A healthy diet and fitness plan is important for health. According to MayoClinic.com, having realistic goals when beginning a new plan supports motivation and a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, having goals that are near impossible to attain will derail efforts and result in discouragement and giving up. There are tips to improve the chances of healthy diet and exercise success.
Write Down Goals
Putting goals into writing helps a person track her progress and motivate herself, reports MayoClinic.com. Important things to include in a goal plan are where and when exercise will occur, what meals and snacks will be eaten each day and how often food will be consumed. Planning for indulgences each day by writing them down prevents binges and allows a person to still enjoy her favorite foods.
Invest in Exercise Equipment
Buying a few basic pieces of exercise equipment presents the opportunity to engage in physical fitness activities right at home. MayoClinic.com recommends a set of dumbbells, resistance bands, a jump rope, a fitness ball and some fitness DVDs. Using these things will burn calories and build muscle without having to purchase a gym membership. Healthy weight loss should be around 1 to 2 pounds per week, so exercise routines should be vigorous enough to burn some calories, but not so hard that weight loss occurs too quickly.
Make Substitutions to the Diet
A few simple and easy tweaks to eating cuts several hundred calories each day without much effort. This promotes healthy weight loss while cutting fat, sodium and calories. "Fitness" magazine advises people to switch to skim milk, use mustard instead of mayonnaise, choose thin-crust pizza and use applesauce when baking in place of oil or butter. These changes make a big difference to total calorie count at the end of the day and don't require any more effort than the old way.
Practice Moderation
In a healthy eating plan, nothing is off limits, but gorging on those foods is. Complete deprivation often fails because a dieter feels too restricted. According to "Fitness" magazine, a person can still enjoy sweets, but should limit them to one portion and should substitute other treats some of the time. For example, instead of eating an entire candy bar, a person could have a dish of Jell-O for minimal calories while still getting a sweet treat after a meal. In addition, choosing low-fat versions of ice cream, chips and other treats that are often craved means a dieter can still enjoy them while also cutting back on calories and fat. Finally, sticking to one serving of junk food is important to prevent weight gain.
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