5 Easy Weight Loss Tips to Achieve Your Ideal Weight

Losing weight is never easy, but if you understand the basic principle behind losing weight, it may make it a little easier. The main principle that you need to understand is that you need to use up more calories than you consume.

This is not always easy to do, but you can devise a weight loss plan for yourself:

*Set realistic, attainable goals.
*Stick to the amount of calories you are to consume every day. Record everything you put in your mouth.
*Keep a weight loss food diary of what you eat, how much and when you eat it, so you become more aware of your eating patterns.

Getting Started on your Weight Loss Plan

The following 5 steps will help you start losing weight:

1. Determine your ideal weight. Decide whether your body would be considered small, medium or large. Check the chart above and locate what your recommended weight for your height and body frame should be. Your estimated recommended weight should not change as you get older.

2. Determine the number of calories you can eat daily and still not gain weight. A moderately active person needs about 15 calories per pound to maintain his or her weight. You need more if you participate in regular, strenuous physical activity, and less if you do not. By multiplying your weight by 15, you get the number of calories you can eat daily to maintain your present weight.

3. If you are above your ideal weight, figure out how many calories you must cut from your diet to lose weight and reach your ideal weight. About 3500 calories are in each pound of stored fat. To lose one pound per week, which is very reasonable, realistic goal, consume 500 fewer calories each day. (Subtract 500 from the calories needed to maintain your present weight.)

4. Determine how many weeks it will take you to lose your desired number of pounds and mark that date on your calendar.

5. Determine and put in writing what you will reward yourself with for achieving your weight loss goal.

By following these steps, you are on your way to achieving your ideal weight. Make sure to develop a weight maintenance plan once you have reached your weight loss goal. This will help you keep those unwanted pounds off for good. This is definitely a healthy and safe way to lose weight and keep it off permanently. Embrace healthy eating and exercising as a lifestyle and maintain your ideal weight for the rest of your lifetime.