7 Easy Steps to Jump Start Your Nutritional Plan

Do you tend to sabotage your dieting efforts? Do you reward yourself for eating your spinach with a piece of chocolate...or five pieces of chocolate? Here are 7 easy steps to reach your weight loss goals with a balanced nutritional plan.

1. Realize it's a nutritional plan, not a diet. Diets are associated with depravation and starvation. Diets are usually for quitting. They test our willpower to the outer limits. A nutritional plan is just that, a plan to eat right. A nutritional plan is not about willpower, it's about discipline. It's about making wise food choices for your health and future.

A nutritional plan says if you eat that honey bun, it will be hanging somewhere on you in the next few days but if you eat the veggies, it will fuel your energy level. Do some online research, and then write down your plan.

2. Make a list of when you tend to sabotage yourself. Is it when you've had a disappointment? Is it late night eating? A feeling of not deserving a healthier life? Get a piece of paper right now and write down each instance of sabotage. Just the action of putting it down on paper will propel you forward to more victories.

3. Define your goals - Write them down. On the same piece of paper as your sabotaging habits, write down your goals. Be specific. I want to lose 20 pounds in 4 months. Or, I want to lose 2 inches in my waist in 12 weeks. Be realistic but aggressive. This is your life and your body. Keep this list on your bathroom mirror so you can see it every day.

4. Add more servings of whole grain, fruits and vegetables. On Sunday, do your shopping, wash your food, bag portions for work, and you'll be far ahead of the game. Be sure to blend your fruits and vegetables with portions of 4-6 oz. of lean protein (lean turkey meat or tofu). Choose whole grain/flaxseed breads. Plan on eating every 3-4 hours throughout the day.

5. Water, water, water. A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. Twenty percent of your water need will come from the foods you eat. The rest of your water need should come from the beverages you drink.

6. Eliminate negative thoughts. It's so true - a person is the sum of his thoughts. Get rid of the self-defeating thought patterns which hold you back. Catch yourself every time you think, "I'll always be fat, it runs in my family." "I'm just not making any progress." Or, "It's too hard to prepare all that food." You might want to try writing an affirmation down 15 times a day, like I am reaching my goal of losing 20 pounds in four months, then saying it out loud.

7. Celebrate! If you're keeping true to your nutritional plan, take one day a week to eat a "feel good" meal with dessert. That's one way of celebrating your daily and weekly successes. Find creative, non-food ways to congratulate yourself on your self-discipline. Perhaps a massage for reaching your milestone goals or buying yourself something special. When you've finally reached your target goal, celebrate big with a nice meal...and some carrot sticks.

Following these 7 steps will jump start your nutritional plan without a doubt. Be sure to add some cardio at least 5-6 days a week for 30 minutes into your schedule to reach your goals even faster. Always, if you are at any kind of risk, check with your doctor before starting any new nutritional or cardio program.

Ooh-rah to you! You CAN do it. You'll be so proud of yourself when you win a healthier body, endowed with more energy and vitality. I did it over 10 years ago and it changed my life forever.

Michelle Hill is the owner of Winning Proof, a copywriting service, specializing in e-newsletters and website content. Besides the pleasure Michelle receives from running her business, she weight trains, watches football, and reads entrepreneurial and personal development books. She loves to organize everything and there are no junk drawers in her condo. Michelle is the proud Grandma of 5-year old Micaiah and 6-month old Ezekiel. http://www.winningproof.com