OK, now you know where you are and you know where you want to be, so now it is time to start developing steps for actually reaching the goals you have set.

First of all, you will need to find ways to reward yourself.  If you need to lose a substantial amount of weight, it is easy to become overwhelmed and burned out by your diet and exercise routine.  If this happens, you will give up before you ever reach your goals.  Therefore, you need to set up smaller goals along the way and to reward yourself when you reach them.

If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, for example, you might set a goal for the losing the first five pounds, then for the first ten, for the first 25, and then for the full 50 pounds.  How you determine how to break apart your goal into “mini-goals” and the types of rewards you allow yourself to have will be entirely up to you.

Now, it is time to get to the nitty gritty and determine how exactly you plan on reaching your goal.  There are several different dieting methods and routes that you can choose to take.  Some of these include:

• Following a diet that involves eating less calories and less fat
• Following a diet that focuses on increasing protein intake or on lowering carbohydrates
• Discussing your weight with your doctor or with a dietician in order to develop a specific dietary plan tailored just for you
• Joining a weight loss program such as Weight Watchers

In future posts, I will discuss the pros and cons of each of these methods in order to help you determine which one is the best choice for you.

In addition to changing your diet, you will also need to add exercise to your regular routine.  As I mentioned before, there are simple ways to add more exercise to your life, such as taking the stairs rather than the elevator.  But, to see any real results, you are going to need to make a conscious effort to include exercise in your life.

Set a goal to exercise a specific number of days each week for a specific amount of time each session.  You should try to exercise at least three times per week for 30 minutes each day, but, if you are physically ready or it, you should exercise more often than this. 

You will also need to determine the exercises that will be included in your routine.  Be sure to include stretching, cardio, and strength training exercises in your routine for the best results.