Meal Planning a Key to Weight Loss

By Susan Brady

While there are many good weight loss programs out there, the biggest problem people encounter is actually staying on their diet of choice. Support groups, community forums, online weight trackers, trainers at your gym are but a few of the factors that have an effect on how well you do on a diet, but the food and nutrition aspect is foremost and requires a bit of planning. Without it, you are destined to fail. So get off the procrastination wagon, start planning your meals, and give yourself a head start with your weight loss.
The best diet in the world won’t work for you if it involves eating foods you dislike. With a food plan, you are in control. The details of the plan itself are entirely up to you. It’s possible to construct a diet that consists of foods you enjoy, cooked in a manner acceptable to you, with preparation time that fits your lifestyle, at a cost that fits your budget. Your plan may involve eating the same menu everyday. This method eliminates stress because it eliminates the need to constantly count calories. You can spend an hour or two finding recipes that work for you and stay within your allotted calorie (or point or carb) count and devie a shopping list. You might plan two or three different options for each meal so that you will have, for example, one of three breakfast menus you can choose from on any given day. It can be both fun and challenging to plan well-balanced, nutritious meals that fit your lifestyle and please your palate. You can also get help from the hundreds of cookbooks that are published each year. (The library is also a good source for finding cookbooks that match your dietary restrictions.)If eating the same menus day after day is unappealing, you can try one of the numerous successful diet plans; or you may want to join a diet club such as Weight Watchers or TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly). Or you may want to participate in a weight control class sponsored by your health plan. Going with a nationally published diet offers the benefit of a diet that is already balanced, calorie controlled, and in place. The same is true with the diet clubs; additionally some people benefit from the group sessions that provide nutritional education and motivational support. Many people find the weekly weigh-ins, at the diet clubs, help them stay on track.
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