Diet Plan: Tips on How to Successfully Follow Any Diet

Many people want to lose weight, but not many of them know how to achieve long-lasting weight loss. What they don't know is that long-lasting weight loss is an equal mix of what you think and what you do.

To lose weight and keep it off, you must create realistic goals and a plan of action. Just saying you want to lose weight isn't enough to keep you motivated.

You need a specific amount you want to lose, and a definite plan of action:

• How much weight do you want to lose?
  
• How do you feel about exercise?
  
• Are you really ready to change your life?
  

These are the questions you must answer. And your answers will determine if you fail or succeed at your weight loss goals.

A good place to start is with the three pillars of dieting success. Each pillar must be strong in order to reach your weight loss goals. It may not be easy in the beginning, but if you work on strengthening these three pillars, you'll achieve long-lasting weight loss.

Here are three lifestyle changes that lead to successful and long-lasting weight loss:

(1). Positive Thinking - negative thinking can ruin your attempt at losing weight. Thinking things like, "I'll never lose this weight" or "Losing weight is too hard", is the quickest way to defeat. Instead of negative thoughts, think smart instead.

Instead of thinking yourself into eating another hamburger, think yourself into having a piece of fruit instead. Make an effort to identify any negative thought patterns that may hurt your weight loss goals.

If you discover any negative thought patterns, take the steps necessary to weed them out.

When you start to think positive, losing weight will become much easier. Visualizing yourself thinner and healthier will motivate you to make better choices.

You'll want to spend an hour exercising instead of watching television. Instead of ordering two slices of pepperoni pizza you'll order a salad instead. And you'll know that you're doing what's best for you.

(2). Eating Well - it's common knowledge that to lose weight you need to eat fewer calories and burn more fat. But following a healthy diet is one of the toughest things about losing weight.

Just because you eat fewer calories doesn't necessarily mean you're eating healthy foods. So an important part of dieting success is not only making sure you decrease the calories you get per day, but making sure you eat healthy foods when you do eat.

(3). Exercising - decreasing your caloric intake isn't enough for long-lasting weight loss. The only way to retain your weight loss is to exercise. But exercise also serves another purpose - it keeps you healthy. Exercise burns fat, but it also keeps your heart and lungs strong.

There's also proof that exercise helps reduce your chances of getting high blood pressure and diabetes.

So there you have it, the three pillars of dieting success: positive thinking, eating well, and exercising. The concepts are simple, but not always simple to do. But you can do it.

1. Non-fat Milk or Soy Milk

It's important to get calcium, especially if you're a woman. The recommended serving is 1,000 to 1,200 mg per day or three servings. You can fulfill this requirement by drinking three 8-ounce glasses of non-fat or soy milk per day. Calcium rich foods can also be used. So if you don't want to drink milk, try yogurt, orange juice (yes, it has calcium) or a calcium supplement.

2. Fish, Chicken, and Legumes

You only need two or three servings per day from this group. The fish and chicken also has to be baked, broiled, or steamed - not fried.

3. Oils and Fats

You don't have to eliminate oils and fats completely, but you do need to reduce your intake. It's reported that salad dressing is the number one source of fat in most people's diets. Simply switching to low-fat or fat-free salad dressing will work wonders. Also choose non-processed foods over processed.

Following a healthy diet isn't as difficult as some people think. As long as you eat a generous amount of vegetables and fruits, you're on the right track.

Whole grain bread, cereal, and pasta also belong on your menu. Along with that include beans, soy milk or low-fat milk, skinless chicken breast, nuts, and fish. Good beverage choices include tea, water, and fresh vegetable and fruit juices.

That sounds like a lot of food, but a healthy diet is full of nutrients and few calories. It's time to get rid of calories.

Vegetables and Fruits

Ideally you'll get 8 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. If you fall short of the suggested number of servings, you can get some of what you need from fresh juice. If 8 servings sounds like too much, start slow. Eat 2 fruits or vegetables at every meal, and replace unhealthy snacks with fruit or vegetable treats.

Deep-colored produce are normally very rich in nutrients. Some good choices include carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, blueberries, plums, and green peas. To avoid boredom, mix raw vegetables and fruits in salads, and also use them for snacks and with cooked produce. Dried fruit is also an option.

Grains

Aim for six servings of whole grains per day. Luckily, it's pretty easy to get the suggested amount of whole grains.

The first thing on your grocery list should be whole-wheat bread. And this means real whole-wheat bread, not any of the less-healthy alternatives. You might see "white wheat", "honey wheat", or some other form of wheat. Ignore those. It's best to stick to breads with the whole-wheat label. Some manufactures will try to trick you into thinking unhealthy food is healthy.

Other sources of grain include brown rice, plain oatmeal, whole-wheat crackers, and baked corn chips.

You can partially fulfill this requirement just by having toast and oatmeal for breakfast. It doesn't get much easier than that. And for a mid-day snack, you can have whole-wheat crackers or baked corn chips.