your goals.
Make sure that you are precise with your goals. Its just like when you are going for a trip and you want to be absolutely sure about your traveling plans, accommodations, and places to visit etc.
Once you are done with the setting of your goals, fix a timeframe in which you need to achieve them. Again, be realistic. Do not set the timeframe that you cannot achieve.
Try to loose 2 pounds per week. Do not aim for higher as loosing weight too quickly increases the threat of gaining all of it in the future.
3. Make the plans
Make a plan that can take you to your goals. Start from your current eating habits.
Make a chart of the diet you normally take. Also, note down the calories, proteins and fat your food contains.
Also note down any causes that make you eat even if you are not hungry. Examples of those can be fatigue or stress. Fighting hard with these causes will help stop you from eating excessively. You also need to control the emotional eating that let your weight go out of your hand.
Also prepare a chart for your workout as well. Include the time of your workout, its duration, exercises you do among other things.
4. Try changing your habits gradually
In order to see better results, make sure you try new things. Bring some alterations in your eating plans, modify the workout plan and keep trying other things as well. If you made changes that are helping you to eat less, stick with it.
Follow a constructive and step by step approach; do not rush things. Change or remove a food item from your diet every week or increase the workout duration. Making these small changes will definitely help.
5. Be consistent with the changes that are working for you.
Do not stick to any plan that is hard to follow. Instead, try and improvise slightly to get things right.
There is no reason to feel sad if you are not able to follow the plan for a day or two. There is always a second chance. Remember your frustration might make you eat more, and make you quit. So, take it easy!
6. Regularly keep notes of how you are doing
This works as a motivating factor for many people. Having a check on the progress of your weight loss mission keeps you on your toes. It will also allow you to realize where you are wrong and what can you do to make things right.
Even if the progress is not very good, there is no reason to loose hope. Some people tend to cheat on their plans if they are not able to reduce the pounds they aimed for. Please do not quit or cheat. Rather, notice your mistake and try not to repeat them.
7. Keep bucking yourself up onto your horse
Self-motivation has to be there, always. Do not become complacent if you see your weight going down. Similarly, do not get upset, if you do not see not encouraging signs. Try and try until you succeed. Repeat the steps 4, 5 and 6 until you reach your goals.
Also, you must not follow plans that are:
* Hard to follow
* Have a lot of rules
* Contradicting and confusing
* Not real
* De-motivating
So go ahead and fight your demons. All the best!

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