In the fourth week of her series on health and weight, Paula Mee says exercise is vital
You know that some change is inevitable now that you've decided to lose weight. But instead of bolstering your resolve with the most expensive set of bathroom scales, gym membership or a George Foreman grill, take 10 minutes to complete the essential groundwork before you begin. That is, write a clear set of achievable goals for weight loss to keep you focused.
Motivation comes from having a clear vision of what you want. Ask yourself "what weight would I be comfortable at, what does success look like for me and how will I celebrate when I get there?"
Expectations have a lot to do with success. Expectations also have everything to do with how confident you feel about your ability to lose weight. They must be realistic of course, otherwise you will be disappointed, so set yourself both short-term and long-term goals.
Your long-term weight goal might be to get fit, have a BMI between 20 and 25, and a waist circumference of 32 inches if you are female and 37 inches if you are male. Your short-term goal might be to lose one and a half pounds a week between now and Easter, so that's almost a stone in eight weeks.
Your food goals might target the quantity and the quality of what you eat. For example, your long-term goal might be to develop a repertoire of 10 tasty, tried and tested fresh healthy family meals, instead of relying heavily on processed ready-to-eat dinners. Your short-term goal might be to prepare to try out one tomorrow night when you've done the shopping.
Your behavioural goals might include the long-term goal of eating "mindfully". That is paying more attention to what and how you eat. A short-term goal might be that you start practising putting your knife and fork down between bites and really chewing and tasting your food beginning with your next meal and continuing until it's almost second nature to you.
Your psychological long-term goal might be to stop eating in response to your feelings, while your short-term goal might be to find something else to do other than eat when you're not happy - buy some new paint brushes and an easel and start that night class.
Eating well is vital but exercise is the fundamental weapon in the fight against a slowing metabolism and the diminishing muscle mass which causes weight gain as we age.
Your long-term goal might be to walk or run 10km without ending up in casualty. Your short-term goal might be to join some friends who walk regularly or a running club and start with three 10-minute sessions for the first week.
There are lots of different strategies for losing weight and no one plan fits all. It is critical for success to be involved in the development of your own personal weight control plan.
If you can, scope out your goals and give them a timeframe. Don't be afraid to stick them up on the notice board at home where you can see them everyday. And ask for support from those around you.
If you're having difficulties in one area - behavioural, psychological, dietary or exercise - think about talking to a time management expert, a psychologist, a dietitian or a qualified personal trainer.
To access a qualified dietitian in your area log onto www.indi.ie. Now you will be eating fewer calories to lose weight. Next week we will look at kick-starting your low calorie plan.
Paula Mee is a dietitian and co-author of the Healthsquad Guide to Health and Fitness. Her e-mail at the Dublin Nutrition Centre is paula@dnc.ie