Too often when we go on a diet we set the bar too high and impose goals on ourselves that are unrealistic. This course of action is a recipe for failure. It's important to realize that cutting just one hundred odd calories a day from your diet can result in substantial weight loss over the period of twelve months and will also result in a decrease in body fat.

Now admittedly most dieters want faster results than that, but you need to realize that you have to be comfortable with the level of discipline you establish. If you've decided to cut your normal food intake in half, for example, that plan probably doesn't have a realistic chance of succeeding because you'll be constantly in discomfort, fighting hunger pains and yearning for more food intake.

If you're part of the population that is obese, remember that it took a long time to get that way, and it's going to take a similar amount of time to undo the damage. Even if you're only moderately overweight, there is still a relatively lengthy time frame involved.

So develop a plan that gradually sheds pounds with the ultimate aim of keeping them off permanently. A sensible way to go about this is to slightly reduce the portions of the food you eat. If you eat three meals a day, plan to reduce the caloric content in each of those meals by around thirty to forty calories. That will get you one hundred calories or slightly more per day.

Drink more water between meals. That will help you feel a little more full and reduce those cravings that lead to snacking between meals. Eat foods higher in nutritional value than you've been accustomed to.

The important thing to remember is that the old saying 'everything in moderation' refers to achieving weight loss as well as most everything else. Rapid weight loss is not necessarily the way to go unless there are serious health issues involved with not losing weight fast.

We're all aware that most people who go on diets, especially those that aim to lose weight quickly, wind up failing. If you don't want to be in that group, take it slow and easy. Make sure that your weight loss plan is one that you can comfortably handle without having to grit you teeth against hunger pains everyday.

It's equally important to set goals for every week that you plan to diet. For example, using the one hundred calorie daily elimination plan, use readily available charts to determine just how much weight you should lose weekly and stick with it. Tape a chart to your refrigerator and keep it current. When you can physically see the progress you're making, you'll be much more likely to stick with the program.

As you lose weight, another good tip is to periodically purchase a new wardrobe in successively smaller sizes. You don't want to waste all that money, so that will provide an additional incentive to keep that weight off.