Good question!

If you start as I started, you most certainly won't lose weight successfully. Perhaps you got somehow the newest and enticing diet program and stuck to it for some time.

Then you saw some results - maybe. But one day you will stop your diet. After all you want to eat something tasty. An evening with your friends or a feast with your family is a (sometimes most welcome) seduction. Sooner or later you will have your old weight back - sometimes more...

This can happen anytime, but you can't lose weight this way.

To attain a goal it's useful to think of what this goal is exactly. Sure! Now you'll say "Nonsense! I know what I want: I want to lose 15kg. And I want it fast!"

But ask yourself - and be honest - if this really is your goal. Or couldn't be your goal one of the following:

• You want to be able to wear a certain garment.
• You don't want to be out of breath when climbing stairs.
• You want to fight pain in the back and in joints.
• You want to relieve your hart and circulation.
• You want to normalize your blood test results.
• You want to feel comfortable in swim wear.
• You don't want to sicken at your mirror image.
• ...

So, what is your goal? Think over it and write it down! For all those goals you have to successfully lose weight - but weight loss is only a means to an end. It isn't the sole purpose.

Tip: If you're not sure now what you really want, close your eyes, relax, and ask yourself: what do you wish most of all? Don't think about it. Do it quick. Weight loss can be a good way to reach your goal. But because it's not the sole purpose, you will lose weight much easier because you have a goal that's really important for you.

Attention! If your motives are esthetic in nature, you won't come around to do some sports. This will be much easier if you have a really important goal. Muscles don't come from eating (no matter if it's healthy or junk food). Food also doesn't shape certain parts of your body...

If you have set your goals, think about how much weight you should lose. As a guidance level you can use the BMI (Body Mass Index) - a method you have probably heard in the context of ski jumping. It's also advantageous to look at the body fat if you want to lose weight successfully.

So there are quite some points you should be aware of:

Your exact goal: Be honest to yourself! Write down your goal and don't talk about it. If someone asks you, just tell him that you want to lose weight to feel better. It's noncommittal, commonly accepted and no lie.

The appropriate diet: What do you like to eat? If you're a small T-Rex, you'll need another diet than someone loving pasta dish. Which diet you should choose depends also on your overweight. Do you have massive overweight (BMI greater than 40), you should consult a doctor or dietician. In the long run, you should switch to a well-balanced and healthy food. Your weight is a direct result from what you were eating till now. Don't worry! There's always room for wine and dine from time to time. If you feel comfortable with the diet you have chosen you'll be surprised how easy weight loss can be.

The adequate sport: Without a little bit of activity it will all come to nothing. Quick weight loss without some sport s impossible - no matter which promises you came by on your quest for the right method. But you don't have to immure yourself in a fitness center for hours each day. You can go in for sports at home. And there is fitness equipment which enables you to have a full workout and doesn't take up a lot of room.
If you are massively overweight you should consult a doctor.

The beginning: If you're single, you can start immediately of course - as soon as you can overcome your inner temptation.. Otherwise you also have to overcome the resistance of your partner or family.

If you have made clear your goals and methods and hav written the down, you can successfully lose weight. If you think that your weight loss project looks cumbersome, you'll probably ask this question:

Are there alternatives to diets and sports?