by Health24.com

Step 1. Determine if you're overweight

Do this by:

• Checking your body mass index (BMI).
• Checking your waist-hip ratio (WHR).

Now answer the following two questions:

• Does your BMI exceed 25?
• Is your WHR greater than 1,0 (if you're a guy) or 0,85 (if you're a woman)?

If you answer "No" to both questions, your weight is within the normal range. Stick to a balanced diet and exercise at least three times per week. Health24 offers a variety of exercise programmes. A brisk 30-minute walk, three times a week, is a good start.

If you answer "Yes" to both questions, proceed to Step 2. For more information, read the article Do this first.

Step 2. How much weight should you lose?
Firstly, determine your healthy weight. Then calculate the number of kilos by which you are overweight = your real weight minus your ideal healthy weight.

Step 3. Plan your weight-loss schedule
How fast can you lose weight? How many days/weeks/months will it be before you will be slim? It's very important to plan your weight-loss schedule according to realistic goals (see chart below).

It's realistic to lose 0,5 – 1kg per week. If you lose weight faster than this, chances are that you'll regain the weight (and more) again within a year.

If you have a lot of weight to lose, don't feel despondent if it's realistic to reach your goal weight in four months or nine months or a year’s time. Break your long-term goal down into smaller, short-term goals.

Plan your first 8kg weight loss. You'll be able to reach this goal within two to four months. Work towards this goal. Once you’ve accomplished your first “target weight”, tackle the next 8kg.

It's an excellent idea to first have a medical checkup before you go on a weight-loss programme.

Step 4. Prepare yourself mentally to lose weight
This step requires you to be brutally honest. Ask yourself whose idea it is that you should lose weight. Are you convinced that this is what you want to do for yourself and your health?

Don’t kid yourself that you're going to stick to a diet and pump iron if the idea of losing weight comes from someone else. You're the one who must be 100% certain that you want to lose weight and that you're prepared to make the necessary changes to achieve your goal.

Read more about the obese personality.

Step 5: Complete your final checklist:
If you answer "Yes" to the following questions, you know you're ready to start losing weight:

1. Are you really overweight?
2. Have you set yourself a realistic and achievable weight-loss target?
3. Are you in good health?
4. Has your doctor given you the green light to diet and exercise?
5. Are you relaxed and calm and feeling positive about your slimming programme?
6. Have you sorted out any psychological problems that could prevent you from losing weight?
7. Are YOU the one who wants to lose weight?
8. Is your support system in place and is your partner, spouse and family 100% behind you in this venture?

How did you score?
1-3: You need to go back to the drawing board, start again and sort out those problem areas.
1-6: You still need to do some work on certain areas. Solve a few problems before you start.
7-8: You're ready and as prepared as you'll ever be. Get going with that diet and exercise programme right now!

Step 6: Choose your diet
You want to lose weight and you're ready to go. But which diet should you follow? What should you eat and where do you start? What about the Atkins Diet and fad diets? Why a boring balanced diet? Or a shake? Do calories really count? And how do you know the calorie count of specific foodstuffs? Or which foodstuffs can be substituted with others with the same calorie count? And what about low fat and fat free and low carbs? What’s the role of fibre and how much of it should you eat? What about diet pills and slimming drugs? Confused? Don’t feel alone!

Here are the basics in a nutshell:
Basic 1: If calories in (per mouth) = calories out (by organs to keep you alive and muscles while exercising), your weight will be stable (unless there are underlying medical factors at play).
If calories in > calories out, you'll gain weight and will be overweight.
If calories in < calories out, you'll lose weight.

Basic 2: A calorie from a carbohydrate = a calorie from a fat.
But: 1g fat has almost twice as many calories as 1g bread/starch/pasta or another carbohydrate or 1g protein (fish/chicken/meat).
And: Too much fat in your diet will increase your risk for heart disease.

Basic 3: Calculate how many calories you need in order to lose 0,5–1kg per week.

• Calculate your BMR.
• Decrease you daily calorie intake by 500 calories to lose 0,5–1kg per week.
• Exercise burns calories. See how many calories you burn while running, walking, rowing and more.

Basic 4: How much of what to eat?

• Eat a variety of foods, according to a balanced eating plan.
• You need more or less: 6 servings of bread/pasta/cereal/rice daily; 3 – 5 vegetables; 2 – 4 fruits; 2 cups of fat free milk/yoghurt or cottage cheese; 2 palm-sized portions of meat/chicken without the fat strips or skin, or fish, eggs or nuts; not more than 4 teaspoons of margarine, fats or oils per day.

Basic 5: Choose the right diet for yourself

• Make sure that the diet you plan to follow doesn't contain more calories than you need to consume.
• Steer clear of fad diets promising quick results.
• Here’s an example of a ready-made diet plan for you.
• Follow our Portion-Plan Diet.
• Compile your own diet plan according to the principles in Basic 4.

Basic 6: Log your progress

• Measure your weight as well as your hip and waist measurements, and your resting pulse rate weekly. Calculate your BMI and WHR monthly.
• Log it in a logbook.
• You'll soon get a taste (oops, feel!) of achievement.

- (Health24, updated September 2008)