We have been told this over and over again and this article is one of those that will further elucidate the importance of maintaining the right weight. Right weight not only boosts your confidence by helping you look good but will also keep you healthy. Having the right weight is not only for aesthetic reasons; it is also for health reasons. Carrying around a lot of weight in your body has been associated with lifestyle diseases and even cancer. In other words, if you are the least bit overweight you are more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. To make matters worse, if you are genetically predisposed to getting cancer, you will have increased the chances of getting cancer even further. Keep these in mind when planning to lose weight.

First, lose weight for the right reasons and in this case the right reason is the health of your body. This matters a lot and it is important to be very honest with yourself. If you are a parent, you know how much your kids need you in their lives and they need the healthy you, not the sick you. For the youngsters, you know how being healthy will help you to get settled in a good career later on in life. Getting the right reasons will enable you to set the right goals. While losing weight for aesthetic reasons is considered reason enough, most people who lose weight to fit into the current trend of skinny jeans do not keep it off for good. First, get the right reason so that you maintain a healthy weight and keep off the junk for good.

After getting the right reason, setting the goals for the weight loss comes in. Be as realistic as you can. Whether you are slightly overweight or obese, the best way to lose a lot of weight is over a long period of time. There is absolutely no way you will lose all the excess weight in the shortest time and manage to keep it off. Food addiction is just the same as substance addiction and there are withdrawal symptoms if you drop them too soon. Aim to lose two pounds per week and track your progress. Whatever the pace you want to keep in your weight loss program, make sure it is reasonable and you are able to track your progress. Setting a goal will really help you stay on track.

Focus on SMART approach for setting weight loss goals. SMART goals mean goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based. If you set goal in this manner you will be able to track progress well as you will know what you are you up to and how to achieve that. Specific goals will keep you on right track, measurable and achievable goals will keep you motivated, realistic goals will not down your morale and timely goals will help you know how much time you do have for achievement of that goal. This approach will help you shed extra pounds in a systematic manner thus helping you stay organized.

Dieting and exercise is the final step and these need to be ingrained in your lifestyle. When it comes to losing weight, always put yourself in the center of your world. It is ok to be self centered in this case, as nobody is going to faulty you for it. The aim of dieting and exercise is simple math; less in and more out. Reduce the portions of food you take or increase the amount of healthy foods you eat. Healthy foods lead to the formation of healthy muscles and this will add the healthy weight to your body. Bad foods like processed food and sugars will only add the bad fat to your body and a lot more weight. As for exercise, start small and progress into more involving exercises, not forgetting to have fun while you do it.

It is good to have a calorie dairy to track your daily calorie intake. Also, try to quit bad habits like smoking and alcohol as they are said to contribute towards your weight. Do all you can to stay fit after all fitness brings health and there is no life without health.

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