Weight Loss Journal

If you are ready to make that commitment towards getting healthy and losing weight, you'll need to come up with a fitness plan that works for you. While it's great to set really high goals, it's all too easy to become discouraged and give up if you can't reach them. In order to build a fitness plan that is going to work for you, you'll need to keep the following considerations in mind.

1. What are you physically capable of handling?

If you are just starting out, there is no way you're going to be able to run a marathon. Instead of setting sky high goals, try for the more reasonable ones. For example, start with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every other day. This makes it much easier to begin and you run much less risk of being disillusioned.

2. What type of exercise fits your personality the best?

If aerobics make you homicidal, then don't pick this type of plan. It's all too easy to give up if you're ready to wring your instructor's neck. If you like to keep to yourself, try spinning instead. If weight lifting is more your scene, don't waste your time on exercises you won't be interested in. The key is finding what fits you, not forcing yourself to fit into something.

3. What will your schedule allow?

It is all too easy to claim that you're too busy to exercise. Work can get in the way, but there are ways around this. Don't schedule your exercise for parts of the day that you won't be motivated to keep. For example, if you are not a morning person, an exercise plan that starts at 7am every day is not for you. It's just too much to ask to reinvent your whole life. Pick a time that is convenient and you'll be much less likely to skip it.

4. What exercise do you enjoy?

It's pretty easy to say none, but there are creative ways that you can exercise and have fun while you're doing it. Try a couple of different methods and see which ones you enjoy the most. Then, stick with those, at least at first, so that you'll be able to stay motivated.

5. Find an exercise buddy.

We can always shirk off exercise time when it's just us, but if you have a committed buddy, it gets a lot harder. Just make sure that your buddy is really motivated. It won't do you much good to pick a partner in crime, since the temptation to cheat will be too high.

Once you have figured out what type of exercise is right for you, start slowly. You can't climb Mount Everest today! Start small and then gradually add in more time each. As you start to see the results, you'll be more motivated to keep going. If you fall, get back up again and start over. By sticking with your plan, you will get results.

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If you are struggling with your weight and your self esteem, there are many different things that you might find that you are not doing. Whether it’s wearing a favorite outfit, going to a gym to exercise or even just having fun, many of us end up self exiled hermits due to our weight. While this can be a great motivator, for most, it is self defeating behavior that may make it harder to lose weight. Here are some tips on how to start owning your body and getting back into life.

1. Start respecting yourself.

How many times do you avoid mirrors, or grimace at your own reflection? It’s time to stop that self destructive behavior and start finding things to life. It may be difficult, especially if you have spent most of your life putting yourself down. The secret is – when you don’t believe in yourself – no one else will either. You’ve got to start upping your self respect if you want people to respect you. Your exercise is: Find one thing that you like about yourself, such as your eye color, how shiny your hair is, or a favorite body part. Look at yourself in the mirror and declare that you are beautiful/handsome and that you love yourself. Repeat until you no longer feel silly.

2. Start hiding yourself in your clothing.

When you are dealing with a weight problem, your outfits of choice are probably black and not exactly form fitting. You may even develop an attachment to these clothes and use them to cloak your true body and personality. It’s time to break free of that mental block and start freshening up your wardrobe. Although black is slimming, it’s also pretty boring and it gives people the impression that you are overly somber. Loose clothes often make us look bigger instead of camouflaging our weight. Your exercise is: Buy one shirt or clothing item in your absolute, all time favorite color. Now, wear it immediately. No ifs, ands or buts. Put in on and you will probably notice that you collect quite a few compliments that day.

3. Stop hiding and get out there.

Self confidence is the most attractive thing in any human being. If you lack confidence, you’ll project that and as such, people will either overlook you, or worse. You’ve got to start working on building up that self confidence. The first exercise will help you stop beating yourself up, but now you’ve got to take it to the next level. You are beautiful/handsome and you deserve the best right now – not when you lose weight. By adopting this attitude, you’ll find that many different things in your life will start to turn around. Your exercise is: Every night before you go to bed, repeat twenty times: I am confident. Every day when you wake up repeat twenty times: I am confident. You’ve got to fake it until you make it and watch your life start to change!

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One of the most talked about concepts in the diet world right now is the process of detoxing your body from certain foods. There is a lot of hype surrounding this technique, so let's take a hard look at it to help you determine whether or not it's right for you. Like any diet, there are some that simply aren't suited for your personality, and there are those that are the perfect fit. Let's see what detoxing really stacks up to.

First and foremost, the detox process is not an easy one. Some foods are very addicting and can be very much like a drug. You'll also need to look at why you eat these "danger" foods. This will help you detox not only your body, but your mind as well. If you're not addressing both problems, you're doomed to fail. It's just like battling a drug addiction. First, you have to acknowledge the problem, then you have to take the steps to overcome it.

If you're not ready to take that step, then a diet detox most likely won't work. You need to have your head in the right place so that you will be able to get through the first few days. It ‘s not easy to completely cut out your favorite foods from your life, especially if you've become dependent on them. If you're not mentally ready, it will be all too easy to throw in the towel.

There are some cases where a diet detox can actually be harmful, or at the very least, very painful. If you eat a lot of sugar every day, your body is used to these levels. Suddenly remove all of that sugar and your system is going to go into meltdown. Your blood sugar levels will drop, you'll feel cranky and you may even experience symptoms of hypoglycemia, or blood sugar that is too low. The same is true if you're trying to detox from soda or even ice cream.

The whole point of a diet detox is to break the cycle of cravings. It is definitely not an easy way, but it can be effective. The best bet is to start with a secondary "danger" food. This gives you a chance to get a taste of success and will prepare you for handling the bigger craving. For example, if you are addicted to potato chips as well as ice cream, start with the potato chips. They're a lot easier to give up and you'll gain some confidence once you kick the habit. You can then move onto ice cream with a better outlook.

If you don't have a lot of willpower, or you are not someone that does well on a deprivation diet, then a diet detox is probably not the answer. It can be very effective, but only if you want it to be. If cold turkey quitting is a problem for you, there are other methods of losing weight that are just as effective.

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