It is a new year and you have decided to lose weight but are unsure how to start losing weight and need some tips. You’ve come to the right article because you will find some really good ways to get started on your weight loss goal by reading this article.

With so many diet programs being marketed online, on TV and in print, how do you decide what weight loss plan is right for you?

The best way to start losing weight is to figure out where you are starting from, what is your current weight and what is your healthy, ideal weight for your height? Once you have these two figures you know what direction you need to go in (lose weight or gain weight) in order to be at your healthy ideal weight. Most of us probably have to lose weight in order to be at our ideal healthy weight. Your doctor can tell you what your body mass index (BMI) is by using a special formula to calculate this measurement.

A second good step is to start keeping a food journal of everything you eat and drink. This food journal will give you a good idea of exacting what you eat and how much you eat and drink. After keeping it for a month or two you will have a really good idea of what your eating habits are. Once you know what your current eating habits are you can find out what healthy eating habits are.

Now comes the serious part, you have to be willing to make a firm commitment to changing your eating and exercise habits so that in six weeks or in six months you will be at the ideal healthy weight for you. This has to be a life-time commitment because if it isn’t you will gain any weight that you have lost and most people gain back more than they have lost after a diet program fails. Lack of commitment is the single most common reason for diet failure.

When dieting remember these tips:

Women tend to take on extra calories by using salad dressing, butter, candy, and soda so women who are dieting should be careful to avoid these items.

Regular physical activity is the best way to lose weight because exercise burns extra fat and keeps the body active which tones the muscles making them lean which in turn burns more calories!

Eat six smaller meals instead of 3 large meals. Space these six meals about 3 to 4 hours apart and drink water first thing in the morning and in-between these smaller meals and again just before going to bed.

Avoid frying foods when trying to lose weight. Bake, grill or roast foods instead. When using oil, choose olive oil when possible

Never skip meals!

Here are a few tips that may help you if you decide to walk your way to weight loss:

When it comes to losing weight by walking, distance is more important than time. It is more important that you walked a mile versus not walking at all and not at all how long it took you to achieve the feat. You do need to understand how many calories you burn while walking if you have a particular weight loss goal in mind. If you want to burn off two pounds a week, you will need to walk long enough to burn off 3500 calories in a week if you are a person who weighs 160 pounds and you walk at a rate of two miles per hour, you will burn 105 calories in that hour. A good goal is to walk about 6 hours a week. If you carry weights while you walk, you will burn more calories. You can carry a backpack with weight in it to make this easier on you. Walking will not only help you to lose weight you can also tone leg muscles and feel happier too.

Outdoor walking is not the only way to lose weight you can also walk indoors on a treadmill at a gym or around an indoor track. Outdoor walking is more entertaining because as you walk you can look at neighborhood houses and lawn, greet neighbors, explore community parks and hiking and bike trails and really get to know your neighborhood. A treadmill has advantages too like not having to deal with inclement weather, stray dogs or bikes. The other advantage of a treadmill is that you can keep track of the number of miles you walk, and your speed.

Knowing this information may be helpful when it comes to tracking your weight loss progress and setting new goals (how many more miles would you need to walk for an additional pound a week etc.)

Walking does not require special equipment and just about any physically able person can do this exercise and lose weight as long as they walk consistently. Walking can become a habit that is enjoyable if you allow yourself to form that habit (usually two weeks). You may find that after two weeks you actually look forward to your walks.

If you walk in the morning you can elevate your metabolism throughout your day, which will benefit your weight loss goal the most. Walking at night will not raise your daily metabolism so it does not have the same weight loss benefit. So, if weight loss is why you walk, then it is best to plan to walk in the morning.