Charles Platkin - Diet Detectives Diet Starter Kit: The Ten Things You Must Know Before You Start Any Diet

You say youre tired of dieting, youve had enough, and this is the year youre going to do it once and for all. Youre finally going to lose the weight for good. Nice, but what do you do, whats going to be different from what youve done in prior years? Its so simple, right? All you have to do is eat less and exercise more. Well, not exactly. Here are a few hard realities you should consider before you start.

Exercise: You think you can really lose all that weight by walking up the stairs rather than taking the elevator or escalator? Not really. Yes, you can improve your health, but if you are seriously overweight youll need to do a lot more than simply walking up a flight of stairs to lose a significant amount of weight and be fit. However, that doesnt mean you have to go out and run for two hours each day, either. So what should you do? Walk walk for at least 60 to 90 minutes per day. Are you thinking thats too much, how could you possibly fit it into your already busy life? If so, you need to understand that you dont have to do the entire 60 to 90 minutes all at once you just need to get it in at some point during the day. Also, you can bike, use an elliptical trainer or swim instead of walking.

What about sports like basketball, tennis, etc.? Those are good, too. The only problem is that you typically dont do them on a daily basis, and youre trying to create consistent, sustainable, automatic behaviors which means doing the same thing every day with no breaks.

Then, in addition to the walking every day, you also need to do strength training about three times per week. Most important, pick core exercises those that focus on your abdominal and back muscles.

Find the Why: Why in the world do you want to lose weight? Youd better have a very clear and precise reason that will stand up to your most powerful excuses. It helps to find a good reason why. Dont just say for my health, to look better, to feel better. Be specific I would like to lose weight because I would like to be there for my granddaughters graduation in 30 years. Keep in mind, if youre not sure, or you treat this glibly, theres a high likelihood you will not achieve your weight-loss goal. Think you already know? Make sure. Then write it down.

Food, Activity and Emotion Guide: Research reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that weight loss is doubled by using a food diary. Get an inexpensive 2 x 3-inch pad that fits in your pocket or pocket book, or use your PDA or the memo function on your phone. Write down every single food or drink you put into your mouth. Also record where you were when you ate, and your feelings before, during and after each meal. You should do this for at least four months to see your pattern of eating, drinking, activity and emotions. At the end of the evening record this information on a chart, preferably on a computer so you can store and review it. Dont feel like carrying a pad? Many of you have camera phones why not photograph each and every food and drink you consume then record it later that night. While this will not help you to pinpoint where you ate and what you were feeling, at the very least its a start.

Compliance and Consistency: It is important to be consistent in your eating and activity habits. This means that you dont take any breaks, and you record all your food and activities each and every day. Do your walking each and every day, and eat and drink healthful foods each and every day for at least one year. Thats how long it takes to get your mind and body on track. Research has shown that you shouldnt need to take breaks from your diet. If you have to take a break, youve made too many compromises in the first place and your diet will not last. New eating behaviors need to be comfortable and not too restrictive. Also, in the first four months, if you dont see weight loss that you consider significant, you will probably not stay on track.

Eating Out: Eating out is not the best way to lose weight. Most restaurant and prepared foods are high in calories (even when you ask to have them prepared healthfully). So, cooking all your own food would be best. That way, you can choose all the ingredients, spend time cooking and getting to know your foods, cleaning up and burning calories. If you do eat out, check out all menus from restaurants you frequent before you go. Most restaurant menus are available online. Come up with three or four pre-selected, healthy choices. Call ahead to find out how various dishes are prepared.

Clean Out: Get rid of ALL the foods in your home that are tempting. If you live with other people, you need to get them on board from the start and they need to be very committed to your new lifestyle. How do you really expect to lose weight if your spouse or kids are bringing home your favorite unhealthy foods? Your willpower may last a few weeks, but certainly not a lifetime.