The Value of a Good Weight Loss Plan

With so many weight loss plan options available, it can be difficult to choose the right plan for you. There are dozens of pills available that promise rapid weight loss but rarely seem to work and can have serious consequences on your overall health.

Some programs are available where they supply the food so you can easily create the meals you need with the right calorie count, but are they good for you? How much nutritional value are you getting by eating boxed or canned foods? You can join clubs and count calories, or you can pay to have meal plans designed especially for you. But over time, these can become costly.

Today there are many surgical procedures that are available. There is liposuction and gastric bands and even stomach stapling. Surgical procedures should be a last consideration when looking at weight loss plan alternatives, and should only be considered when the weight is affecting your immediate health and you need to lose the weight quickly. Not only is this an expensive way to lose weight, it is not entirely safe either. Slow weight loss is always healthier on your body, although in today's fast-paced world everyone is looking for immediate results.

Immediate results may be desired, but if you take the weight off slowly, you are more likely to keep the weight off. Keeping the weight off is really the long-term goal. There really is no magic pill that will take the weight off without a proper diet and regular exercise. You have been conditioned to want and expect immediate results; however, any good weight loss plan should begin with a dietary review and an exercise regimen set by you. You are in charge of your own health, your own eating habits and your own lifestyle.
Those seeking a genuine weight loss plan that works usually require a lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes can be very economical and the benefits astronomical. You do not have to join a gym to exercise regularly; you can simply begin by walking every day. In addition, you do not have to buy expensive programs to eat healthy.

Try to eat fresh foods from the refrigerator rather than from the pantry. Give yourself a treat every so often, so you do not feel deprived, but keep your overall meals sensible with more veggies on your plate. Limit your pastas and breads, increase your greens and you are on your way to a weight loss plan that is sensible and free of charge. Anyone seeking a lifestyle change should consult with his or her doctor to ensure good health.

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Overweight Success Stories - How Did They Lose It!

Almost everyone has a story about overweight. Real weight-gain. Real weight-loss. Real struggle. Real Success. Real joy. Real diet discoveries from "Cave Woman Diet" to "Birdseed Diet" to "Cabbage Diet" to "Peanut Diet." The real people who fight overweight everyday with every trick of the trade. How they gained and how they succeed to lose and keep weight off. From some we learn good tips. The tips that may suit you. May work for you. Some of these may sound like our own stories. Here's one of them.
Helen's Overweight Story

I'm a twin, so I was only 4 pounds 13 ounces at birth. I weighed the "normal" amount for kids my age until I got into fourth grade. My parents divorced that year, and well, let's just say you can guess what happened next. Emotional eating. I was chubby from then on. I weighed 152 pounds at my high school graduation. Did I mention I'm 5 feet on a good day? And that the other girls in my graduating class weighed 100 pounds soaking wet?

When I went to college, things got worse. I was away from home for the first time, worried about events happening at home, and became a bit reclusive for a while. To comfort myself, I ate...and ate. Finally, after my sophomore year of college, I had a wake-up-call. Trust me, being the only 20 year old who doesn't wear jeans will do that for you. I saw a doctor, took the half of Phen-Fen that doesn't cause heart attacks, and lost a lot of weight really quickly. The problem was, I was nearly starving myself. I'd eat eggs for breakfast and dinner (or egg whites) and a piece of chicken with ½ can of green beans for lunch. If I ate more, I gained weight.

Eventually I went off the diet. Somehow, with exercise, I managed to keep the weight off for three years...three glorious years, where I wore tank tops (Did I mention I had a breast reduction at the age of 20? I went from a 42F to a 38B-imagine the freedom) for the first time in my life. I even wore a bikini. Then I got married and gained 15 pounds. Then I got pregnant and gained 60 more. Needless to say, it didn't all come off. I've tried over the years-I've tried hard. But eventually I've given up, after gaining a few pounds and throwing in the towel, declaring myself a failure again.

At this date, after birthing two beautiful children, I'm 48 pounds heavier than I was when I got married. And I want it off...and more. I don't want to be skin and bones. I don't even need to wear a single-digit size. But I do want to be able to walk into a restaurant with my kids and NOT wonder if I'm being judged if I (gasp!) order a milkshake.

So there's my story in a nutshell. I'm going to lose the weight this time, perhaps following the same as did before. I have to. For me. For my kids. For my marriage. I'm happier when I'm at a healthy weight. I'm more self-confident, more likely to take adventures. It's time for me. Is it time for you?