This year, as with every other year, people are coming to The Personal Health Approach with the goal of weight loss in mind. No matter what their motivation, I start with the same approach. I would like to share my plan for successful weight management with you.

The first thing I do is establish the client's honest motivation for concern about their weight and then the reason behind the original weight gain. When establishing the desired weight goal, I take into consideration the person's age, bone structure and lifetime average weight. It is best to help the person losing the weight set up their own goal.

An exercise program that is developed to fit your lifestyle and energy level is a must. If you can find a dedicated partner, the success rate increases tremendously. Either way, time must be budgeted for exercise, marked on a planner, and used wisely.

During aerobic exercise, classified as twenty minutes or more of sustained movement, energy is produced by using oxygen. This energy comes from burning of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat. The first twenty minutes of exercise burn primarily carbohydrates. It is only after those first twenty minutes that the body burns larger amounts of fat. To lose weight, you should plan thirty to forty minutes of exercise at one time. Select an exercise that appeals to you.

"To determine your calorie requirements, you can: Multiply the desirable weight (in pounds) by 18 for women and 21 for men to find the approximate number of calories needed for a moderately active adult. If you live a very active lifestyle, add 25 percent; if you are sedentary, subtract 15 percent." For each pound of weight loss, you must decrease your intake by 500 calories a day or 3500 a week, increase the activity to burn that amount, or a combination of both. Less than 1200 calories per day for women or 1400 calories daily for men is not recommended because it encourages the body to store extra weight. It is important to understand that fats contain 2.5 times more calories per gram than any other type of foods. This partially explains why it is so difficult to lose weight if a high fat diet is consumed, high fat consumption actually slows down metabolism. You should also be aware that some of the substitutes for fat are not healthy, so be sure to check and research "fat free" ingredients. The fat content of homemade baked goods can be reduced by simply substituting applesauce for the oil in most recipes.

If you eat as a reaction to stress, stress reduction exercise programs may be your key to weight management. This may be the perfect time to exercise, since exercise is known to combat the physical as well as emotional effects of stress.

Plan your meals in advance. This is extremely important. Fresh fruit, vegetable, and whole grains are best. Decide on several meals, buy the ingredients, and prepare them in advance. Snacks of vegetables or fruit should also be cut up and packaged in advance.

Weight management requires careful planning. You must plan your weight goal, your stress management, exercise program, meals and snacks.

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